User Manual for the Total System Model Version 6.0

The Civilian Radioactive Waste Management System (CRWMS) Total System Model (TSM), a Level 3 software, is a planning tool that estimates the logistic and cost impacts of various operational assumptions in accepting radioactive wastes. Waste forms currently tracked are commercial spent nuclear fuel (CSNF), Department of Energy (DOE) spent nuclear fuel (DOE SNF), Naval SNF, and high-level (radioactive) waste (HLW). The TSM simulates the actions for Waste Acceptance (WA) from discharge to emplacement.

Evaluation of Waste Stream Receipt Scenarios for Repository Loading

The purpose of this calculation is to simulate the processing of an incoming waste stream into waste packages, simulating the required aging as applicable, and the emplacement of the waste packages into the Yucca Mountain repository.

slides - Observations on Key Storage and Transport Technical Issues

Presented at the NEI Used Fuel Management Conference, St. Petersburg, FL, May 7-9, 2013

Background Paper on Commingling of Defense and Commercial Waste

Since a 1985 decision by President Reagan that a separate permanent repository for disposal of defense high level waste was not required1, DOE has planned for disposal of all high-level waste and spent fuel from national defense activities and DOE’s own research activities in a repository for commercial waste developed under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA). The Commission has heard recommendations from some commenters2 that this decision be revisited, or even

Calibrated Unsaturated Zone Properties

The purpose of this report is to document the calibrated property sets for unsaturated zone (UZ) flow and transport process models (UZ models). The calibration of the property sets is performed through inverse modeling using a previously validated model. This work followed, and was planned in Technical Work Plan for: Unsaturated Zone Flow, Drift Seepage and Unsaturated Zone Transport Modeling (BSC 2006 [DIRS 177465], Sections 1 and 2.1.2).

EQ6 calculations for Chemical Degradation of Navy Waste Packages

The Monitored Geologic Repository Waste Package Operations of the Civilian Radioactive Waste Management System Management & Operating Contractor (CRWMS M&O) performed calculations to provide input for disposal of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) from the Navy (Refs. 1 and , 2). The Navy SNF has been considered for disposal at the potential Yucca Mountain site. For some waste packages, the containment may breach (Ref. 3), allowing the influx of water. Water in the waste package may moderate neutrons, increasing the likelihood of a criticality event within the waste package.

The Potential of Using Commercial Duel Purpose Canisters for Direct Disposal

This report evaluates the potential for directly disposing of licensed commercial Dual Purpose Canisters (DPCs) inside waste package overpacks without reopening. The evaluation considers the principal features of the DPC designs that have been licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) as these relate to the current designs of waste packages and as they relate to disposability in the repository. Where DPC features appear to compromise future disposability, those changes that would improve prospective disposability are identified.

Partnering for Long-Term Management of Radioactive Waste, Evolution and Current Practice in Thirteen Countries

The search for sites for radioactive waste management (RWM) facilities attracts attention from implementers, government bodies, local communities, and the public at large. Facility siting processes, in general, tend to be marred by conflicts, disagreements, and delays.

Spent Fuel Project Office, ISG-8 - Limited Burnup Credit in the Criticality Safety Analyses of PWR Spent Fuel in Transport and Storage Casks

Spent Fuel Project Office Interim Staff Guidance - 8

Burnup Credit Bibliographies

The attached documents are an extensive list of references relevant to burnup credit criticality analysis. Some of the references may be available within the CURIE document collection.

Intact and Degraded Mode Criticality Calculations for the Codisposal of TMI-2 Spent Nuclear Fuel in a Waste Package

The objective of these calculations is to perform intact and degraded mode criticality evaluations of the Department of Energy's (DOE) Three Mile Island- Unit 2 (TMI-2) spent nuclear fuel (SNF) in canisters. This analysis evaluates codisposal in a 5-Defense High-Level Waste (5-DHLW/DOE SNF) Long Waste Package (Civilian Radioactive Waste Management System Management and Operating Contractor [CRWMS M&O] 2000b, Attachment V), which is to be placed in a potential monitored geologic repository (MGR).

Disposal Subcommittee Report to the Full Commission

The Disposal Subcommittee of the Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future (BRC) addressed a wide-ranging set of issues, all bearing directly on the central question: “How can the United States go about establishing one or more disposal sites for high-level nuclear wastes in a manner and within a timeframe that is technically, socially, economically, and politically acceptable?”

Data Analysis for Infiltration Modeling: Extracted Weather Station Data Used to Represent Present-Day and Potential Future Climate Conditions in the Vicinity of Yucca Mountain

The purpose of this analysis is to identify, extract, and reformat weather (meteorological) data that is appropriate for use as input to an infiltration model, within the Yucca Mountain region. The analysis uses relevant meteorological data (e.g., precipitation and temperature) from source stations, and reformats or converts the data into a form suitable for the generation of meteorological conditions for a 10,000-year future climate in the Yucca Mountain region.

