Spent fuel performance in geologic repository environments
The performance assessment of the radioactive waste package is a current topic of study in the United States to develop a geologic repository for nuclear waste isolation. The waste package is presently envisioned to consist of the waste form and its surrounding containers. This waste package is tied to specific performance objectives set forth in regulatory criteria. It is the goal of the DOE Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) to develop the necessary information on the waste package to show that the waste package provides confidence of meeting established performance criteria. This paper will discuss the United States program directed toward managing high-level radioactive waste, with emphasis on the current effort to define the behavior of irradiated spent fuel in repository environments. Spent fuel is of particular interest since it is expected to be the primary nuclear waste form disposed in a geologic repository. Current studies are directed toward understanding the rate and nature (such as valence state, colloid form if any, solid phase controlling solubility) of radionuclide release from the spent fuel. Due to the strong interactive effect of radiation, thermal fields, and waste package components on this release, current spent fuel studies are being conducted primarily in the presence of waste package components over a wide range of potential environments. 49 refs., 19 figs., 5 tabs.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- DOE/RW
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC06-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 5583656
- Report Number(s):
- PNL-SA-17002; CONF-8906231--1; ON: DE90000814
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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