Spent Nuclear Fuel Dry Transfer System Cold Demonstration Project Final Report

Technical Report · Wed Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1999

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/911478· OSTI ID:911478

Christensen, Max R; McKinnon, M A

The spent nuclear fuel dry transfer system (DTS) provides an interface between large and small casks and between storage-only and transportation casks. It permits decommissioning of reactor pools after shutdown and allows the use of large storage-only casks for temporary onsite storage of spent nuclear fuel irrespective of reactor or fuel handling limitations at a reactor site. A cold demonstration of the DTS prototype was initiated in August 1996 at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL). The major components demonstrated included the fuel assembly handling subsystem, the shield plug/lid handling subsystem, the cask interface subsystem, the demonstration control subsystem, a support frame, and a closed circuit television and lighting system. The demonstration included a complete series of DTS operations from source cask receipt and opening through fuel transfer and closure of the receiving cask. The demonstration included both normal operations and recovery from off-normal events. It was designed to challenge the system to determine whether there were any activities that could be made to jeopardize the activities of another function or its safety. All known interlocks were challenged. The equipment ran smoothly and functioned as designed. A few "bugs" were corrected. Prior to completion of the demonstration testing, a number of DTS prototype systems were modified to apply lessons learned to date. Additional testing was performed to validate the modifications. In general, all the equipment worked exceptionally well. The demonstration also helped confirm cost estimates that had been made at several points in the development of the system.

• Research Organization: Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: DE-AC07-99ID-13727
• OSTI ID: 911478
• Report Number(s): INEEL/EXT-99-01335; TRN: US0704584
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

12 - MGMT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
CASKS
CLOSURES
DECOMMISSIONING
INEEL
INTERLOCKS
LIGHTING SYSTEMS
MODIFICATIONS
NUCLEAR FUELS
OPENINGS
REACTOR SITES
SAFETY
SHIELDS
SHUTDOWN
STORAGE
TESTING
SPENT FUELS
cask interface
casks
cold demonstration
dry transfer system
fuel assembly handling
fuel transfer
off-normal events
shield plug/lid handling
spent nuclear fuel