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Title: Depleted uranium as a backfill for nuclear fuel waste package

Abstract

A method for packaging spent nuclear fuel for long-term disposal in a geological repository. At least one spent nuclear fuel assembly is first placed in an unsealed waste package and a depleted uranium fill material is added to the waste package. The depleted uranium fill material comprises flowable particles having a size sufficient to substantially fill any voids in and around the assembly and contains isotopically-depleted uranium in the +4 valence state in an amount sufficient to inhibit dissolution of the spent nuclear fuel from the assembly into a surrounding medium and to lessen the potential for nuclear criticality inside the repository in the event of failure of the waste package. Last, the waste package is sealed, thereby substantially reducing the release of radionuclides into the surrounding medium, while simultaneously providing radiation shielding and increased structural integrity of the waste package.

Inventors:
 [1]
  1. Oak Ridge, TN
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
871957
Patent Number(s):
5832392
Assignee:
United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
G - PHYSICS G21 - NUCLEAR PHYSICS G21F - PROTECTION AGAINST X-RADIATION, GAMMA RADIATION, CORPUSCULAR RADIATION OR PARTICLE BOMBARDMENT
DOE Contract Number:  
AC05-96OR22464
Resource Type:
Patent
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
depleted; uranium; backfill; nuclear; fuel; waste; package; method; packaging; spent; long-term; disposal; geological; repository; assembly; placed; unsealed; fill; material; added; comprises; flowable; particles; size; sufficient; substantially; voids; contains; isotopically-depleted; valence; amount; inhibit; dissolution; surrounding; medium; lessen; potential; criticality; inside; event; failure; sealed; reducing; release; radionuclides; simultaneously; providing; radiation; shielding; increased; structural; integrity; simultaneously providing; radiation shielding; depleted uranium; radiation shield; nuclear fuel; spent nuclear; fuel assembly; material comprises; structural integrity; amount sufficient; waste package; substantially reducing; fill material; providing radiation; size sufficient; substantially fill; /588/250/376/976/

Citation Formats

Forsberg, Charles W. Depleted uranium as a backfill for nuclear fuel waste package. United States: N. p., 1998. Web.
Forsberg, Charles W. Depleted uranium as a backfill for nuclear fuel waste package. United States.
Forsberg, Charles W. Thu . "Depleted uranium as a backfill for nuclear fuel waste package". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/871957.
@article{osti_871957,
title = {Depleted uranium as a backfill for nuclear fuel waste package},
author = {Forsberg, Charles W},
abstractNote = {A method for packaging spent nuclear fuel for long-term disposal in a geological repository. At least one spent nuclear fuel assembly is first placed in an unsealed waste package and a depleted uranium fill material is added to the waste package. The depleted uranium fill material comprises flowable particles having a size sufficient to substantially fill any voids in and around the assembly and contains isotopically-depleted uranium in the +4 valence state in an amount sufficient to inhibit dissolution of the spent nuclear fuel from the assembly into a surrounding medium and to lessen the potential for nuclear criticality inside the repository in the event of failure of the waste package. Last, the waste package is sealed, thereby substantially reducing the release of radionuclides into the surrounding medium, while simultaneously providing radiation shielding and increased structural integrity of the waste package.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1998},
month = {Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1998}
}

Works referenced in this record: