Spent fuel assembly source term sensitivity parameters

Conference · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1992

OSTI ID:6597164

Barrett, P R; Foadian, H; Rashid, Y R ^[1]; Seager, K D; Gianoulakis, S E ^[2]

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1. ANATECH Research Corp., San Diego, CA (United States)
2. Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)

Multiple release barriers exist in series in transport casks, and the magnitude of the releasable activity in the cask is considerably lower than the total activity of its contents. A source term approach accounts for the magnitude of the releasable activity available in the cask by assessing the degree of barrier resistance to release provided by material characteristics and inherent barriers that impede the release of radioactive contents. Standardized methodologies for defining the spent-fuel transport packages with specified regulations have recently been developed. An essential part of applying the source term methodology involves characterizing the response of the spent fuel under regulatory conditions of transport. Thermal and structural models of the cask and fuel are analyzed and used to predict fuel rod failure probabilities. Input to these analyses and failure evaluations cover a wide range of geometrical and material properties. An important issue in the development of these models is the sensitivity of the radioactive source term generated during transport to individual parameters such as temperature and fluence level. This paper provides a summary of sensitivity analyses concentrating on the structural response and failure predictions of the spent fuel assemblies.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 6597164
• Report Number(s): SAND-92-2113C; CONF-930408--42; TTC--1225; ON: DE93010694
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

050900* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Transport
Handling
& Storage
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
42 ENGINEERING
420204 -- Engineering-- Shipping Containers
BURNUP
CASKS
CONTAINERS
CRACKS
DESIGN
ENERGY SOURCES
FAILURES
FISSION PRODUCT RELEASE
FUEL ELEMENTS
FUEL RODS
FUELS
IMPACT SHOCK
MATERIALS
NUCLEAR FUELS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR MATERIALS
SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS
SOURCE TERMS
SPENT FUEL CASKS
SPENT FUELS
TRANSPORT