New neutron absorber in spent fuel casks aiming at improved nuclear safety and better economics

Kód výsledku v IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F49777513%3A23220%2F21%3A43963753" target="_blank" >RIV/49777513:23220/21:43963753 - isvavai.cz</a>

Výsledek na webu

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DOI - Digital Object Identifier

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Jazyk výsledku

angličtina

Název v původním jazyce

New neutron absorber in spent fuel casks aiming at improved nuclear safety and better economics

Popis výsledku v původním jazyce

Recent increasing demand for better nuclear fuel utilization requires higher enriched uranium leading to reduced reserves of legislative and safety margins for spent fuel transport and storage facilities. The operation with higher enriched fuels is a real challenge for spent fuel handling facilities. Currently, the standard solution is based on high boron content in steels; because of the high absorption cross-section, low atomic mass, and chemical compatibility with various alloys. However, nowadays the manufacturing of boron content in steel and aluminum alloys represents a significant challenge in designing spent fuel transport and storage facilities. This study shows the solution with increased nuclear safety and improved economics where a new concept of inseparable fixed neutron absorber is introduced to achieve spent fuel reactivity decrease. With the absorber solution, it is possible to reduce the boron content in the cask basket, decrease the fuel assembly pitch and minimize the neutron dose in the vicinity of the cask. The efficiency of this concept is demonstrated on the criticality safety analysis of the GBC-32 spent fuel cask for 8 designed absorber rods from different elements which are placed within Westinghouse OFA 17x17 guide tubes.

Název v anglickém jazyce

New neutron absorber in spent fuel casks aiming at improved nuclear safety and better economics

Popis výsledku anglicky

Recent increasing demand for better nuclear fuel utilization requires higher enriched uranium leading to reduced reserves of legislative and safety margins for spent fuel transport and storage facilities. The operation with higher enriched fuels is a real challenge for spent fuel handling facilities. Currently, the standard solution is based on high boron content in steels; because of the high absorption cross-section, low atomic mass, and chemical compatibility with various alloys. However, nowadays the manufacturing of boron content in steel and aluminum alloys represents a significant challenge in designing spent fuel transport and storage facilities. This study shows the solution with increased nuclear safety and improved economics where a new concept of inseparable fixed neutron absorber is introduced to achieve spent fuel reactivity decrease. With the absorber solution, it is possible to reduce the boron content in the cask basket, decrease the fuel assembly pitch and minimize the neutron dose in the vicinity of the cask. The efficiency of this concept is demonstrated on the criticality safety analysis of the GBC-32 spent fuel cask for 8 designed absorber rods from different elements which are placed within Westinghouse OFA 17x17 guide tubes.

Druh

O - Ostatní výsledky

CEP obor

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OECD FORD obor

10304 - Nuclear physics

Projekt

<a href="/cs/project/TK02010102" target="_blank" >TK02010102: Optimalizace skladování použitého jaderného paliva</a><br>

Návaznosti

P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)

Rok uplatnění

2021

Kód důvěrnosti údajů

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů