External Criticality Calculation for DOE SNF Codisposal Waste Packages

Technical Report · Fri Oct 18 04:00:00 EDT 2002

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/859176· OSTI ID:859176

Radulescu, Horia ^[1]

---

1. Yucca Mountain Project, Las Vegas, NV (United States)

The purpose of this document is to evaluate the potential for criticality for the fissile material that could accumulate in the near-field (invert) and in the far-field (host rock) beneath the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) spent nuclear fuel (SNF) codisposal waste packages (WPs) as they degrade in the proposed monitored geologic repository at Yucca Mountain. The scope of this calculation is limited to the following DOE SNF types: Shippingport Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR), Enrico Fermi, Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF), Fort St. Vrain, Melt and Dilute, Shippingport Light Water Breeder Reactor (LWBR), N-Reactor, and Training, Research, Isotope, General Atomics reactor (TRIGA). The results of this calculation are intended to be used for estimating the probability of criticality in the near-field and in the far-field. There are no limitations on use of the results of this calculation. The calculation is associated with the waste package design and was developed in accordance with the technical work plan, ''Technical Work Plan for: Department of Energy Spent Nuclear Fuel and Plutonium Disposition Work Packages'' (Bechtel SAIC Company, LLC [BSC], 2002a). This calculation is subject to the Quality Assurance Requirements and Description (QARD) per the activity evaluation under work package number P6212310Ml in the technical work plan TWP-MGR-MD-0000 10 REV 01 (BSC 2002a).

• Research Organization: Yucca Mountain Project, Las Vegas, NV (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
• OSTI ID: 859176
• Report Number(s): CAL-DSD-NU-000001-REV-A; MOL.20021105.0162 DC#33270
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
BREEDER REACTORS
Bechtel
CRITICALITY
Criticality
DESIGN
EVALUATION
FFTF
FFTF REACTOR
FISSILE MATERIALS
Fast Flux Test Reactor
Fermi
Fissile Material
Isotope
N-Reactor
NUCLEAR FUELS
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
PLUTONIUM
PROBABILITY
PWR
Pressurized Water Reactor
QUALITY ASSURANCE
Research
SHIPPINGPORT REACTOR
Safety
TRAINING
Training
WASTES
WATER
Waste Packages
YUCCA MOUNTAIN