Overview of Salt Repository Research and Development for Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-level Nuclear Waste in the United States - 20307

Conference · Wed Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 2020

OSTI ID:23030485

Stauffer, Philip H. ^[1]; Kuhlman, Kristopher L.; Sevougian, S. David ^[2]; Rutqvist, Jonny ^[3]

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1. Computational Earth Science Group, Los Alamos National Laboratory (United States)
2. Sandia National Laboratories (United States)
3. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (United States)

This paper summarizes the current US Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy's (DOE-NE) work towards developing and executing a research and development program that addresses both scientific and technical issues related to long-term disposal of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and high-level waste (HLW) in a hypothetical bedded salt based geological repository. A primary goal of the program is to create a generic Geologic Disposal Safety Assessment (GDSA) Framework that can be used to help guide decisions on siting a possible future bedded salt repository. The generic GDSA work includes analysis of the impacts of heat generation caused by decay of short-lived radionuclides. We report progress in four primary areas. First, we discuss the development and recent modifications of a research and development road-map. Second, we briefly describe an experimental approach to better understand thermal processes in salt. Third, we highlight collaborations with the international research community that leverage salt-based repository science around the world. Finally, we discuss how our findings are being used to aid in the development of a generic safety assessment for a bedded salt repository containing SNF and HLW. (authors)

• Research Organization: WM Symposia, Inc., PO Box 27646, 85285-7646 Tempe, AZ (United States)
• OSTI ID: 23030485
• Report Number(s): INIS-US--21-WM-20307
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
HEAT
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
MAPS
MODIFICATIONS
RADIOISOTOPES
RISK ASSESSMENT
SALTS
SPENT FUELS