Bias and Range of Applicability Determinations for Commercial Nuclear Fuels

The purpose of this calculation is to apply the process described in the Preclosure Criticality Analysis Process Report (Ref. 2.2.12) to establish the bias for keff calculations performed for commercial nuclear fuels using the MCNP code system. This bias will be used in criticality safety analyses as part of the basis for establishing the upper subcritical limit (USL). This calculation also defines the range of applicability (ROA) for which the bias may be used directly without need to consider additional penalties on the USL.

NRC/NEI, January 24, 2014 Public Meeting Presentations

NRC/NEI, January 24, 2014 Public Meeting Presentations

An Evaluation of the Concept of Transuranic Burning Using Liquid Metal Reactors

This evaluation investigates the potential benefits of separating the transuranic elements from spent reactor fuel before it is disposed of in geologic repositories. It addresses the question: Would the benefits to radioactive waste disposal justify both processing the spent fuel and deploying liquid metal reactors (LMRs) to transmute the separated transuranics? http://www.epri.com/abstracts/Pages/ProductAbstract.aspx?ProductId=NP-7…

Slides - Retrievability, Cladding Integrity, and Safety Handling during Storage and Transportation

Presented at the NEI Used Fuel Management Conference, St. Petersburg, FL, May 7-9, 2013

Nuclear Criticality Calculations for the Wet Handling Facility

The purpose of this calculation is to apply the process described in the TDR-DS0-NU-000001 Rev. 02, Preclosure Criticality Analysis Process Report (Ref. 2.2.25) to aid in establishing design and operational criteria important to criticality safety and to identify potential control parameters and their limits important to the criticality safety of commercial spent nuclear fuel (CSNF) handling operations in the Wet Handling Facility (WHF)

slides - Transportation Readiness

Presented at the NEI Used Fuel Management Conference, St. Petersburg, FL, May 7-9, 2013

MOX Spent Nuclear Fuel and LaBS Glass for TSPA-LA

This analysis provides information necessary for total system performance assessment (TSPA) for the license application (LA) to include the excess U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) plutonium in the form of mixed oxide (MOX) spent nuclear fuel and lanthanide borosilicate (LaBS) glass. This information includes the additional radionuclide inventory due to MOX spent nuclear fuel and LaBS glass and the analysis that shows that the TSPA models for commercial spent nuclear fuel (CSNF) and high-level waste (HLW) degradation are appropriate for MOX spent nuclear fuel and LaBS glass, respectively.

Saturated Zone In-Situ Testing

The purpose of this scientific analysis is to document the results and interpretations of field experiments that test and validate conceptual flow and radionuclide transport models in the saturated zone (SZ) near Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The test interpretations provide estimates of flow and transport parameters used in the development of parameter distributions for total system performance assessment (TSPA) calculations.

CRC Reactivity Calculations for McGuire Unit 1

The purpose of this calculation is to document the McGuire Unit 1 pressurized water reactor (PWR) reactivity calculations performed as part of the commercial reactor critical (CRC) evaluation program. CRC evaluation reactivity calculations are performed at a number of statepoints, representing reactor start-up critical conditions at either beginning of life (BOL), beginning of cycle (BOC), or mid-cycle when the reactor resumed operation after a shutdown.

Managing Commercial High-Level Radioactive Waste

After more than 20 years of commercial nuclear power, the Federal Government has yet to develop a broadly supported policy for fulfilling its legal responsibility for the final isolation of high-level radioactive waste. OTA's study concludes that until such a policy is adopted in law, there is a substantial risk that the false starts, shifts of policy, and fluctuating support that have plagued the final isolation program in the past will continue.

Characteristics of Spent Fuel, High-Level Waste, and Other Radioactive Wastes Which May Require Long-Term Isolation, Rev. 0

The purpose of this report, and the information contained in the associated computerized data bases, is to establish the DOE/OCRWM reference characteristics of the radioactive waste materials that may be accepted by DOE for emplacement in the mined geologic disposal system as developed under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982. This report provides relevant technical data for use by DOE and its supporting contractors and is not intended to be a policy document.

Westinghouse MOX SNF Isotopic Source

The purpose of this calculation is to develop an estimate of the isotopic content as a function of time for mixed oxide (MOX) spent nuclear fuel (SNF) assemblies in a Westinghouse pressurized water reactor (PWR). These data will be used as source data for criticality, thermal, and radiation shielding evaluations of waste package (WP) designs for MOX assemblies in the Monitored Geologic Repository (MGR).