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Consideration of Criticality in a Nuclear Waste Repository

Conference ·
OSTI ID:93677
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1]
  1. Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
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The preliminary criticality analysis that was done suggests that the possibility of achieving critical conditions cannot be easily ruled out without looking at the geochemical process of assembly or the dynamics of the operation of a critical assembly. The evaluation of a critical assembly requires an integrated, consistent approach that includes evaluating the following: (1) the alteration rates of the layers of the container and spent fuel, (2) the transport of fissile material or neutron absorbers, and (3) the assembly mechanisms that can achieve critical conditions. The above is a non-trivial analysis and preliminary work suggests that with the loading assumed, enough fissile mass will leach from the HEU multi-purpose canisters to support a criticality. In addition, the consequences of an unpressurized Oklo type criticality would be insignificant to the performance of an unsaturated, tuff repository.

Research Organization:
Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
DOE Contract Number:
AC04-94AL85000
OSTI ID:
93677
Report Number(s):
SAND--95-1270C; CONF-9509100--4; ON: DE95014893
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Related Subjects

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) Fuel
BRAGFLO_T
CRITICALITY
Excess Weapons Plutonium
FISSILE MATERIALS
Fissile Material
Fissile Uranium
GASSNF
GEOCHEMISTRY
Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU)
LEACHING
Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport (MCNP)
NUTS
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
Performance Assessment (PA)
Probabilistic Risk Assessments (PRAs)
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
SPENT FUELS
Spent Fuel
TUFF
UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL
USACONC
Waste Disposal Container
Yucca Mountain Project