Moving the Largest Capacity PWR Dual-Purpose Cask in the World from Gösgen NPP to the Zwilag Interim Storage Site

Abstract

The Swiss Gösgen nuclear power plant (NPP) has decided to use two different methods for the disposal of its spent fuel. (1) To reprocess some of its spent fuel in dedicated facilities. Some of the vitrified waste from the reprocessing plant will be shipped back to Switzerland using the new COGEMA Logistics, TN81 cask. (2) To ship the other part of its spent fuel to the central interim storage facility at Zwilag (Switzerland) using a COGEMA Logistics dual-purpose TN24G cask. The TN24G is the heaviest and largest dual-purpose cask manufactured so far by COGEMA Logistics in Europe. It is intended for the transport and storage of 37 pressurised water-reactor (PWR) spent fuel assemblies. Four casks were delivered by COGEMA Logistics to Gösgen NPP. Three transports of loaded TN24G casks between Gösgen and Zwilag were successfully pelformed at the beginning of 2002 using the new COGEMA Logistics Q76 wagon specifically designed to transport heavy casks. This article describes the procedure of operations and shipments for the first TN24G casks up to storage at Zwilag. The fourth shipment of loaded TN24G was due to take place in October 2002. The TN24G cask, as part of the TN24 cask family, proved to be a very efficient solution for Kemkraftwerk Gösgen spent fuel management.     

BWR spent fuel transport and storage with TN9/4 and TN24BH casks

Abstract

In 2001 the Swiss nuclear utilities started to store spent fuel in dry metallic dual purpose casks at ZWILAG, the Swiss interim storage facility. BKW FMB Energy Ltd, as the owner of the Mühleberg nuclear power plant, is involved in this process and has selected to store the spent fuel in a new high capacity dual purpose cask, the TN24BH. For the transport Cogema Logistics has developed a new medium size cask, the TN9/4, to replace the NTL9 cask, which has performed numerous shipments of BWR spent fuel in past decades. Licensed by the IAEA 1996, the TN9/4 is a 40 t transport cask, for seven BWR high burnup spent fuel assemblies. The spent fuel assemblies can be transferred to the ZWILAG hot cell in the TN24BH cask. These casks were first used in 2003. Ten TN9/4 shipments were made, and one TN24BH was loaded. After a brief presentation of the operational aspects, the paper will focus on the TN24BH high capacity dual purpose cask and the TN9/4 transport cask and describe in detail their characteristics and possibilities.     

Transport of MOX fuel: continuous challenge

Abstract

For 45 years TN International has been involved in the radioactive materials transportation field. Since the beginning the spent nuclear fuel transportation has been its core business. During all these years TN International, now part of AREVA, has been able to anticipate and fulfil the needs for new transport or storage casks design to fit the nuclear industry evolutions. A whole fleet of casks able to transport all the materials of the nuclear fuel cycle has been developed. This paper focuses on the casks used to transport the fresh and used mix oxide (MOX) fuel. To transport the fresh MOX boiling water reactor and pressurised water reactors fuel, TN International has developed two designs of casks: the MX 6 and the MX 8. These casks are and have been used to transport MOX fuel for French, German, Swiss and in a near future Japanese nuclear power plants. A complete set of baskets have been developed to optimise the loading in terms of integrated dose and also of course capacity. Mixed oxide used fuel has now its dedicated cask: the TN 112 which certificate of approval has been obtained in July 2008. This cask is able to transport 12 MOX spent fuel elements with a short cooling time. The first loading of the cask has been performed in September 2008 in the Electricité de France nuclear power plant of Saint-Laurent-des-Eaux. By its continuous involvement in the nuclear transportation field, TN International has been able to face the many challenges linked to the radioactive materials transportation especially talking of MOX fuel. TN International will also have to face the increasing demand linked to the nuclear renaissance.     

Safety of transport of radioactive Material: 2004 in retrospect

Abstract

There are basically two main technologies for the intermediate storage of spent nuclear fuel in Europe: dry storage in casks or vaults and wet storage in pools. The advantage of casks is their modularity and hence investment can be phased to suit the planned dates of loading individual casks, pools and vaults usually provide longer term capacity and thus require a greater initial investment for operators. Transnucléaire has developed a range of modular dry cask solutions for customers and more than 100 examples of the TN 24 type cask have been licensed for transport and storage in Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, the United States of America and Japan. This paper compares the requirements for cask licensing in Europe and the USA and shows how two particular BWR cask designs were developed by Transnucléaire. (1) The TN 97 L cask was designed primarily for the European market and the first use is foreseen at the Leibstadt nuclear power station in Switzerland. (2) The TN 68 cask was designed by Transnuclear Inc. and its first use is foreseen at the Philadelphia Electric Company's Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station.     

Implementation of burn-up credit approach for transport and storage cask

Abstract

TN International currently uses burn-up credit methodology for the design of casks dedicated to the transport of pressurised water reactor uranium oxide spent fuel assemblies. As long as the fuel enrichment of the pressurised water reactor fuel assemblies was sufficiently low, a burn-up credit methodology based on the sole consideration of actinides and the use of a partial burn-up was satisfactory to cover the needs without necessity to design new casks. Nevertheless, the continuous increase in the fuel enrichment during the last decade has led TN International to continue the investigations on the burn-up credit methodology to limit both the increase in the neutron poison content in the new basket designs and the burn-up constraints attached to the acceptability of the fuel assemblies for transport. The strategy of TN International was then to take benefit of the large negative reactivity reserves, which might be gained by the consideration of the fission products coming from the fuel irradiation. A big step forward has recently been reached by TN International on this field with the definition of an advanced burn-up credit methodology based on the consideration of relevant fission products recommended by OECD. In the meantime, TN International has taken the opportunity to use such burn-up credit approach in the design of the TN 24 E transport and storage cask developed for the German nuclear power plants. The relevant task has been carried out according to the German standard DIN 25712 for burn-up credit application. The present paper will describe the basic principles of the burn-up credit methodology implemented by TN International such as:

(i) the current state of the art concerning the burn-up credit application in the criticality assessment

(ii) the basic approach used for the implementation of the advanced burn-up credit methodology (bounding axial burn-up profiles, fuel irradiation parameters, fission products, etc.)

(iii) the area of validity of the TN International burn-up credit approach with fission products

(iv) example of application of the burn-up credit methodology for the design of the TN 24 E transport and storage cask under licensing in Germany

(v) the perspectives of development of the burn-up credit methodology.     

TN Group: Different Solutions for Different Regulatory Contexts

Abstract

The TN group has designed, licensed and manufactured a large number of different transport, storage and dual purpose cask models for spent fuel and vitrified residues. The need to tailor design to real direct requirements (for instance, materials to be stored or transported, as well as site constraints such as crane capacities, access opening size) of the customer has been presented as an important reason explaining this large diversity. In this paper, another reason is discussed: the regulations. National and international transport regulations have a common basis: the Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material set forth by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Though the regulations are the same, authorities differ in their approaches, and the paper discusses the example of the materials: depending on the countries, for instance, brittle fracture is dealt with differently, and boronated materials are accepted or not. Storage requirements differ from one site to another. Differences may concern cask closure (double lid or single lid) and its leaktightness monitoring, dose rates criteria, place where casks are stored and the need for an anti-aircraft crash cover. Examples of local requirements and solutions provided by the TN group are discussed. It is shown that the TN group's wide knowledge of regulatory contexts allows TN designers to optimise the designs to take into account these different contexts.     

Consideration of aging mechanism influence on transport safety of dual purpose casks for spent nuclear fuel or HLW

When storage of spent nuclear fuel or high level waste is carried out in dual purpose casks (DPC), the effects of aging on safety relevant DPC functions and properties have to be managed in a way that a safe transport after the storage period of several decades is capable and can be justified and certified permanently throughout that period. The effects of aging mechanisms (e.g. radiation, different corrosion mechanisms, stress relaxation, creep, structural changes and degradation) on the transport package design safety assessment features have to be evaluated. Consideration of these issues in the DPC transport safety case will be addressed. Special attention is given to all cask components that cannot be directly inspected or changed without opening the cask cavity, like the inner parts of the closure system and the cask internals, like baskets or spent fuel assemblies. The design criteria of that transport safety case have to consider the operational impacts during storage. Aging is not the subject of technical aspects only but also of ‘intellectual’ aspects, like changing standards, scientific/technical knowledge development and personal as well as institutional alterations. Those aspects are to be considered in the management system of license holders and in appropriate design approval update processes. The paper addresses issues that are subject of an actual International Atomic Energy Agency TECDOC draft ‘Preparation of a safety case for a dual purpose cask containing spent nuclear fuel’.     

Safety Margins of Spent Fuel Transport and Storage Casks Considering Aircraft Crash Impacts

Abstract

The safety of spent fuel transport casks in severe accident conditions is always a matter of concern. This paper surveys German missile impact tests that have been carried out in the past to demonstrate that German cask designs for transport and interim storage are safe even under conditions of an aircraft crash impact. A fire test with a cask beside an exploding propane vessel and temperature calculations concerning prolonged fires also show that the casks have reasonably good safety margins in thermal accidents beyond regulatory fire test conditions.     

Safety Aspects of Long-term Dry Interim Storage Of Type-b Spent Fuel and Hlw Transport Casks

Abstract

Based on the German decision to minimise transport of spent fuel casks between nuclear power plants, reprocessing plants and central storage facilities several on-site storage facilities were licensed until the end of 2003. Because of the large amount of Type B(U) transport casks which are going to be used for long-term interim storage the question of timelimited Type B(U) licence maintenance during the storage period of up to 40 years has been discussed under different aspects. This paper describes present technical aspects of the discussion. A main aspect of qualification of transport casks for interim storage is the long-term behaviour of the metallic seal–lid system. Here results are presented from current long-term experimental tests with metallic 'Helicoflex' seals in which pool water is enclosed. This series of tests has been performed by the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) on behalf of the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) since 2001. Finally, the paper presents a German concept for an exchange of experience, know-how and state-of-the-art between authorities and technical experts with regard to cask dispatch in nuclear facilities. BAM has taken over a central role in this so-called 'coordinating institution for cask dispatching information' ('KOBAF') which entails management of an online database of cask-specific documents and a technical working group meeting twice a year. The goal is to keep comparable technical standards for all nuclear sites and storage facilities which are going to load and dispatch casks of the same or similar types under the responsibility of different German state governments for the coming decades.     

Adaptation of Approved Transport and Storage Cask Lines to Individual Customer Requirements

Abstract

Within the decommissioning programmes of the Italian nuclear power plants, the Italian multi-utility company ENEL decided to rely on on-site dry storage while waiting for the availability of the national interim storage site. SOGIN (Società Gestione Impianti Nucleari SpA, Rome, Italy), now in charge of all nuclear power plant (NPP) decommissioning activities was created in the ENEL group but is now owned by the Italian government. In 2000 it ordered 30 CASTOR® casks for the storage of its spent fuel not covered by existing or future reprocessing contracts. Ten CASTOR X/A17 casks will contain the Trino pressurised water reactor (PWR) fuel and the Garigliano boiling water reactor (BWR) fuel currently stored in pools at the nuclear power plant Trino and the Avogadro nuclear facility at Saluggia. Additionally 20 CASTOR X/B52 casks will contain the BWR fuel assemblies, which are stored in the pool at the Caorso nuclear power plant. GNB (Gesellschaft fuer Nuklear-Behaelter mbH, Essen, Germany) has completed detailed studies for the design of both types of cask. The tailored cask design is based on the well-established and proven design features of CASTOR reference casks and is responsive to the needs and requirements of the Italian fuel and handling conditions. The design of the CASTOR X/A17 for up to 17 Trino PWR fuel assemblies or 17 Garigliano BWR fuel assemblies and the CASTOR X/B52 cask holding up to 52 Caorso BWR fuel assemblies is suitable for the following conditions of use: loading of the casks in the fuel pools of the nuclear installations at Trino, Caorso and Avogadro; no upgrading of the Current on-site crane capacities; transport of the fuel assemblies, which are currently stored at the Saluggia facility to the nuclear power plant Trino; on-site storage in a vertical or horizontal position with the possibility of transfer to another temporary storage or a final repository, even after a number of years; the partial loading of mixed oxide (MOX) and failed fuel; loading and drying of bottled Garigliano fuel assemblies. On the basis of the CASTOR V/19 and CASTOR V/52 cask lines, the design of the CASTOR X/A17 and X/B52 casks aims at optimising safety and economics under the given boundary conditions. The long time for which fuel is kept in intermediate wet storage results in a reduced shielding and thermal-conduction requirement. This is used to meet the tight mass and geometry restrictions while allowing for the largest cask capacity possible.     

