The multipurpose canister (MPC) concept can simplify the management of spent nuclear fuel by enclosing the fuel permanently in a canister that can be used for long-term dry storage at a utility site, transportation to an interim federal storage facility, and eventual disposal in a repository. This synopsis report summarizes the key design and analysis features of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) MPC program.
The multipurpose canister (MPC) program represented a major U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) initiative to simplify the management of spent nuclear fuel by enclosing it in a canister acceptable for storage, transport, and disposal. The program was one example of successful interaction between utilities and the DOE. This report documents the history and lessons learned from this substantial effort.
This document is a compilation of publically-available information on spent/used nuclear fuel storage and transport casks in use in the United States as of the summer of 2013. As such, it is a functional update and extension of JAI-582, “Shipping and Storage Cask Data For Commercial Spent Nuclear Fuel,” originally published by JAI Corporation in March 2005[1]. This report is intended to provide a convenient reference for those with interest in, or those engaged in the production, handling, storage, transport, and disposition of spent/used commercial nuclear fuel.
The purpose of this calculation is to perform waste-form specific nuclear criticality safety calculations to aid in establishing criticality safety design criteria, and to identify design and process parameters that are potentially important to the criticality safety of the transportation, aging and disposal (TAD) canister-based systems.
The results of the MCNP criticality safety calculations described in this document are presented in Section 7.1. Based on the results presented attributes of the TAD canister-based systems that are important to ensuring their subcriticality are established. These attributes can be categorized according to the criticality control parameter that is impacted. Based on the categorization presented it is seen that moderation control is the underlying criticality control parameter for TAD canister-based systems containing CSNF with a maximum initial enrichment of 5 wt.% 235U/U.
This design calculation revises and updates the previous criticality evaluation for the canister handling, transfer and staging operations to be performed in the Canister Handling Facility (CHF) documented in BSC (Bechtel SAIC Company) 2004 (DIRS 167614).
The purpose of this calculation is to perform waste-form specific nuclear criticality safety calculations to aid in establishing criticality safety design criteria, and to identify design and process parameters that are potentially important to the criticality safety of Department of Energy (DOE) standardized Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) canisters.
