Monitored retrievable storage of spent nuclear fuel
A computer simulation of the US spent fuel management system was used to evaluate alternative decisions regarding Monitored Retrievable Storage (MRS). The model developed tracks spent fuel from generation at individual reactors through final decommissioning of two geologic repositories, and computes the costs and health and safety impacts of each scenario. The reference case in which rod consolidation is not performed at the reactors, and several scenarios involving reactor rod consolidation, improved transportation systems and modified MRS designs were evaluated. The Integral MRS is found to be most attractive for the reference system design, and it becomes more attractive as the repository program is delayed. If the first repository begins operation before 2003, the Integral MRS reduces the risk to the public compared with a system without an MRS, but increases total system cost and occupational risk. However, if the repository begins operation after 2003, the Integral MRS reduces the system cost as well as the public risk. Improvements to the overall system design make the MRS proposal significantly less attractive. If rod consolidation is performed at the reactors, the inclusion of an Integral MRS in the system will increase the total system cost. Furthermore, if heavy-haul vehicles or barges are used to transport casks to a nearby railhead for reactors lacking rail access, or dry cask transfers are used at reactors lacking rail cask loading capability, the Integral MRS will increase public risk. The MRS proposal is improved by removing the 15,000 MTU storage capacity limit. This restriction will be costly in the event of delays in the repository program.
- Research Organization:
- Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Cambridge (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-76OR00033
- OSTI ID:
- 6206849
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/OR/00033-T326; ON: TI87013903
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
Handling
& Storage
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
CASKS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
CONTAINERS
COST
DESIGN
ECONOMICS
ENERGY SOURCES
EVALUATION
FUELS
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
MONITORED RETRIEVABLE STORAGE
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
NUCLEAR FUELS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES
RADIOACTIVE WASTE STORAGE
REACTOR MATERIALS
RISK ASSESSMENT
SAFETY
SIMULATION
SPENT FUEL CASKS
SPENT FUEL STORAGE
SPENT FUELS
STORAGE
TRANSPORT
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE STORAGE