Vulnerabilities of legacy fuel casks when evaluated using modern structural analysis tools

Abstract

Cylindrical fuel casks often have impact limiters surrounding the ends of the cask shaft in a typical 'dumbbell' arrangement. The primary purpose of these impact limiters is to absorb energy to reduce loads on the cask structure during impacts associated with a severe accident. Impact limiters are also credited in many packages with protecting closure seals and reducing peak temperatures during fire events. For this credit to be taken in safety analyses, the impact limiter attachment system must be shown to retain the impact limiter following normal conditions of transport (NCT) and hypothetical accident conditions (HAC) impacts. Large casks are often certified by analysis only because of the cost associated with testing. Therefore, some cask impact limiter attachment systems have not been tested in real impacts. A recent structural analysis of the T-3 spent fuel containment cask found problems with the design of the impact limiter attachment system. Assumptions in the original safety analysis for packaging (SARP) concerning the loading in the attachment bolts were found to be inaccurate in certain drop orientations. This paper documents the lessons learned and their applicability to impact limiter attachment system designs.     

Analysis of the Castor RBMK Cask Cooling Preceding Discharge of Spent Nuclear Fuel

Abstract

An important problem of the handling of casks intended for spent nuclear fuel transport and storage is providing safety during all operations. In particular the safety requirements should be fulfilled during the cask cooling that precedes the discharge of spent nuclear fuel from the cask. An analysis has been performed for the CASTOR RBMK cask heat removal system. This provides forced cooling of the cask with the spent fuel assemblies in it, by water delivery into the cask inner cavity. As a result of analyses performed for the different flow rates of the cooling water, the maximum pressure in the cask cavity caused by water evaporation has been estimated and compared with the maximum permissible value and the time taken by the cask in cooling to the given temperature limit has been determined. On the basis of the analysis results the most preferable regime for CASTOR RBMK cask cooling is suggested.     

Dynamic impact characteristics of KN-18 SNF transport cask – Part 1: An advanced numerical simulation and validation technique

Domestic and international regulations for the transportation of radioactive materials strictly prescribe the design requirements for spent nuclear fuel (SNF) transport casks. According to the applicable codes, a transport cask must withstand a free-drop impact of 9 m onto an unyielding surface and a free-drop impact of 1 m onto a mild steel bar. However, the structural performance of a transport cask is not easy to evaluate precisely because the dynamic impact characteristics of the cask, which includes impact limiters to absorb the impact energy, are so complex.     

Verification of activity release compliance with regulatory limits within spent fuel transport cask assessment

Abstract

Admissible limits for activity release from type B(U) packages for spent fuel transport specified in the International Atomic Energy Agency regulations (10^?6 A₂ h^?1 for normal conditions of transport and A₂ per week for accidental conditions of transport) have to be kept by an appropriate function of the cask body and its sealing system. Direct measurements of activity release from the transport casks are not feasible. Therefore, the most common method for the specification of leak tightness is to relate the admissible limits of activity release to equivalent standardised leakage rates. Applicable procedure and calculation methods are summarised in the International Standard ISO 12807 and the US standard ANSI N14·5. BAM as the German competent authority for mechanical, thermal and containment assessment of packages liable for approval verifies the activity release compliance with the regulatory limits. Two fundamental aspects in the assessment are the specification of conservative design leakage rates for normal and accidental conditions of transport and the determination of release fractions of radioactive gases, volatiles and particles from spent fuel rods. Design leakage rates identify the efficiency limits of the sealing system under normal and accidental transport conditions and are deduced from tests with real casks, cask models or components. The releasable radioactive content is primarily determined by the fraction of rods developing cladding breaches and the release fractions of radionuclides due to cladding breaches. The influence of higher burn-ups on the failure probability of the rods and on the release fractions are important questions. This paper gives an overview about methodology of activity release calculation and correlated boundary conditions for assessment.     

Challenges in the renewal of the Swedish sea transport system

Abstract

Since 1985, SKB has successfully operated a sea transport system for transport of spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste to the intermediate storage facility, Clab and the final repository, SFR, in Sweden. The main components in the system are the ship M/S Sigyn, transport casks for spent fuel and core components, IP2 containers and terminal vehicles.     

