Drying of Spent Nuclear Fuel: Considerations and Examples

d’Entremont, Anna; Smith, Rebecca E.; Rirschl, Christoph; Waldrop, Keith; Dunn, Darrell; Einziger, Robert; Sindelar, Robert

doi:10.1080/00295450.2023.2226519

This content will become publicly available on Wed Jul 24 00:00:00 EDT 2024

Title: Drying of Spent Nuclear Fuel: Considerations and Examples

Abstract

A recently revised American Society for Testing and Materials consensus standard guide for drying of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) provides considerations and guidance for preparing SNF for its safe storage in a sealed dry storage system. The standard discusses (1) needs for drying, (2) techniques to dry, and (3) demonstration of adequate dryness. No specific approach is prescribed since the effective techniques and needs for drying depend on the specifics of the fuel and dry storage system. Here, this paper discusses these topics using examples for both Zr-alloy-clad commercial SNF and for aluminum-alloy-clad research reactor SNF. Residual water can include free water (liquid and/or vapor), physisorbed water bound to internal surfaces, and chemisorbed water incorporated into surface films, such as (oxy)hydroxides. The potential impacts of these residual waters are corrosion/oxidation, radiolytic breakdown into gaseous and/or reactive species, and canister pressurization. For commercial SNF, inadvertent free water, even up to large amounts (e.g., 10+ mol), is not predicted to cause adverse corrosion degradation, except possible fuel oxidation for breached SNF. For aluminum-clad SNF, the production of radiolytic hydrogen with contribution from the chemisorbed water in its hydrated oxides is a primary consideration. For both SNF systems, canister pressurization is predicted tomore »« less

Authors:

d’Entremont, Anna ^[1];

^[2]; Rirschl, Christoph ^[3]; Waldrop, Keith ^[4]; Dunn, Darrell ^[5]; Einziger, Robert ^[6];

^[1]

Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL), Aiken, SC (United States)
Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
GNS Gesellschaft für Nuklear-Service mbH (Germany)
Electric Power Research Inst. (EPRI), Palo Alto, CA (United States)
US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Washington, DC (United States)
Consultant, Glenwood, MD (United States)

Publication Date:: Mon Jul 24 00:00:00 EDT 2023

Research Org.:: Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE), Office of Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition; USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM), Technology Development

OSTI Identifier:: 2006462

Report Number(s):: INL/JOU-23-73071-Rev000
Journal ID: ISSN 0029-5450; TRN: US2405801

Grant/Contract Number:: AC07-05ID14517; 89303321CEM000080

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Nuclear Technology

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Name: Nuclear Technology; Journal ID: ISSN 0029-5450

Publisher:: Taylor & Francis

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; spent nuclear fuel; SNF; vacuum drying; forced gas dehydration; dry storage

Citation Formats


                    d’Entremont, Anna, Smith, Rebecca E., Rirschl, Christoph, Waldrop, Keith, Dunn, Darrell, Einziger, Robert, and Sindelar, Robert. Drying of Spent Nuclear Fuel: Considerations and Examples.  United States: N. p., 2023. 
Web.  doi:10.1080/00295450.2023.2226519.

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                    d’Entremont, Anna, Smith, Rebecca E., Rirschl, Christoph, Waldrop, Keith, Dunn, Darrell, Einziger, Robert, & Sindelar, Robert. Drying of Spent Nuclear Fuel: Considerations and Examples.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2023.2226519

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                    d’Entremont, Anna, Smith, Rebecca E., Rirschl, Christoph, Waldrop, Keith, Dunn, Darrell, Einziger, Robert, and Sindelar, Robert. Mon .  
"Drying of Spent Nuclear Fuel: Considerations and Examples".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2023.2226519.

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@article{osti_2006462,

  title        = {Drying of Spent Nuclear Fuel: Considerations and Examples},

  author       = {d’Entremont, Anna and Smith, Rebecca E. and Rirschl, Christoph and Waldrop, Keith and Dunn, Darrell and Einziger, Robert and Sindelar, Robert},

  abstractNote = {A recently revised American Society for Testing and Materials consensus standard guide for drying of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) provides considerations and guidance for preparing SNF for its safe storage in a sealed dry storage system. The standard discusses (1) needs for drying, (2) techniques to dry, and (3) demonstration of adequate dryness. No specific approach is prescribed since the effective techniques and needs for drying depend on the specifics of the fuel and dry storage system. Here, this paper discusses these topics using examples for both Zr-alloy-clad commercial SNF and for aluminum-alloy-clad research reactor SNF. Residual water can include free water (liquid and/or vapor), physisorbed water bound to internal surfaces, and chemisorbed water incorporated into surface films, such as (oxy)hydroxides. The potential impacts of these residual waters are corrosion/oxidation, radiolytic breakdown into gaseous and/or reactive species, and canister pressurization. For commercial SNF, inadvertent free water, even up to large amounts (e.g., 10+ mol), is not predicted to cause adverse corrosion degradation, except possible fuel oxidation for breached SNF. For aluminum-clad SNF, the production of radiolytic hydrogen with contribution from the chemisorbed water in its hydrated oxides is a primary consideration. For both SNF systems, canister pressurization is predicted to be well within the canister design, and flammability would not pose a safety concern using an oxygen limit of 5 vol % criterion. (Flammability control can be achieved by limiting either hydrogen or oxygen, and an oxygen limit is expected to be easier to meet in the presence of radiolytic H2 generation.) The two primary technologies for SNF drying, vacuum drying and forced-gas dehydration, are described herein, and drying tests and campaigns using these methods are cited. Dryness criteria and the methods used to detect and measure residual (free) water are also discussed.},

  doi          = {10.1080/00295450.2023.2226519},

  journal      = {Nuclear Technology},

  number       = ,

  volume       = ,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Mon Jul 24 00:00:00 EDT 2023},

  month        = {Mon Jul 24 00:00:00 EDT 2023}

}

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Works referenced in this record:

Measurement of Water Adsorption Layers on Metal Surfaces
journal, July 1982

Kochsiek, M.
Metrologia, Vol. 18, Issue 3
DOI: 10.1088/0026-1394/18/3/007

Technical basis for extended dry storage of aluminum-clad spent nuclear fuel
journal, April 2023

Eidelpes, E.; Jarrell, J. J.; Lister, T. E.
Journal of Nuclear Materials, Vol. 577
DOI: 10.1016/j.jnucmat.2023.154299

Water Radiolysis: Influence of Oxide Surfaces on H2 Production under Ionizing Radiation
journal, February 2011

Le Caër, Sophie
Water, Vol. 3, Issue 1
DOI: 10.3390/w3010235

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Similar Records

This content will become publicly available on Wed Jul 24 00:00:00 EDT 2024

Title: Drying of Spent Nuclear Fuel: Considerations and Examples

Abstract

Citation Formats

Measurement of Water Adsorption Layers on Metal Surfaces journal, July 1982

Technical basis for extended dry storage of aluminum-clad spent nuclear fuel journal, April 2023

Water Radiolysis: Influence of Oxide Surfaces on H2 Production under Ionizing Radiation journal, February 2011

Measurement of Water Adsorption Layers on Metal Surfaces
journal, July 1982

Technical basis for extended dry storage of aluminum-clad spent nuclear fuel
journal, April 2023

Water Radiolysis: Influence of Oxide Surfaces on H2 Production under Ionizing Radiation
journal, February 2011