Considerations for designing a spent-fuel shipping system for commercial LMFBR plants

Conference · Thu Jul 31 04:00:00 EDT 1980

OSTI ID:5065581

Davis, C. R.

This paper identifies many factors which influence the design of a spent-fuel shipping system for commercial Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactors (LMFBR's). Appropriate consideration of these factors will result in a cost effective shipping system that maximizes safety and reliability and minimizes shipping time and radiation exposure to personnel. Existing spent-fuel shipping equipment is not appropriate for servicing future commercial LMFBR's. This is due primarily to two present-day conditions: first, without reprocessing and recycle in the US, there are presently no economic incentives for rapid low-cost spent-fuel shipping; and second, the early LWR's and LMFBR's were designed, and many built, without a spent-fuel shipping system design. LMFBR facilities can be designed to eliminate the removal of a 100 ton shipping cask from its railroad transporter for loading and the contamination of the cask's exterior surfaces and the subsequent cleaning. Loading of the shipping cask can be accomplished remotely, which eliminates almost all personnel exposure to radiation. Shipping spent-fuel in sodium eliminates a sodium cleaning operation at the reactor, saves time in preparing spent-fuel for shipment and reduces the accumulation of radioactive liquid waste at the reactor. A cask and canister design that provides double containment of spent-fuel during transit enhances safety and satisfies regulatory requirements. Sealed sodium-filled canisters for individual fuel assemblies provide primary containment. The sealed shipping cask closure provides secondary containment and heat dissipation. Criteria for minimizing fuel inventory costs require that spent-fuel shipping be integrated into the overall refueling and fuel recycle schedules. Cost savings are obtained by rapid cash turn-around and shipping fuel and radial blanket assemblies together in the same cask.

• Research Organization: General Electric Co., Sunnyvale, CA (USA). Advanced Reactor Systems Dept.
• DOE Contract Number: AT03-76SF70030
• OSTI ID: 5065581
• Report Number(s): GEFR-SP-204; CONF-801115-1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
420204* -- Engineering-- Shipping Containers
ALKALI METALS
BREEDER REACTORS
CASKS
CONTAINERS
COST
DESIGN
ECONOMICS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY TRANSFER
EPITHERMAL REACTORS
FAST REACTORS
FBR TYPE REACTORS
FUEL ELEMENTS
HEAT TRANSFER
LIQUID METAL COOLED REACTORS
LMFBR TYPE REACTORS
METALS
RAIL TRANSPORT
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTORS
SAFETY
SODIUM
SPENT FUEL CASKS
SPENT FUEL ELEMENTS
TRANSPORT