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Investigation of the Effect of Fixed Absorbers on the Reactivity of PWR Spent Nuclear Fuel for Burnup Credit
Investigation of the Effect of Fixed Absorbers on the Reactivity of PWR Spent Nuclear Fuel for Burnup Credit
The effect of fixed absorbers on the reactivity of pressurized water reactor (PWR) spent nuclear fuel (SNF) in support of burnup-credit criticality safety analyses is examined. A fuel assembly burned in conjunction with fixed absorbers may have a higher reactivity for a given burnup than an assembly that has not used fixed absorbers. As a result, guidance on burnup credit, issued by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Spent Fuel Project Office, recommends restricting the use of burnup credit to assemblies that have not used burnable absorbers.
Key Issues Associated with Interim Storage of Used Nuclear Fuel
Key Issues Associated with Interim Storage of Used Nuclear Fuel
The issue of interim storage of used (spent)1 fuel is dependent on a number of key factors, some
of which are not known at this time but are the subject of this study. The first is whether or not
the Yucca Mountain Project continues or is cancelled such that it may be able to receive spent
fuel from existing and decommissioned nuclear power stations. The second is whether the United
States will pursue a policy of reprocessing and recycling nuclear fuel. The reprocessing and
Used Fuel Management System Interface Analyses
Used Fuel Management System Interface Analyses
Preliminary system-level analyses of the interfaces between at-reactor used fuel management, consolidated storage facilities, and disposal facilities, along with the development of supporting logistics simulation tools, have been initiated to provide the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and other stakeholders with information regarding the various alternatives for managing used nuclear fuel (UNF) generated by the current fleet of light water reactors operating in the United States.
Categorization of Used Nuclear Fuel Inventory in Support of a Comprehensive National Nuclear Fuel Cycle Strategy
Categorization of Used Nuclear Fuel Inventory in Support of a Comprehensive National Nuclear Fuel Cycle Strategy
A technical assessment of the current inventory [~70,150 metric tons of heavy metal (MTHM) as of
2011] of U.S.-discharged used nuclear fuel (UNF) has been performed to support decisions regarding fuel
cycle strategies and research, development and demonstration (RD&D) needs. The assessment considered
discharged UNF from commercial nuclear electricity generation and defense and research programs and
determined that the current UNF inventory can be divided into the following three categories:
Spent Fuel Transportation Risk Assessment, Final Report
Spent Fuel Transportation Risk Assessment, Final Report
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is responsible for issuing regulations for the
packaging of spent fuel (and other large quantities of radioactive material) for transport that
provide for public health and safety during transport (Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations
(10 CFR) Part 71, “Packaging and Transportation of Radioactive Waste,” dated
January 26, 2004). In September 1977, the NRC published NUREG-0170, “Final Environmental
Statement on the Transportation of Radioactive Material by Air and Other Modes,” which
Dry Cask Storage of Nuclear Spent Fuel
Dry Cask Storage of Nuclear Spent Fuel
Dry Cask Storage of Nuclear Spent Fuel
Dry Cask Storage of Nuclear Spent Fuel
This presentation was given by Earl Easton at the 2011 National State Liaison Officers Conference in Bethesda, MD.
The presentation highlights the current state of spent nuclear fuel as well as the progress toward its ultimate disposal.
Transportation of Commercial Spent Nuclear Fuel Regulatory Issues Resolution
Transportation of Commercial Spent Nuclear Fuel Regulatory Issues Resolution
The U.S. industry’s limited efforts at licensing transportation packages characterized as “highcapacity,”
or containing “high-burnup” (>45 GWd/MTU) commercial spent nuclear fuel
(CSNF), or both, have not been successful considering existing spent-fuel inventories that will
have to be eventually transported. A holistic framework is proposed for resolving several CSNF
transportation issues. The framework considers transportation risks, spent-fuel and cask-design
Industry Spent Fuel Storage Handbook
Industry Spent Fuel Storage Handbook
The Industry Spent Fuel Storage Handbook (“the Handbook”) addresses the relevant aspects of at-reactor spent (or used) nuclear fuel (SNF) storage in the United States. With the prospect of SNF being stored at reactor sites for the foreseeable future, it is expected that all U.S. nuclear power plants will have to implement at-reactor dry storage by 2025 or shortly thereafter. The Handbook provides a broad overview of recent developments for storing SNF at U.S. reactor sites, focusing primarily on at-reactor dry storage of SNF.
Cost Estimate for an Away-From-Reactor Generic Interim Storage Facility (GISF) for Spent Nuclear Fuel
Cost Estimate for an Away-From-Reactor Generic Interim Storage Facility (GISF) for Spent Nuclear Fuel
As nuclear power plants began to run out of storage capacity in spent nuclear fuel (SNF) storage pools, many nuclear operating companies added higher density pool storage racks to increase pool capacity. Most nuclear power plant storage pools have been re-racked one or more times. As many spent fuel storage pools were re-racked to the maximum extent possible, nuclear operating companies began to employ interim dry storage technologies to store SNF in certified casks and canister-based systems outside of the storage pool in independent spent fuel storage installations (ISFSIs).
EPRI Review of Geologic Disposal for Used Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste: Volume III --Review of National Repository Programs
EPRI Review of Geologic Disposal for Used Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste: Volume III --Review of National Repository Programs
The effective termination of the Yucca Mountain program by the U.S. Administration in 2009
has left the U.S. program for management of used fuel and high level radioactive waste (HLW)
in a state of uncertainty. In concert with this major policy reset and in response to the resulting
policy vacuum, the President directed the Energy Secretary to establish the Blue Ribbon
Commission on America’s Nuclear Future (BRC) “…to conduct a comprehensive review of
policies for managing the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle and to provide recommendations for
EPRI Review of Geologic Disposal for Used Fuel and High Level Radioactive Waste: Volume I --The U.S. Site Selection Process Prior to the Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act
EPRI Review of Geologic Disposal for Used Fuel and High Level Radioactive Waste: Volume I --The U.S. Site Selection Process Prior to the Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act
U.S. efforts to site and construct a deep geologic repository for used fuel and high level radioactive waste (HLW) proceeded in fits and starts over a three decade period from the late 1950s until 1982, when the U.S. Congress enacted the Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA). This legislation codified a national approach for developing a deep geologic repository. Amendment of the NWPA in 1987 resulted in a number of dramatic changes in direction for the U.S. program, most notably the selection of Yucca Mountain as the only site of the three remaining candidates for continued investigation.
EPRI Review of Geologic Disposal for Used Fuel and High Level Radioactive Waste: Volume II --U.S. Regulations for Geologic Disposal
EPRI Review of Geologic Disposal for Used Fuel and High Level Radioactive Waste: Volume II --U.S. Regulations for Geologic Disposal
U.S. efforts to site and construct a deep geologic repository for used fuel and high level
radioactive waste (HLW) proceeded in fits and starts over a three decade period from the late
1950s until 1982, when the U.S. Congress enacted the Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA). This
legislation codified a national approach for developing a deep geologic repository. Amendment
of the NWPA in 1987 resulted in a number of dramatic changes in direction for the U.S.
program, most notably the selection of Yucca Mountain as the only site of the three remaining
EPRI Review of Geologic Disposal for Used Fuel and High Level Radioactive Waste: Volume IV - Lessons Learned
EPRI Review of Geologic Disposal for Used Fuel and High Level Radioactive Waste: Volume IV - Lessons Learned
The effective termination of the Yucca Mountain program by the U.S. Administration in 2009 has further delayed the construction and operation of a permanent disposal facility for used fuel and high level radioactive waste (HLW) in the United States. In concert with this decision, the President directed the Energy Secretary to establish the Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future to review and provide recommendations on options for managing used fuel and HLW.
Technical Bases for Extended Dry Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel
Technical Bases for Extended Dry Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel
Independent spent fuel storage installations (ISFSIs) are currently licensed for 20 years. However, delays in developing permanent spent fuel disposal capability require continued ISFSI storage beyond the 20-year term. This report provides a technical basis for demonstrating the feasibility of extended spent fuel storage in ISFSIs.
Spent Nuclear Fuel Transportation: An Overview
Spent Nuclear Fuel Transportation: An Overview
Spent nuclear fuel comprises a fraction of the hazardous materials packages shipped annually in the United States. In fact, at the present time, fewer than 100 packages of spent nuclear fuel are shipped annually. At the onset of spent fuel shipments to the proposed Yucca Mountain, Nevada, repository, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) expects to ship 400 - 500 spent fuel transport casks per year over the life of the facility.
Fission Product Benchmarking for Burnup Credit Applications
Fission Product Benchmarking for Burnup Credit Applications
Progress toward developing a technical basis for a cost-effective burnup credit methodology for
spent nuclear fuel with initial U-235 enrichment up to 5% is presented. Present regulatory
practices provide as much burnup credit flexibility as can be currently expected. Further progress
is achievable by incorporating the negative reactivity effects of a subset of neutron-absorbing
fission product isotopes. Progress also depends on optimizing the procedure for establishing the
Facts and Issues of Direct Disposal of Spent Fuel
Facts and Issues of Direct Disposal of Spent Fuel
This report reviews those facts and issues that affect the direct disposal of spent reactor fuels. It is intended as a resource document for those impacted by the current Department of Energy (DOE) guidance that calls for the cessation of fuel reprocessing. It is not intended as a study of the specific impacts (schedules and costs) to the Savannah River Site (SRS) alone. Commercial fuels, other low enriched fuels, highly enriched defense-production, research, and naval reactor fuels are included in this survey, except as prevented by rules on classification.
HTC Experimental Program: Validation and Calculational Analysis
HTC Experimental Program: Validation and Calculational Analysis
In the 1980s a series of the Haut Taux de Combustion (HTC) critical experiments with fuel pins in a water-moderated lattice was conducted at the Apparatus B experimental facility in Valduc (Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, France) with the support of the Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire and AREVA NC. Four series of experiments were designed to assess profit associated with actinide-only burnup credit in the criticality safety evaluation for fuel handling, pool storage, and spent-fuel cask conditions.
Validation Issues for Depletion and Criticality Analysis in Burnup Credit
Validation Issues for Depletion and Criticality Analysis in Burnup Credit
This paper reviews validation issues associated with implementation of burnup credit in transport, dry storage,
and disposal. The issues discussed are ones that have been identified by one or more constituents of the
United States technical community (national laboratories, licensees, and regulators) that have been exploring the
use of burnup credit. There is not necessarily agreement on the importance of the various issues, which
sometimes is what creates the issue. The broad issues relate to the paucity of available experimental data
Safety Evaluation Report for Disposal Criticality Analysis Methodology Topical Report, Revision 0
Safety Evaluation Report for Disposal Criticality Analysis Methodology Topical Report, Revision 0
In January 1999, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)/Office of Civilian Radioactive
Waste Management (OCRWM) submitted the Disposal Criticality Analysis Methodology
Topical Report, Revision 0 (TR) to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for
review and approval. The TR presents an overall approach for consideration of postclosure
disposal criticality of commercial and defense high-level waste to be placed at
the proposed Yucca Mountain site. During the course of the review and interactions
ANSI/ANS-8.27-2008: Burnup Credit for LWR Fuel
ANSI/ANS-8.27-2008: Burnup Credit for LWR Fuel
This standard provides criteria for accounting for reactivity effects of fuel irradiation and radioactive decay in criticality safety control of storage, transportation, and disposal of commercial LWR UO2 fuel assemblies.
This standard assumes the fuel and any fixed burnable absorbers are contained in an intact assembly. Additional considerations could be necessary for fuel assemblies that have been disassembled, consolidated, damaged, or reconfigured in any manner.
Criticality Analysis of Assembly Misload in a PWR Burnup Credit Cask
Criticality Analysis of Assembly Misload in a PWR Burnup Credit Cask
The Interim Staff Guidance on burnup credit (ISG-8) for spent fuel in storage and transportation casks, issued by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Spent Fuel Project Office, recommends a burnup measurement for each assembly to confirm the reactor record and compliance with the assembly burnup value used for loading acceptance. This recommendation is intended to prevent unauthorized loading (misloading) of assemblies due to inaccuracies in reactor burnup records and/or improper assembly identification, thereby ensuring that the appropriate subcritical margin is maintained.