TY - JOUR A1 - Wille, Frank A1 - Wolff, Dietmar A1 - Droste, Bernhard A1 - Völzke, Holger A1 - Baden, M. T1 - German approach and feedback on experience of transportability of SNF packages after interim storage N2 - 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. KW - Radioactive material storage KW - Dry storage KW - Interim storage KW - Cask design KW - Radioactive material transport KW - Regulation KW - Operating procedures KW - Package KW - Safety KW - Storage KW - Transport KW - Lagerung KW - Spent fuel PY - 2014 DO - https://doi.org/10.1179/1746510914Y.0000000064 SN - 1746-5095 SN - 1746-5109 SN - 0957-476X VL - 25 IS - 2 SP - 55 EP - 59 PB - Ramtrans Publ. CY - Ashford AN - OPUS4-33834 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Kasparek, Eva A1 - Völzke, Holger T1 - Non-Heat Generating Legacy Waste - New Strategies for Older Vessels N2 - The German repository “Konrad” is approved for the final storage of approximately 300.000 m³ of non-heat generating radioactive waste considering also the expected residues from operation and decommissioning of current power plants. According to the latest survey as constituted end of 2014, a large proportion of this volume already exists, of which 100.288 m³ are fully loaded packages. As prerequisite for their “Konrad” acceptance, the vessels have to be designed against operational and accidental conditions of the site and be manufactured according to adequate quality assurance programs. The respective safety assessment performed by BAM on behalf of the Federal Office for Radiation Protection is a major challenge especially for those casks that had been produced and loaded already some decades ago. Typically, they were manufactured in big numbers over a longer period of time involving a lot of constructional and management changes. This fact in combination with the previously rather low documentation standards often causes relevant uncertainties about the specific physical and geometrical characteristics of the cask materials and components as well as about details concerning their whole assemblage. This paper highlights current assessment strategies for such older vessels including cubic steel sheet containers as well as cylindrical thick-walled casks. As compliance with each “Konrad”-requirement can hardly be shown independently, only integrated approaches promises success: First, a broader concept of data collection has to be implemented that allows closing documentation gaps by linking dispersed and diverse data, e.g. delivery slips and handwritten fabrication records, by including plausibility considerations as well as random inspection programs. Thereby, the relevant properties of all applied casks have to be identified and their potential range should be quantified as accurately as possible. This knowledge is necessary to define one or more representative configurations of the cask as the base for design testing. The actual investigation program must enable to track the influence of deviations and determine safety margins especially in the likely case that not the most conservative setting of all cask features can be tested. The paper evaluates the respective ongoing efforts of industrial applicants and summarizes BAM experiences and associated research projects. T2 - 18th International Symposium on the Packaging and Transportation of Radioactive Materials CY - Kobe, Japan DA - 18.09.2016 KW - Requalification KW - Low and medium level radioactive waste KW - Final disposal container KW - Legacy waste KW - Konrad repository PY - 2016 SP - Paper 1014, 1 EP - 9 AN - OPUS4-38892 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Völzke, Holger A1 - Orellana Pérez, Teresa T1 - Latest developments in Germany concerning extended interim storage N2 - The presentation explains recent administrative developments in Germany concerning nuclear waste management and adresses national and European R&D funding concepts. National and international collaboration is explained followed by the latest update on long term metal seal investigations at BAM. Finally, fuel cladding failure mechanisms during long term dry storage and related R&D initiatives at BAM are explained. T2 - EPRI Extended Storage Collaboration Program (ESCP) International Subcommittee Meeting CY - Jeju, Korea DA - 15.09.2017 KW - Nuclear waste management KW - Long term storage KW - Spent fuel PY - 2017 AN - OPUS4-43793 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Orellana Pérez, Teresa A1 - Völzke, Holger A1 - Wolff, Dietmar A1 - Zencker, Uwe T1 - Relevance of cladding failure mechanisms due to zirconium hydride precipitation under extended dry storage conditions in Germany N2 - The German nuclear waste management strategy consists of dry interim storage of spent fuel inside dual purpose casks and its subsequent direct final disposal in a deep geological repository. Interim storage is limited to 40 years so far, but will have to be extended until repository site selection and operation is concluded, potentially up to 100 years. In this context, research on the long term performance of safety relevant cask components and fuel rod integrity during such extended periods of time is of outmost importance. The barrier function of the fuel cladding depends on its integrity under operational and accidental conditions along with storage and subsequent transportation and is mainly affected over time by altering of the cladding microstructure and by thermo-mechanical conditions during reactor operation and subsequent wet and dry storage. This paper focuses on failure mechanisms regarding cladding embrittlement caused by physical phenomena concerning hydrogen dissolution and precipitation of hydrides in the zirconium matrix. Within this context, potential cladding integrity issues under extended interim storage conditions followed by transportation are emphasized. Delayed hydride cracking (DHC) is a well-known time-dependent temperature-activated phenomenon failure mechanism of the fuel cladding during reactor operation. The phenomenon consists of hydrogen diffusion and hydride precipitation at the tip of an initial crack and the propagation of the crack to an approximate distance equal to the length of the hydride. This failure mechanism is temperature-activated phenomenon and enhances along with thermal cycling of the fuel cladding, e. g. during reactor shutdowns. DHC shows limited relevance under quasi static storage conditions with continuously lowering temperatures. However, the literature points that DHC may occur when the temperature during storage decreases to a certain level after some decades and in combination with stress concentrations in the cladding material. When spent fuel is transferred to dry storage by vacuum drying, the cladding temperature raises up to peak temperatures of ~370°C. Under these conditions, hydrides dissolute into the zirconium matrix up to the solubility limit defined by the peak temperature and this amount of hydrogen can precipitate in a radial re-oriented fashion due to the temperature decrease during storage. Cladding materials with radially precipitated hydrides show significant embrittlement. Radially oriented hydrides are perpendicularly oriented to hoop stresses representing the most critical configuration. Brittle failure of the cladding then occurs by crack propagation through radially oriented hydrides and finally through the zirconium matrix. The susceptibility to radial hydride precipitation depends on cladding material type and microstructure, hydrogen content, pre-drying hydride distribution, irradiation conditions, and temperature and stress histories during drying and storage operations. This paper addresses major considerations concerning spent fuel cladding embrittlement due to hydride precipitation with regard to the boundary conditions of dry spent fuel storage in Germany. Analytical, numerical, and experimental approaches are to be discussed by BAM in order to identify the specific needs for future R&D work in that area with the purpose to provide the necessary data base for proper safety demonstration and evaluation along with future extended storage licensing procedures. T2 - 2017 Water Reactor Fuel Performance Meeting CY - Jeju, Korea DA - 10.09.2017 KW - Cladding KW - Hydride precipitation KW - Spent fuel PY - 2017 SP - 1 EP - 8 AN - OPUS4-44749 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Völzke, Holger T1 - Safety demonstrations with regard to extended interim storage N2 - This presentation addresses safety aspects concerning dual purpose casks for transportation and storage of spent fuel and high level radioactive waste. The long term performance of casks and their safety relevant components like sealed lid systems and the long term performance of cask internals, especially spent fuel assemblies are discussed. Transportation after interim storage is another key issue and due to the fact of delayed disposal projects current interim storage periods need to be extended causing additional safety demonstration needs for longer periods of time. Regarding this situation present BAM research activities in this area and their preliminary outcomes are presented. T2 - 5. RAM-Behältersicherheitstage CY - Berlin DA - 16.03.2016 KW - Interim storage KW - Radioactive waste KW - Spent fuel KW - Safety PY - 2016 AN - OPUS4-35615 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Völzke, Holger A1 - Wolff, Dietmar T1 - Update on the German approach of storing spent nuclear fuel in dual purpose casks until final disposal N2 - The German approach of storing spent nuclear fuel in dual purpose casks until final disposal is based on individually licensed storage sites concerning specific nuclear inventories and dual purpose cask types. The currently approved license period is maximum 40 years. With nuclear policy changes including the phase-out decision of 2011 and a new approach for the HLW repository siting process set up 2013 by law also the spent fuel and HLW management strategy has to be adapted. This includes the timely development of disposal container concepts as part of the overall repository siting process and the need for longer interim storage periods until final disposal. Other aspects affect new regulations about the financing of the nuclear waste management by the industry and the public sector, the restructuring of responsible authorities in 2016/2017 and the adaption of R&D funding programs addressing also pre-disposal (or extended interim storage) issues. BAM as a Federal Research Institute has been responsible for or in charge of container safety Evaluation for transport and storage casks for radioactive waste for several decades and started addressing potential Extended interim storage issues already several years ago. This included participation in international projects at the IAEA or in the U.S. Extended Storage Collaboration Program (ESCP) as well as long term laboratory tests with metal seals, elastomeric seals and polymers for neutron shielding purposes. Test results of BAM are published regularly and gained data provide valuable information about thermo-mechanical and radiological degradation effects as well as the long term Performance of respective cask components. Regarding the reliable extrapolation and prediction of the long term Performance of cask materials and components for time periods of up to 80 or even 100 years the continuation and extension of laboratory tests and the development of analytical and numerical simulation models and tools is essential and under way. T2 - 16th International High -Level Radioactive Waste Management Conference (IHLRWM 2017) CY - Charlotte, NC, USA DA - 09.04.2017 KW - Spent fuel KW - Storage KW - Cask KW - Safety KW - Disposal PY - 2017 SP - 189 EP - 194 AN - OPUS4-40411 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Grelle, Tobias A1 - Wolff, Dietmar A1 - Probst, Ulrich A1 - Jaunich, Matthias A1 - Völzke, Holger T1 - Investigation of the time and temperature dependent behavior of metal seals in radioactive waste containers N2 - The Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und –Prüfung (BAM) runs an investigation program on the long-term behavior of multi-component metal seals. Such seals are used in a wide area of applications including transport and storage casks for spent nuclear fuel and high level radioactive waste. The seal function is mainly based on the compression of the inner helical spring, which generates the necessary seal force to keep the sealing surfaces in close contact. This in turn leads to a plastic deformation of the outer jacket of the seal, comprised of highly ductile aluminum or silver that adapts to the sealing surfaces of cask body and bolted lid, thus providing high Level leak tightness. In Germany, those casks are licensed for Interim storage periods of up to 40 years or more if extended Interim storage would become necessary before a final repository is available. Thus, the sealing performance has to be evaluated, including factors like elevated temperature due to decay heat or mechanical loads due to transport under normal as well as accident conditions. Long-term investigations at BAM have been running over the last nine years to identify and evaluate the seal performance by measuring the remaining seal force, the useable resilience and the leakage rate after various time intervals at temperatures ranging from room temperature up to 150 °C. It was found that the seal force and useable resilience decrease with time and temperature, caused by creep deformation of the outer jacket. In order to obtain an analytical description for the seal behavior and to achieve more information on the material behavior under application conditions a comprehensive investigation program with Focus on aluminum as outer jacket material was launched. The program includes material investigations such as compression and tension creep tests with representative basic materials. An additional test setup allows for the continuous measurement of the remaining seal force at temperatures of up to 150 °C. Furthermore, seal segments are compressed and stored in heating chambers, thus producing segments at different stages of the aging process. The segments are investigated regarding the development of the contact area width, jacket thickness and microstructural changes. This data will be used to develop material models and an analytical description of the time and temperature dependent long-term sealing behavior. This paper explains the current status of gained test results and modelling approaches and closes with an outlook to the future Project plans. T2 - ASME 2018 Pressure Vessels and Piping Conference CY - Prague, Czech Republic DA - 15.07.2018 KW - Metal seal KW - Creep KW - Long-term behavior PY - 2018 SP - PVP2018-84584, 1 EP - 6 AN - OPUS4-46110 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Scheidemann, Robert A1 - Weber, Mike A1 - Völzke, Holger A1 - Kasparek, Eva Maria ED - Gomes, J.F.Silva ED - Meguid, S.A. T1 - Temperature dependendency of dynamically loaded polyurethane foam N2 - Polyurethane foam used as impact limiter material undergoes high plastic deformations, whereat the resulting stress-strain relations strongly depend on loading speed and temperature. This paper discusses the efforts necessary to develop a reliable numerical foam simulation model focussing on generation and implementation of temperature- dependent yield curves T2 - 6th International Conference on Mechanics and Materials in Design CY - Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal DA - 26.07.2015 KW - Impact limiter KW - Polyurethane foam KW - Finite element model KW - Strain rate KW - Temperature dependency PY - 2015 SN - 978-989-98832-3-9 SP - 1043 EP - 1046 PB - INEGI-FEUP AN - OPUS4-38889 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wolff, Dietmar A1 - Probst, Ulrich A1 - Völzke, Holger A1 - Droste, Bernhard A1 - Rödel, Roland T1 - Safety aspects of long-term dry interim storage of type-B spent fuel and HLW transport casks KW - Transport casks KW - Interim storage KW - Leak tightness KW - KOBAF PY - 2004 SN - 1746-5095 SN - 1746-5109 SN - 0957-476X VL - 15 IS - 3-4 SP - 207 EP - 213 PB - Ramtrans Publ. CY - Ashford AN - OPUS4-7414 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Shirai, K. A1 - Namba, K. A1 - Wataru, M. A1 - Völzke, Holger A1 - Wolff, Dietmar A1 - Probst, Ulrich A1 - Jaunich, Matthias A1 - Schulz, Sebastian T1 - Numerical evaluation of the long-term sealing performance of the silver gasket for dual purpose metal cask under high temperature N2 - It is important to evaluate the effect of thermal ageing on the sealing performance of metal gaskets under high temperature for long-term usage. Therefore, in order to gain representative data for this kind of metal-sealed lid System, BAM is currently performing laboratory tests of different gasket types with aluminum and silver jackets at three different temperatures under static conditions up to four years so far, using test flanges for gaskets with full scale cross section diameter but much smaller outer diameter. On the other hand, in order to investigate the applicability of the numerical methodology to evaluate the long-term behavior of the metal gaskets, such as a correlation between seal pressure force and holding time, CRIEPI is developing a modeling method including material tests (tensile and creep tests) at high temperature. In this paper, the applicability of the finite element method (ABAQUS) to predict the recovery displacement and residual seal pressure force of the gasket complex was verified by comparing the calculated values with BAM’s laboratory test results under the joint research agreement between BAM and CRIEPI. T2 - PATRAM 2013 - 17th International symposium on the packaging and transportation of radioactive materials CY - San Francisco, CA, USA DA - 18.08.2013 KW - Metal seals KW - Extended storage KW - Long-term storage KW - Dual purpose cask PY - 2013 SP - 1 EP - 8 PB - Omnipress AN - OPUS4-31947 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -