• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제46권4호
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• pp.547-556
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• 2014

Korea expects a shortage in storage capacity for spent fuels at reactor sites. Therefore, a need for more metal and/or concrete casks for storage systems is anticipated for either the reactor site or away from the reactor for interim storage. For the purpose of interim storage and transportation, a dual purpose metal cask that can load 21 spent fuel assemblies is being developed by Korea Radioactive Waste Management Corporation (KRMC) in Korea. At first the gamma and neutron flux for the design basis fuel were determined assuming in-core environment (the temperature, pressure, etc. of the moderator, boron, cladding, $UO_2$ pellets) in which the design basis fuel is loaded, as input data. The evaluation simulated burnup up to 45,000 MWD/MTU and decay during ten years of cooling using the SAS2H/OGIGEN-S module of the SCALE5.1 system. The results from the source term evaluation were used as input data for the final shielding evaluation utilizing the MCNP Code, which yielded the effective dose rate. The design of the cask is based on the safety requirements for normal storage conditions under 10 CFR Part 72. A radiation shielding analysis of the metal storage cask optimized for loading 21 design basis fuels was performed for two cases; one for a single cask and the other for a $2{\times}10$ cask array. For the single cask, dose rates at the external surface of the metal cask, 1m and 2m away from the cask surface, were evaluated. For the $2{\times}10$ cask array, dose rates at the center point of the array and at the center of the casks' height were evaluated. The results of the shielding analysis for the single cask show that dose rates were considerably higher at the lower side (from the bottom of the cask to the bottom of the neutron shielding) of the cask, at over 2mSv/hr at the external surface of the cask. However, this is not considered to be a significant issue since additional shielding will be installed at the storage facility. The shielding analysis results for the $2{\times}10$ cask array showed exponential decrease with distance off the sources. The controlled area boundary was calculated to be approximately 280m from the array, with a dose rate of 25mrem/yr. Actual dose rates within the controlled area boundary will be lower than 25mrem/yr, due to the decay of radioactivity of spent fuel in storage.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제42권3호
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• pp.237-248
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• 2010

The safety of metal cask and concrete cask storage technology has been verified by CRIEPI through several research programs on demonstrative testing for the interim storage of spent fuel. The results have been reflected in the safety requirements for dry casks issued by NISA/METI (Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) of the Japanese government. On top of that, spent fuel integrity has been studied by the Japan Nuclear Energy Safety Organization (JNES). This paper reviews these research programs. Future issues include the long-term integrity of cask components and high burn-up spent fuel.

• 한국지진공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국지진공학회 2003년도 추계 학술발표회논문집
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• pp.58-65
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• 2003

The seismic response analysis of a freestanding spent fuel storage cask model are performed for an artificial time history acceleration generated by the basis on the US NRC RG1.60 response acceleration spectrum. This paper focuses on the structural stability by seismic loads to check the overturing possibility of storage cask and the slipping displacement on bed. Parametric analyses of a simplified cask model are performed to take into account the variations in seismic load magnitude and cask/bed interface friction. The analyses results show that the storage cask has a large marginal integrity in the response acceleration and slipping distance for both design seismic and beyond design seismic loads.

• 방사성폐기물학회지
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• 제21권4호
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• pp.503-516
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• 2023

A transfer cask serves as the container for transporting and handling canisters loaded with spent nuclear fuels from light water reactors. This study focuses on a cylindrical transfer cask, standing at 5,300 mm with an external diameter of 2,170 mm, featuring impact limiters on the top and bottom sides. The base of the cask body has an openable/closable lid for loading canisters with storage modules. The transfer cask houses a canister containing spent nuclear fuels from lightweight reactors, serving as the confinement boundary while the cask itself lacks the confinement structure. The objective of this study was to conduct a structural analysis evaluation of the transfer cask, currently under development in Korea, ensuring its safety. This evaluation encompasses analyses of loads under normal, off-normal, and accident conditions, adhering to NUREG-2215. Structural integrity was assessed by comparing combined results for each load against stress limits. The results confirm that the transfer cask meets stress limits across normal, off-normal, and accident conditions, establishing its structural safety.

• 방사선산업학회지
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• 제18권2호
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• pp.133-140
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• 2024

The Korean 2^nd basic plan for management of high-level radioactive waste presented a plan to manage spent nuclear fuel through dry storage facilities in NPP on-site. For the construction and operation of the facility, it is necessary to develop the monitoring system of the integrity of spent nuclear fuel before operation. NUREG-1536 recommends that the theoretical cask array, typically in the 2×10 array, should account for shadowing effect among the dry storage casks. The objective of this study was to evaluate neutron flux accounting for shadowing effect among dry storage casks. The neutron release rate was evaluated using ORIGEN based on the design basis fuel condition. And the simulation of dry storage casks and evaluation of the shadowing effect were performed using MCNP. Shadowing effect of other dry storage casks was the highest at the center of the dry storage facility of the 2×10 array compared with the outside of the cask. The shadowing effect of neutron flux on the surface among the metal casks was approximately 18% at point 1, 23% at point 2, and 43% at point 3. For the concrete casks, the shadowing effect of neutron flux on the surface was approximately 46% at point 1, 51% at point 2, and 52% at point 3. This means that correction is necessary to monitor the integrity of spent nuclear fuel in each dry storage cask through evaluation of shadowing effect. The results of this study will be used for comparative analysis of neutron measurement data from spent nuclear fuels in dry storage cask. Additionally, the neutron flux evaluation procedure used in this study could be used as the basic data of safety assessment of dry storage cask and development of safety guide.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제39권2호
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• pp.143-148
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• 2007

