Increasing Safety of Aging High-Level Radioactive Waste Storage Tanks

Conference · Thu Sep 11 04:00:00 EDT 2003

OSTI ID:826357

Steffler, Eric D; McClintock, Frank A; Williamson, Richard L; Lloyd, Wilson R; Jackson, John H

Degradation of aging high-level radioactive waste (HLW) storage tanks due to cracking is a serious problem. Present fracture mechanics analyses assume small ductility and have limited applicability to these tanks. This research program addresses this limitation by combining slip line fracture mechanics (SLFM, a ductile fracture analysis approach) with fully plastic, 3-D finite element analyses to predict growth of part-through surface cracks to, and past, the point of penetration. An extensive experimental program supports the development. The sudden transition of stable ductile crack growth to unstable cleavage fracture, including event probability, is also examined. Developed capabilities will provide the basis for a reliable predictive model of fracture in HLW storage tanks across the DOE complex, but will also be applicable to spent nuclear fuel canisters, natural gas pipelines, and other safety critical engineered structures. Experimental, numerical and analytical results are presented along with a roadmap of programmatic direction.

• Research Organization: Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Lab., Idaho Falls, ID; Massachusetts Institute of Technology (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC) (US)
• OSTI ID: 826357
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

03 NATURAL GAS
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AGING
CONTAINERS
CRACK PROPAGATION
FRACTURE MECHANICS
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
NATURAL GAS
NUCLEAR FUELS
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
SAFETY
STORAGE
TANKS