The purpose of this scientific analysis report, CSNF Loading Curve Sensitivity Analysis, is to establish the required minimum burnup as a function of initial enrichment for both pressurized water reactor (PWR) and boiling water reactor (BWR) commercial spent nuclear fuel (CSNF) that would allow permanent disposal of these waste forms in the geologic repository at Yucca Mountain. The relationship between the required minimum burnup and fuel assembly initial enrichment forms a loading curve.

As part of the Mined Geologic Disposal System Waste Package Development design activities, it has been determined that it may be beneficial to add material to fill the otherwise free spaces remaining in waste package after loading high-level nuclear waste. The use of filler material will benefit criticality control in spent nuclear fuel waste packages, by the moderator displacement method.

The objective of this calculation is to characterize the criticality aspect of a Department of Energy Spent Nuclear Fuel (DOE SNF) canister containing 5 Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) assemblies in a Five-Pack Defense High-Level Waste (HLW) waste package(WP). The purpose of this calculation is to investigate the criticality issues for the WP containg HLW and DOE SNF canisters in various stages of degradation. The calculational method used to perform the criticality calculations consisted of using the MNCP Version 4B2 (Ref.

The effects of radiation on the corrosion of various metals and alloys, particularly with respect to in-reactor processes, has been discussed by a number of authors (Shoesmith and King 1998, p.2). Shoesmith and King (1998) additionally discuss the effects of radiation of the proposed Monitored Geologic Repository (MGR) Waste Package (WP) materials. Radiation effects on the corrosion of metals and alloys include, among other things, radiolysis of local gaseous and aqueous environments lead to the fixation of nitrogen as NO, NO2, and especially HN03 (Reed and Van Konynenburg 1988, pp.

The purpose of this calculation is to perform an example criticality evaluation for degraded internal configurations of a boiling water reactor (BWR) waste package (WP) containing 44 spent nuclear fuel (SNF) assemblies. The BWR assembly design considered is based on the General Electric (GE) 8x8 assembly (see section 5.1). Depletion analyses for various assembly average enrichment and burnup (expressed as gigawatt days/metric ton Uranium; GWd/MTU) combinations are performed using the SAS2H/ORIGEN-S sequence of SCALE 4.3 (CSCI:30011-2002; Ref. 7.5).

The purpose of this study is to evaluate dissolved concentration limits (also referred to as solubility limits) of elements with radioactive isotopes under probable repository conditions, based on geochemical modeling calculations using geochemical modeling tools, thermodynamic databases, field measurements, and laboratory experiments.

The purpose of this calculation is to perform a parametric study to determine the effects of fission product leaching, assembly collapse, and iron oxide loss on the reactivity of a waste package containing mixed oxide spent nuclear fuel. Previous calculations (CRWMS M&O 1998a) have shown that the criticality control features of the waste package are adequate to prevent criticality of a flooded WP for all the enrichment/burnup pairs expected for the MOX SNF.

o Request: The current balance of the Nuclear Waste Fund (NWF).
o Response: The balance of the Nuclear Waste Fund $24.56 billion as of November 2010. (Source: U.S. DOE OCRWM Annual Financial Report for Years Ended September 30, 2010 and 2009)
o Request: The NWF fee projections of future fee receipts.

The emplacement of nuclear waste in the proposed geologic repository must satisfy relevant regulatory requirements with respect to criticality, 10CFR60. I31 (h) (Ref. 25). The waste packages for the various waste forms will be designed to preclude criticality (typically by the inclusion of neutron absorbers) even if the waste package becomes filled with water. Criticality may, however, be possible if the contents of the waste package become degraded in such a way that the fissile material can be separated from the neutron absorbers, while sufficient moderator is retained.

The purpose of this calculation is to estimate volumes, masses, and surface areas associated with (a) an empty Department of Energy (DOE) 18-inch diameter, 15-ft long spent nuclear fuel (SNF) canister, (b) an empty DOE 24-inch diameter, 15-ft long SNF canister, (c) Shippingport Light Water Breeder Reactor (LWBR) SNF, and (d) the internal basket structure for the 18-in. canister that has been designed specifically to accommodate Seed fuel from the Shippingport LWBR.