Behavior of spent nuclear fuel and storage system components in dry interim storage. Revision 1

Technical Report · Tue Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1983

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5534678· OSTI ID:5534678

Johnson, Jr, A B; Gilbert, E R; Guenther, R J

Irradiated nuclear fuel has been handled under dry conditions since the early days of nuclear reactor operation, and use of dry storage facilities for extended management of irradiated fuel began in 1964. Irradiated fuel is currently being stored dry in four types of facilities: dry wells, vaults, silos, and metal casks. Essentially all types of irradiated nuclear fuel are currently stored under dry conditions. Gas-cooled reactor (GCR) and liquid metal fast breeder reactor (LMFBR) fuels are stored in vaults and dry wells. Certain types of fuel are being stored in licensed dry storage facilities: Magnox fuel in vaults in the United Kingdom; organic-cooled reactor (OCR) fuel (clad with a zirconium alloy) in silos in Canada; and boiling water reactor (BWR) fuel (clad with Zircaloy) in a metal storage cask in Germany. Dry storage demonstrations are under way for Zircaloy-clad fuel from BWRs, pressurized heavy-water reactors (PHWRs), and pressurized water reactors (PWRs) in all four types of dry storage facilities. The demonstrations and related hot cell and laboratory tests are directed toward expanding the data base and establishing a licensing basis for dry storage of water reactor fuel. This report reviews the scope of dry interim storage technology, the performance of fuel and facility materials, the status of programs in several countries to license dry storage of water reactor fuel, and the characteristics of water reactor fuel that relate to dry storage conditions. 110 refs., 22 figs., 28 tabs.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 5534678
• Report Number(s): PNL-4189-Rev.1; ON: DE85015320
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

050900* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Transport
Handling
& Storage
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
BREEDER REACTORS
BWR TYPE REACTORS
DRY STORAGE
ENERGY SOURCES
EPITHERMAL REACTORS
FAST REACTORS
FBR TYPE REACTORS
FUELS
GAS COOLED REACTORS
GCR TYPE REACTORS
GLOBAL ASPECTS
GRAPHITE MODERATED REACTORS
HEAVY WATER COOLED REACTORS
HEAVY WATER MODERATED REACTORS
LIQUID METAL COOLED REACTORS
LMFBR TYPE REACTORS
MAGNOX TYPE REACTORS
MATERIALS
NATURAL URANIUM REACTORS
NUCLEAR FUELS
ORGANIC COOLED REACTORS
PHWR TYPE REACTORS
PWR TYPE REACTORS
REACTOR MATERIALS
REACTORS
SPENT FUEL STORAGE
SPENT FUELS
STORAGE
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS