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Standard Review Plan for Transportation Packages for MOX Spent Nuclear Fuel
Standard Review Plan for Transportation Packages for MOX Spent Nuclear Fuel
The NRC contracted with LLNL to compile this supplement to NUREG-1617 to incorporate additional
information specific to mixed uranium-plutonium oxide (MOX) fuel. This supplement provides details
on package review guidance resulting from significant differences between spent nuclear fuel from
irradiated LEU fuel and that from irradiated MOX fuel. The information presented is not to be
construed as having the force and effect of NRC regulations (except where regulations are cited), or as
NRC SFST ISG-8: Burnup Credit in the Criticality Safety Analyses of PWR Spent Fuel in Transportation and Storage Casks
NRC SFST ISG-8: Burnup Credit in the Criticality Safety Analyses of PWR Spent Fuel in Transportation and Storage Casks
Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 71, Packaging and Transportation of
Radioactive Material, and 10 CFR Part 72, Licensing Requirements for the Independent
Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel, High-Level Radioactive Waste, and Reactor-Related Greater
Than Class C Waste, require that spent nuclear fuel (SNF) remain subcritical in transportation
and storage, respectively. Unirradiated reactor fuel has a well-specified nuclide composition
that provides a straightforward and bounding approach to the criticality safety analysis of
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
Characterization of Spent Fuel Approved Testing Material - ATM-104
Characterization of Spent Fuel Approved Testing Material - ATM-104
Characterization of Spent Fuel Approved Testing Material - ATM 103
Characterization of Spent Fuel Approved Testing Material - ATM 103
Characterization of Spent Fuel Approved Testing Material
Characterization of Spent Fuel Approved Testing Material
Reactivity and Isotopic Composition of Spent PWR Fuel as a Function of Initial Enrichment, Burnup, and Cooling Time
Reactivity and Isotopic Composition of Spent PWR Fuel as a Function of Initial Enrichment, Burnup, and Cooling Time
Feasibility and Incentives for the Consideration of Spent Fuel Operating Histories in the Criticality Analysis of Spent Fuel Shipping Casks
Feasibility and Incentives for the Consideration of Spent Fuel Operating Histories in the Criticality Analysis of Spent Fuel Shipping Casks
Analyses have been completed that indicate the consideration of spent fuel histories (''burnup credit'') in the design of spent fuel shipping casks is a justifiable concept that would result in cost savings and public risk benefits in the transport of spent nuclear fuel. Since cask capacities could be increased over those of casks without burnup credit, the number of shipments necessary to transport a given amount of fuel could be reduced.
Characterization of LWR Spent Fuel MCC-Approved Testing Material--ATM-101
Characterization of LWR Spent Fuel MCC-Approved Testing Material--ATM-101
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
Phenomena and Parameters Important to Burnup Credit
Phenomena and Parameters Important to Burnup Credit
Since the mid-1980s, a significant number of studies have been directed at understanding the phenomena and
parameters important to implementation of burnup credit in out-of-reactor applications involving pressurizedwater-
reactor (PWR) spent fuel. The efforts directed at burnup credit involving boiling-water-reactor (BWR)
spent fuel have been more limited. This paper reviews the knowledge and experience gained from work
performed in the United States and other countries in the study of burnup credit. Relevant physics and analysis
Review and Prioritization of Technical Issues Related to Burnup Credit for LWR Fuel
Review and Prioritization of Technical Issues Related to Burnup Credit for LWR Fuel
This report has been prepared to review relevant background information and provide technical discussion that will help initiate a PIRT (Phenomena Identification and Ranking Tables) process for use of burnup credit in light-water reactor (LWR) spent fuel storage and transport cask applications. The PIRT process will be used by the NRC Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research to help prioritize and guide a coordinated program of research and as a means to obtain input/feedback from industry and other interested parties.
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
Disposal Criticality Analysis Methodology Topical Report
Disposal Criticality Analysis Methodology Topical Report
The fundamental objective of this topical report is to present the planned risk-informed disposal criticality analysis methodology to the NRC to seek acceptance that the principles of the methodology and the planned approach to validating the methodology are sound. The design parameters and environmental assumptions within which the waste forms will reside are currently not fully established and will vary with the detailed waste package design, engineered barrier design, repository design, and repository layout.
Axial Burnup Profile Database for Pressurized Water Reactors
Axial Burnup Profile Database for Pressurized Water Reactors
The data were obtained directly from utilities whose reactors represent the range of commercial PWR fuel lattices. The work was performed by Yankee Atomic Electric for Sandia National Laboratory. All axial burnup profiles were calculated from 3-D depletion analyses of the core configuration. The organizations and utilities providing axial burnup profiles for the database used different model codes for the 3D-depletion calculations. The model codes used were: SIMULATE-3, NEMO, ANC, and PRESTO-II. Cross-section inputs describing the assemblies are derived from assembly lattice calculations.
Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material - 2005 Edition
Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material - 2005 Edition
101. These Regulations establish standards of safety which provide an
acceptable level of control of the radiation, criticality and thermal hazards to
persons, property and the environment that are associated with the transport of
radioactive material. These Regulations utilize the principles set forth in both
the “Radiation Protection and the Safety of Radiation Sources”, Safety Series
No. 120 [1] and the “International Basic Safety Standards for Protection
against Ionizing Radiation and for the Safety of Radiation Sources”, Safety
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.
Integrated Issue Resolution Status Report
Integrated Issue Resolution Status Report
This Integrated Issue Resolution Status Report provides background information about the status of prelicensing interactions between the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) concerning a potential high-level waste geologic repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The NRC staff has, for many years, engaged in prelicensing interactions with DOE and various stakeholders.
Criticality Risks During Transportation of Spent Nuclear Fuel
Criticality Risks During Transportation of Spent Nuclear Fuel
This report presents a best-estimate probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) to quantify the frequency of criticality accidents during railroad transportation of spent nuclear fuel casks. The assessment is of sufficient detail to enable full scrutiny of the model logic and the basis for each quantitative parameter contributing to criticality accident scenario frequencies. The report takes into account the results of a 2007 peer review of the initial version of this probabilistic risk assessment, which was published as EPRI Technical Report 1013449 in December 2006.
SCALE-4 Analysis of Pressurized Water REactor Critical Configurations: Volume 5 - North Anna Unit 1 Cycle 5
SCALE-4 Analysis of Pressurized Water REactor Critical Configurations: Volume 5 - North Anna Unit 1 Cycle 5
The requirements of ANSI/ANS 8.1 specify that calculational methods for away-from-reactor
(AFR) criticality safety analyses be validated against experimental measurements. If credit for the
negative reactivity of the depleted (or spent) fuel isotopics is desired, it is necessary to benchmark
computational methods against spent fuel critical configurations. This report summarizes a portion
of the ongoing effort to benchmark AFR criticality analysis methods using selected critical
configurations from commercial pressurized-water reactors (PWR).
PWR Axial Burnup Profile Analysis
PWR Axial Burnup Profile Analysis
Isotopic Generation and Confirmation of the BWR Appl. Model
Isotopic Generation and Confirmation of the BWR Appl. Model
The objective of this calculation is to establish an isotopic database to represent commercial spent nuclear fuel (CSNF) from boiling water reactors (BWRs) in criticality analyses performed for the proposed Monitored Geologic Repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Confirmation of the conservatism with respect to criticality in the isotopic concentration values represented by this isotopic database is performed as described in Section 3.5.3.1.2 of the Disposal Criticality Analysis Methodology Topical Report (Reference 7.1).