This report describes tests conducted using a full-size rail cask, the ENSA ENUN 32P, involving handling of the cask and transport of the cask via truck, ships, and rail. The purpose of the tests was to measure strains and accelerations on surrogate pressurized water reactor fuel rods when the fuel assemblies were subjected to Normal Conditions of Transport within the rail cask. In addition, accelerations were measured on the transport platform, the cask cradle, the cask, and the basket within the cask holding the assemblies. These tests were an international collaboration that included Equipos Nucleares S.A., Sandia National Laboratories, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Coordinadora Internacional de Cargas S.A., the Transportation Technology Center, Inc., the Korea Radioactive Waste Agency, and the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute. All test results in this report are PRELIMINARY – complete analyses of test data will be completed and reported in FY18. However, preliminarily: The strains were exceedingly low on the surrogate fuel rods during the rail-cask tests for all the transport and handling modes. The test results provide a compelling technical basis for the safe transport of spent fuel.
This report describes the third set of tests (the “DCLa shaker tests”) of an instrumented surrogate PWR fuel assembly. The purpose of this set of tests was to measure strains and accelerations on Zircaloy-4 fuel rods when the PWR assembly was subjected to rail and truck loadings simulating normal conditions of transport when affixed to a multi-axis shaker. This is the first set of tests of the assembly simulating rail normal conditions of transport.
The transportation operations model was used to identify options for removing stranded fuel currently in dry storage at nine shutdown reactor sites to a hypothetical consolidated storage facility. The logistical variables included the campaign duration, fuel selection priority, consist size and location of the consolidated storage and maintenance facilities. The major factors affecting the logistics of fuel removal were identified. Recommendations for optimal strategies for the transport of stranded fuel from shutdown sites are made.
This report describes a test of an instrumented surrogate PWR fuel assembly on a truck trailer conducted to simulate normal conditions of truck transport. The purpose of the test was to measure strains and accelerations on a Zircaloy-4 fuel rod during the transport of the assembly on the truck. This test complements tests conducted in FY13 in which the same assembly was placed on a shaker and subjected to vertical vibrations and shocks simulating truck transport. The results of those tests are in the report “FUEL ASSEMBLY SHAKER TEST for Determining Loads on a PWR Assembly under Surrogate Normal Conditions of Transport” McConnell, et al., SAND2013-5210P, Rev. 0.1, FCRD-UFD-2013-000190, June 30, 2013 (revised December 1, 2013). This report constitutes the Milestone M2FT-14SN0813041 for the DOE/NE Fuel Cycle Research and Development Used Fuel Disposition Campaign ST Transportation Work Package FT-14SN081304 (Rev. 1). The strains measured on the instrumented Zircaloy-4 rod over a 40.2 mile route in the Albuquerque area over a variety of road conditions – rough dirt to Interstate highway (Figure S.1) – never exceeded 150 µin./in. – a very low level of strain well below the elastic limit/yield strength of Zircaloy-4, Figure S.1. The strains measured in the truck test were slightly lower than those measured in the shaker tests.
Mcconnell, Paul E.; Maheras, Steven J.; Best, Ralph E.; Ross, Steven B.; Buxton, Kenneth A.; England, Jeffery L.
The Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future identified removal of stranded used nuclear fuel at shutdown sites as a priority so that these sites may be completely decommissioned and put to other beneficial uses (BRC 2012). In this report, a preliminary evaluation of removing used nuclear fuel from nine shutdown sites was conducted. The shutdown sites included Maine Yankee, Yankee Rowe, Connecticut Yankee, Humboldt Bay, Big Rock Point, Rancho Seco, Trojan, La Crosse, and Zion. At these sites a total of 7649 used nuclear fuel assemblies and a total of 2813.2 metric tons heavy metal (MTHM) of used nuclear fuel are contained in 248 storage canisters. In addition, 11 canisters containing greater-than-Class C (GTCC) low-level radioactive waste are stored at these sites.
This report summarizes the work conducted for the Z-inertial fusion energy (Z-IFE) late start Laboratory Directed Research Project. A major area of focus was on creating a roadmap to a z-pinch driven fusion power plant. The roadmap ties ZIFE into the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) initiative through the use of high energy fusion neutrons to burn the actinides of spent fuel waste. Transmutation presents a near term use for Z-IFE technology and will aid in paving the path to fusion energy. The work this year continued to develop the science and engineering needed to support the Z-IFE roadmap. This included plant system and driver cost estimates, recyclable transmission line studies, flibe characterization, reaction chamber design, and shock mitigation techniques.
The lowering of the drinking water standard (MCL) for arsenic from 50 {micro}g/L to 10 {micro}g/L in January 2006 could lead to significant increases in the cost of water for many rural systems throughout the United States. The Arsenic Water Technology Partnership (AWTP), a collaborative effort of Sandia National Laboratories, the Awwa Research Foundation (AwwaRF) and WERC: A Consortium for Environmental Education and Technology Development, was formed to address this problem by developing and testing novel treatment technologies that could potentially reduce the costs of arsenic treatment. As a member of the AWTP, Sandia National Laboratories evaluated cutting-edge commercial products in three annual Arsenic Treatment Technology Vendors Forums held during the annual New Mexico Environmental Health Conferences (NMEHC) in 2003, 2004 and 2005. The Forums were comprised of two parts. At the first session, open to all conference attendees, commercial developers of innovative treatment technologies gave 15-minute talks that described project histories demonstrating the effectiveness of their products. During the second part, these same technologies were evaluated and ranked in closed sessions by independent technical experts for possible use in pilot-scale field demonstrations being conducted by Sandia National Laboratories. The results of the evaluations including numerical rankings of the products, links to company websites and copies of presentations made by the representatives of the companies are posted on the project website at http://www.sandia.gov/water/arsenic.htm. This report summarizes the contents of the website by providing brief descriptions of the technologies represented at the Forums and the results of the evaluations.
Recent reduction of drinking water Maximum Concentration Level (MCL) for arsenic from 50 ppb to 10 ppb was intended to reduce incidence of bladder cancer and other cancers in US. Southwestern United States is characterized by high and variable background levels for arsenic. Estimated national annual costs of implementing 10 ppb MCL range from $165M to $605M to save 7 - 33 lives. - $5M - $23.9M /life saved - $1.3M - $6.6M/ year of life saved. About 1 life/500,000 exposed persons per year. New MCL is controversial due to high costs and uncertain health benefits.
This report provides an independent assessment of information on mixed waste streams, chemical compatibility information on polymers, and standard test methods for polymer properties. It includes a technology review of mixed low-level waste (LLW) streams and material compatibilities, validation for the plan to test the compatibility of simulated mixed wastes with potential seal and liner materials, and the test plan itself. Potential packaging materials were reviewed and evaluated for compatibility with expected hazardous wastes. The chemical and physical property measurements required for testing container materials were determined. Test methodologies for evaluating compatibility were collected and reviewed for applicability. A test plan to meet US Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency requirements was developed. The expected wastes were compared with the chemical resistances of polymers, the top-ranking polymers were selected for testing, and the most applicable test methods for candidate seal and liner materials were determined. Five recommended solutions to simulate mixed LLW streams are described. The test plan includes descriptions of test materials, test procedures, data collection protocols, safety and environmental considerations, and quality assurance procedures. The recommended order of testing to be conducted is specified.
Preliminary shielding calculations were performed for a prototype National Spent Nuclear Fuel Program (NSNFP) transport cask. This analysis is intended for use in the selection of cask shield material type and preliminary estimate of shielding thickness. The radiation source term was modeled as cobalt-60 with radiation exposure strength of 100,000 R/hr. Cobalt-60 was chosen as a surrogate source because it simultaneous emits two high-energy gammas, 1.17 MeV and 1.33 MeV. This gamma spectrum is considered to be large enough that it will upper bound the spectra of all the various spent nuclear fuels types currently expected to be shipped within the prototype cask. Point-kernel shielding calculations were performed for a wide range of shielding thickness of lead and depleted uranium material. The computational results were compared to three shielding limits: 200 mrem/hr dose rate limit at the cask surface, 50 mR/hr exposure rate limit at one meter from the cask surface, and 10 mrem/hr limit dose rate at two meters from the cask surface. The results obtained in this study indicated that a shielding thickness of 13 cm is required for depleted uranium and 21 cm for lead in order to satisfy all three shielding requirements without taking credit for stainless steel liners. The system analysis also indicated that required shielding thicknesses are strongly dependent upon the gamma energy spectrum from the radiation source term. This later finding means that shielding material thickness, and hence cask weight, can be significantly reduced if the radiation source term can be shown to have a softer, lower energy, gamma energy spectrum than that due to cobalt-60.
Radioactive material transport casks use either lead or depleted uranium (DU) as gamma-ray shielding material. Stainless steel is conventionally used for structural containment. If a DU alloy had sufficient properties to guarantee resistance to failure during both nominal use and accident conditions to serve the dual-role of shielding and containment, the use of other structure materials (i.e., stainless steel) could be reduced. (It is recognized that lead can play no structural role.) Significant reductions in cask weight and dimensions could then be achieved perhaps allowing an increase in payload. The mechanical response of depleted uranium has previously not been included in calculations intended to show that DU-shielded transport casks will maintain their containment function during all conditions. This paper describesa two-part study of depleted uranium alloys: First, the mechanical behavior of DU alloys was determined in order to extend the limited set of mechanical properties reported in the literature. The mechanical properties measured include the tensile behavior the impact energy. Fracture toughness testing was also performed to determine the sensitivity of DU alloys to brittle fracture. Fracture toughness is the inherent material property which quantifies the fracmm resistance of a material. Tensile strength and ductility are significant in terms of other failure modes, however, as win be discussed. These mechanical properties were then input into finite element calculations of cask response to loading conditions to quantify the potential for claiming structural credit for DU. (The term structural credit'' describes whether a material has adequate properties to allow it to assume a positive role in withstanding structural loadings.)