Spent nuclear fuel generated at nuclear power plants must be safely stored during interim storage periods. A dry storage cask to safely store the spent nuclear fuel should be able to adequately emit the decay heat from the spent nuclear fuel. Therefore, heat removal tests using a half scale dry storage cask have been performed to estimate the heat transfer characteristics of a dry storage cask under normal, off-normal, and accident conditions. In the normal condition, the heat transfer rate to an ambient atmosphere by convective air through a passive heat removal system reached 83%. Accordingly, the passive heat removal system is designed well and works adequately. In the off-normal condition, the influence of a half blockage in the inlet on the temperature appears minimal. In the accident condition, the temperature rose for 12 hours after the accident, but the temperature rise steadied after 36 hours.

• 방사성폐기물학회지
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• 제14권1호
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• pp.35-44
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• 2016

Leading national R&D project to design a PWR spent nuclear fuel interim dry storage system that has been under development since mid-2009, which consists of a dual purpose metal cask and concrete storage cask. To ensure the safe operation of dry storage systems in foreign countries, major confinement monitoring techniques currently consist of pressure and temperature measurement. In the case of a dual purpose metal cask, a pressure sensor is installed in the interspace of bolted double lid(primary and secondary lid) in order to measure pressure. A concrete storage cask is a canister based system made of double/redundant welded lid to ensure confinement integrity. For this reason, confinement monitoring method is real time temperature measurement by thermocouple placed in the air flow(air intake and exit) of the concrete structure(over pack and module). The use of various monitoring technologies and operating experiences for the interim dry storage system over the last decades in foreign countries were analyzed. On the basis of the analysis above, development of the confinement monitoring technology that can be used optimally in our system will be available in the near future.

• 방사성폐기물학회지
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• 제16권2호
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• pp.271-279
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• 2018

국내 경수로형 원전의 사용후핵연료 소내 습식저장 용량의 포화에 대비하기 위해 정부 주도로 2009년부터 2016년까지 7년에 걸쳐 국내 여건에 적합한 수송/저장시스템을 개발하였다. 시스템은 운반과 저장을 겸할 수 있는 금속겸용용기와 저장전용인 콘크리트 저장용기로 효율적인 기술개발을 위해 관련 산학연의 특성과 경험을 적극 활용하여 국내고유 모델을 개발하였고 특허 등록을 추진하여 기술의 독립성도 확보하였다. 현재까지 확보한 다수의 특허 및 기술을 산업계에 개방하여 국내 수요에 대처하고자 2016년과 2017년 두 차례에 걸쳐 기술이전도 추진하였다.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• 제21권4호
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• pp.313-327
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• 1996

원전부지내(AR) 사용후핵연료 건식저장방식으로 횡형콘크리트 모듈방식, 금속 저장용기 방식, 콘크리트 저장용기 방식, 수송저장 겸용용기 방식 및 다목적용기 방식 등이 있다. 이중다목적용기 방식을 제외한 다른 방식들은 각각 운영인허가를 받아 이미 세계 각 국에서 사용후핵연료 AR 건식저장에 사용되고 있으며 다목적용기 방식도 최근 개발을 활발히 진행하고 있는 상태이다. AR 건식저장 시설을 운영하고 있거나 추진중인 나라는 미국, 일본, 독일, 캐나다, 스페인, 체코, 스위스 등으로 AR 건식저장을 거쳐 중간저장이나 재처리시설로 수송하는 방식을 채택하고 있다. 우리나라의 경우 월성에서 콘크리트 Silo 건식저장을 이미 사용하고 있으며 일부 다른 원자로도 사용후핵연료 저장능력이 한계에 도달하고 있는 현실을 감안할 때 AR 임시 저장은 불가피한 것으로 여겨진다. 본 보고서에서는 고리를 비롯한 국내원전에 적용 가능한 외국의 AR 저장 시스템 각각에 대하여 설계특성, 설계요건, 기술기준 및 현황 등을 논의하였다. 대부분의 경우 저장용기 인허가 기간은 20년으로 제한하고 있으며 전 수명기간동안 재질의 건전성, 밀봉유지 등이 중요하게 요구되고 있다.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• 제53권6호
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• pp.1869-1877
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• 2021

This paper presents the neutron dose rate analysis of the new CONSTOR® RBMK-1500/M2 storage cask intended for the spent nuclear fuel storage at Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant in Lithuania. These casks are designed to be stored in a new "closed" type interim storage facility, with the capacity to store up to 202 CONSTOR® RBMK-1500/M2 casks. In 2016 y, the "hot trials" of this new facility were conducted and 10 CONSTOR® RBMK-1500/M2 casks loaded with the spent nuclear fuel were transported to the dedicated storage places in this facility. During "hot trials", the dose rate measurements of the CONSTOR® RBMK-1500/M2 casks were performed as the dose rate is one of the critical parameter to control and it must be below design (and safety) criteria. Therefore, having the actual data of the spent nuclear fuel characteristics, the neutron dose rate modeling of the CONSTOR® RBMK-1500/M2 cask loaded with this particular fuel was also performed. Neutron dose rate modeling was performed using MCNP 5 computer code with very detailed geometrical representation of the cask and the fuel. The obtained modeling results were compared with the measurement results and it was revealed, that modeling results are generally in good agreement with the measurements.