大容量钴源运输容器屏蔽研究

大容量钴源运输容器为运输工业用钴源而设计的专用设备。由于内容物放射性活度水平很高、衰变热很大,仅有少数国家具有设计能力,在国内的研制尚属首次。在对钴源运输容器的屏蔽设计研制过程中,突破之前的屏蔽设计技术束缚,采用MCAM程序与MCNP程序模拟计算钴源运输容器外的剂量率水平,并在设计过程中及时发现容器存在的设计缺陷,从而进行了设计改进,保证了容器满足国家标准要求的各项设计措施。目前这些设计措施已通过相关的试验验证。结果表明:针对大容量60 Co运输容器的关键技术制定的设计措施合理有效,充分保证了容器在经受国家标准中规定的正常运输条件和运输中事故条件下各项试验后容器屏蔽性能的完整性,确保钴源运输的安全。     

Fracture Toughness of DCI Casks and Prediction by Small Specimen Test

Abstract

Spent nuclear fuel transport and/or storage containers (casks) must maintain their structural integrity even when subjected to hypothetical accidents during transport or handling accidents at storage facilities. For ductile cast iron (DCI) to be used as a cask containment boundary material, adequate fracture toughness must be demonstrated at service temperatures and Impact loading conditions of concern. In Japan, comprehensive studies of the fracture toughness of heavy section DCI have been undertaken by a number of research organisations to provide the safety assurance for the DCI casks. In the present study, the fracture toughness data were used to develop a lower bound trend curve for heavy section DCI and to examine the prediction methods by small specimen tests. The fracture toughnesses K_Ic, K_IIc and K_IIIc were also obtained to study the safety assessment of DCI casks under different loading mode conditions.     

German approach and feedback on experience of transportability of SNF packages after interim storage

In Germany, the concept of dry interim storage of spent fuel in dual purpose metal casks is implemented, currently for periods of up to 40 years. The casks being used have an approved package design in accordance with the international transport regulations. The license for dry storage is granted on the German Atomic Energy Act with respect to the recently revised ‘Guidelines for dry interim storage of irradiated fuel assemblies and heat-generating radioactive waste in casks’ by the German Waste management Commission. For transport on public routes between or after long term interim storage periods, it has to be ensured that the transport and storage casks fulfil the specifications of the transport approval or other sufficient properties, which satisfy the proofs for the compliance of the safety objectives at that time. In recent years, the validation period of transport approval certificates for manufactured, loaded and stored packages were discussed among authorities and applicants. A case dependent system of 3, 5 and 10 years was established. There are consequences for the safety cases in the Package Design Safety Report, including evaluation of long term behaviour of components and specific operating procedures of the package. The present research and knowledge concerning the long term behaviour of transport and storage cask components have to be consulted as well as experiences from interim cask storage operations. Challenges in the safety assessment are e.g. the behaviour of aged metal and elastomeric gaskets under IAEA test conditions to ensure that the results of drop tests can be transferred to the compliance of the safety objectives at the time of transport after the interim storage period. Assessment methods for the material compatibility, the behaviour of fuel assemblies and the aging behaviour of shielding parts are issues as well. This paper describes the state of the art technology in Germany, explains recent experience on transport preparation after interim storage and points out arising prospective challenges.     

Spent fuel transport cask thermal evaluation under normal and accident conditions

The casks used for transport of nuclear materials, especially the spent fuel element (SPE), must be designed according to rigorous acceptance criteria and standards requirements, e.g. the International Atomic Energy Agency ones, in order to provide protection to people and environment against radiation exposure particularly in a severe accident scenario.The aim of this work was the evaluation of the integrity of a spent fuel cask under both normal and accident scenarios transport conditions, such as impact and rigorous fire events, in according to the IAEA accident test requirements. The thermal behaviour and the temperatures distribution of a Light Water Reactor (LWR) spent fuel transport cask are presented in this paper, especially with reference to the Italian cask designed by AGN, which was characterized by a cylindrical body, with water or air inside the internal cavity, and two lateral shock absorbers.Using the finite element code ANSYS a series of thermal analyses (steady-state and transient thermal analyses) were carried out in order to obtain the maximum fuel temperature and the temperatures field in the body of the cask, both in normal and in accidents scenario, considering all the heat transfer modes between the cask and the external environment (fire in the test or air in the normal conditions) as well as inside the cask itself.In order to follow the standards requirements, the thermal analyses in accidents scenarios were also performed adopting a deformed shape of the shock absorbers to simulate the mechanical effects of a previous IAEA 9 m drop test event. Impact tests on scale models of the shock absorbers have already been conducted in the past at the Department of Mechanical, Nuclear and Production Engineering, University of Pisa, in the ‘80s. The obtained results, used for possible new licensing approval purposes by the Italian competent Authority of the cask for PWR spent fuel cask transport by the Italian competent Authority, are discussed.