A Critical Review of the Practice of Equating the Reactivity of Spent Fuel to Fresh Fuel in Burnup Credit Criticality Safety Analyses for PWR Spent Fuel Pool Storage
This research examines the practice of equating the reactivity of spent fuel to that of fresh fuel for the purpose of performing burnup credit criticality safety analyses for PWR spent fuel pool (SFP) storage conditions. The investigation consists of comparing kf estimates based on reactivity "equivalent" fresh fuel enrichment (REFFE) to kl estimates using the actual spent fuel isotopics.
Validation of SCALE-4 for Burnup Credit Applications
In the past, criticality analysis of pressurized water reactor (PWR) fuel stored in racks and casks has assumed that the fuel is fresh with the maximum allowable initial enrichment. If credit is allowed for fuel burnup in the design of casks that are used in the transport of spent light water reactor fuel to a repository, the increase in payload can lead to a significant reduction in the cost of transport and a potential reduction in the risk to the public. A portion of the work has been performed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in support of the U.S.
A Statistical Method for Estimating the Net Uncertainty in the Prediction of k Based on Isotopic Uncertainties
Research Supporting Implementation of Burnup Credit in the Criticality Safety Assessment of Transport and Storage Casks
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Office of Regulatory Research (RES) has initiated a program to support effective implementation of burnup credit in the criticality safety assessment of transport and dry storage casks. The goal is to develop technical bases that can be used to provide criteria and guidance for use in licensing activities.
The program is being conducted in a phased approach, with the initial focus on unresolved issues related to the use of actinide-only bumupcredit in transport and dry storage casks designed for spent fuel from pressurized-water reaciors (PWRs).
Experimental Investigation of Burnup Credit for Safe Transport, Storage, and Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel
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.
Research to Support Expansion of U.S. Regulatory Position on Burnup Credit for Transport and Storage Casks
In 1999, the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (U.S. NRC) initiated a research program
to support the development of technical bases and guidance that would facilitate the implementation of burnup
credit into licensing activities for transport and dry cask storage. This paper reviews the following major areas of
investigation: (1) specification of axial burnup profiles, (2) assumption on cooling time, (3) allowance for
assemblies with fixed and removable neutron absorbers, (4) the need for a burnup margin for fuel with initial
