Concrete Shield Performance of the VSC-17 Spent Nuclear Fuel Cask
In 2003, representatives from the Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI) requested development of a project with the objective of determining the performance of a concrete spent nuclear fuel storage cask. Radiation and environmental effects may cause chemical alteration of the concrete that could result in excessive cracking, spalling, and loss of compressive strength. The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) project team and CRIEPI representatives identified the Ventilated Storage Cask (VSC-17) spent nuclear fuel storage cask as a candidate to study cask performance, because it had been used to store fuel as part of a dry cask storage demonstration project for more than 15 years. The project involved investigating the properties of the concrete shield. INL performed a survey of the cask in the summers of 2003 and 2004. Preliminary cask evaluations performed in 2003 indicated that the cask has no visual degradation. However, a 4-5 mrem/hr step-change in the radiation levels about halfway up the cask and a localized hot spot beneath an upper air vent indicate that there may be variability in the density of the concrete or localized cracking. In 2005, INL and CRIEPI scientists performed additional surveys on the VSC-17 cask. This document summarizes the methods used on the VSC-17 to evaluate the cask for compressive strength, concrete cracking, concrete thickness, and temperature distribution.
- Research Organization:
- Idaho National Laboratory (INL)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- DOE - EM
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC07-99ID13727
- OSTI ID:
- 911595
- Report Number(s):
- INL/CON-05-00895
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Concrete Shield Performance of the VSC-17 Spent Nuclear Fuel Cask
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Related Subjects
AIR
CASKS
CONCRETES
ELECTRIC POWER INDUSTRY
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
HOT SPOTS
MANAGEMENT
NUCLEAR FUELS
PERFORMANCE
RADIATIONS
SHIELDS
SPENT FUEL CASKS
SPENT FUELS
STORAGE
TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTION
THICKNESS
concrete
storage cask