System-level logistics modeling of DPC direct disposal - 15511
- Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico (United States)
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Used Nuclear Fuel Disposition, has been conducting a study of the technical feasibility of direct disposal of existing dual-purpose canisters (DPCs) loaded with commercial spent nuclear fuel (SNF). The system-level logistical modeling described here is a part of this study with the primary goals to project the inventory of DPCs in the future and to understand the timing of DPC disposal constrained by thermal power limits for disposal and other key parameters of the waste management system. The logistics simulations also allow for estimating fuel age at emplacement, an important consideration if storage time is limited. This analysis evaluated the effects on DPC direct disposal from uncertainty in repository emplacement power limits, the repository start date, and whether or when the nuclear industry could transition to loading SNF into the smaller capacity multi-purpose canisters (MPCs). MPCs implemented at a future date would likely contain the youngest fuel with highest burnup, but smaller MPCs would cool to the emplacement power limits relatively quickly. The results of this analysis demonstrate that DPC direct disposal could be complete by about 2070 to 2170 depending on the repository emplacement power limit. These completion dates can be expedited by approximately 10 to 40 years in some scenarios through the transition to MPCs. The greatest average SNF age at emplacement is 88 years in the scenarios with the smallest repository thermal power limit in which no transition to MPCs is considered. Transition to MPCs could decrease the average age at emplacement, to as low as 42 years in some scenarios. (authors)
- Research Organization:
- WM Symposia, Inc., PO Box 27646, 85285-7646 Tempe, AZ (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 22824398
- Report Number(s):
- INIS-US-19-WM-15511; TRN: US19V0971069444
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: WM2015: Annual Waste Management Symposium, Phoenix, AZ (United States), 15-19 Mar 2015; Other Information: Country of input: France; 4 refs.; available online at: http://archive.wmsym.org/2015/index.html
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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