Research reactor aluminum spent fuel : treatment options for disposal / Milton Levenson, principal investigator ; Kevin D. Crowley, study director ; Board on Radioactive Waste Management, Commission on Geosciences, Environment, and Resources, National Research Council.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Levenson, Milton.

Crowley, Kevin D.

National Research Council (U.S.). Board on Radioactive Waste Management.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Aluminum--Isotopes.

Aluminum.

Radioactive waste disposal.

Spent reactor fuels.

Physical Description:

xii, 227 p. : ill.

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Washington, D.C. : National Academy Press, 1998.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is preparing an environmental impact statement (EIS) for management of aluminum spent fuel from foreign and domestic research reactors, much of which is highly enriched in uranium-235. This EIS will assess the need for additional treatment and storage facilities at the Savannah River Site to accommodate the receipt of this fuel, and it also will assess and select a treatment technology to prepare this fuel for interim storage and eventual shipment to a repository for disposal. This National Research Council book, which was prepared at the request of DOE's Savannah River Office, provides a technical assessment of the technologies, costs, and schedules developed by DOE for eight alternative treatment options and the baseline reprocessing option. It also provides comments on DOE's aluminum spent fuel disposal program, a program that is slated to last for about 40 years and cost in excess of $2 billion.

Contents:

Research Reactor Aluminum Spent Fuel

Copyright

Foreword

Preface

Contents

Summary

FINDINGS RELATED TO THE SELECTION OF ALUMINUM SPENT FUEL TREATMENT OPTIONS

FINDINGS RELATED TO WASTE-PACKAGE PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

FINDINGS RELATED TO COSTS AND TIMING OF ALUMINUM SPENT FUEL TREATMENT OPTIONS

CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS

1 Background and Task

TASK STATEMENT AND STUDY PROCESS

ORGANIZATION OF THIS REPORT

2 Treatment Options for Aluminum Spent Nuclear Fuel

BACKGROUND

TREATMENT TECHNOLOGIES FOR ALUMINUM SPENT FUEL

Direct Disposal Technologies

HEU Dilution Technologies

Advanced Treatment Technologies

EVALUATING THE TREATMENT ALTERNATIVES

TASK TEAM RECOMMENDATIONS

RESPONSE TO FIRST CHARGE IN STATEMENT OF TASK

3 Waste-Package Performance Criteria

WASTE ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

RESPONSE TO SECOND CHARGE IN STATEMENT OF TASK

2.3.20.2: Limits on Radionuclide Inventories in Multi-Element Canisters

2.3.21: Limits on Total Fissile Material in a Disposable Canister

2.3.22: Limits on Disposable Canister Criticality Potential

CONCLUSIONS

4 Cost and Schedule

TASK TEAM REPORT COST AND SCHEDULE ESTIMATES

ALTERNATIVE COST STUDY

COMPARISON OF TASK TEAM AND ALTERNATIVE COST STUDY ESTIMATES

RESPONSE TO THIRD CHARGE IN STATEMENT OF TASK

5 Concluding Observations

PHASED DECISION AND IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY FOR TREATMENT OPTION SELECTION

Spent Fuel Generation

Spent Fuel Receipt and Storage

Treatment and Interim Storage

Transport and Repository Disposal

Decontamination and Decommissioning

Post-2015 Aluminum Spent Fuel Inventory

PATH FORWARD

References

Appendix A Study Request Letter from DOE-Savannah River

Appendix B Meeting Agendas and Participants

Appendix C Charge to Consultants

QUESTIONS TO EXPERTS.

Criticality

Proliferation

Cost and Schedule

Corrosion and Metallurgy

Processing and Remote Handling

Regulatory Waste Acceptance

Appendix D Consultant Reports

TOPIC: PROLIFERATION ASPECTS OF THE TREATMENT OPTIONS

TOPIC: PROLIFERATION ASPECTS OF THE TREATMENT OPTIONS CONSULTANT: JOHN AHEARNE

TOPIC: NUCLEAR CRITICALITY SAFETY CONSULTANT: FRANCIS M. ALCORN

TOPIC: COST AND SCHEDULE CONSULTANT: M.W. ANGVALL

TOPIC: REGULATORY AND WASTE ACCEPTANCE CONSULTANT: ROBERT M. BERNERO

Introduction

Background

Regulatory Approach for Yucca Mountain

Evaluation of DOE Aluminum-Based Spent Fuel Alternatives

TOPIC: PROCESSING AND REMOTE HANDLING CONSIDERATIONS CONSULTANT: JOSEPH BYRD

Introduction and Background

Processing/Remote Handling Issues

General Issues

Conclusions and Recommendations

TOPIC: METALLURGY AND CORROSION CONSULTANT: R.L. DILLON

Conclusions

TOPIC: COST AND SCHEDULE CONSULTANT: G. BRIAN ESTES

TOPIC: PROCESSING AND REMOTE SYSTEMS CONSULTANT: HARRY HARMON

Responses

TOPIC: NUCLEAR CRITICALITY SAFETY CONSULTANT: VALERIE L. PUTMAN

Conclusion

Discussion

Criticality Safety at Savannah River Site (SRS)

Criticality Safety on Public Roads, Transport to Final Repository

Criticality Safety at Final Repository

Intact Canisters and Al-SNF, Initial Repository Conditions

Degraded Canisters and/or Al-SNF, Long Term Repository Conditions

Other Documents Reviewed

TOPIC: PROLIFERATION ASPECTS OF THE TREATMENT OPTIONS CONSULTANT: DAVID ROSSIN

Proliferation Assessment

Identification of Separated Fissile Material as a Proliferation Risk

Container

Repository

Self-Protection Criterion

Use of Processing for Waste Management.

Summary of Findings

TOPIC: METALLURGY AND CORROSION CONSULTANT: PAUL SHEWMON

Processing

Answers to Assigned Questions

TOPIC: COST AND SCHEDULE CONSULTANT: RICHARD I. SMITH

General Comments

Specific Comments

Other Comments

Appendix E Biographical Sketches of Consultants

Appendix F Documents Received in This Study.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN:

9786610186921

9780309174107

0309174104

9781280186929

1280186925

9780309591805

0309591805

9780585039473

058503947X

OCLC:

923262873