TY - JOUR A1 - Linnemann, Konrad A1 - Ballheimer, Viktor A1 - Rolle, Annette A1 - Wille, Frank T1 - Considerations on spent fuel behavior for transport after extended storage N2 - Packages for the transport of spent nuclear fuel shall meet the International Atomic Energy Agency regulations to ensure safety under different transport conditions. The physical state of spent fuel and the fuel rod cladding as well as the geometric configuration of fuel assemblies are important inputs for the evaluation of package capabilities under these conditions. In this paper, the mechanical behavior of high burn-up spent fuel assemblies (> approx. 50 GWd/tHM, value averaged over the fuel assembly) under transport conditions is analyzed with regard to the assumptions which are used in the Containment and criticality safety analysis. In view of the complexity of the interactions between the fuel rods as well as between the fuel assemblies, basket, and cask containment, the exact mechanical analysis of such phenomena is nearly impossible. Additionally, the gaps in information concerning the material properties of cladding and pellet behavior, especially for the high burn-up fuel, make the analysis more complicated. Considerations and knowledge gaps for the transport after extended interim storage are issues of growing interest. In this context, practical approaches are discussed based on the experience of BAM within the safety assessment of packages approved for transport of spent nuclear fuel. KW - Transport packages for radioactive material KW - Spent nuclear fuel PY - 2018 VL - 83 IS - 6 SP - 488 EP - 494 PB - Hanser AN - OPUS4-47359 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Vlassopoulos, E. A1 - Caruso, S. A1 - Linnemann, Konrad A1 - Nasyrow, R. A1 - Gretter, R. A1 - Fongaro, L. A1 - Papaioannou, D. T1 - Mechanical integrity of spent nuclear fuel rods N2 - The properties of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) rods change significantly during their operation life in the reactor core. Further changes occur after their discharge mainly due to the heating-cooling processes and possible ageing associated with the cumulative effects of radioactive decay induce damage in the fuel. Such changes may affect the response of the SNF rods to mechanical solicitations corresponding to normal and accidental conditions. Research activities at JRC-KARLSRUHE aim at assessing the integrity of SNF rods and processes which might affect their mechanical properties during their interim storage, transport or other handling operations. JRC Hot Cell facilities have been fully adapted to fulfil the experimental goals. The number of experiments that can be performed, however, is limited and there is an acute need to model them, using this process to validate codes, to deeper understand and to extend the results gained at the JRC beyond the conditions that have been tested. For the experimental campaigns two devices for gravitational impact and 3-point bending tests were developed and installed in a hot cell. Segments of real SNF rods pressurized at their original pressures after discharge have been investigated. The setup is fully operational and new results are reported continuously. T2 - ANS Annual 2018 CY - Philadelphia, PA, USA DA - 17.06.2018 KW - Spent nuclear fuel KW - Mechanical testing KW - Hot cell testing PY - 2018 SP - 170 EP - 172 AN - OPUS4-44862 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Linnemann, Konrad T1 - Update on Work and Meetings in Germany about the Spent Fuel Behavior for Transport and Storage N2 - The presentation gives an update about the work on the spent fuel behavior for transport and storage in Germany. Recent developments and meetings are discussed. In this context the results of the hot cell tests on fuel rod segments performed at JRC in Karslruhe in collaboration with BAM are shown. Furthermore, a new research project about the investigations on potential brittle failure of cladding materials under long-term dry interim storage conditions, which is currently starting at BAM 3.4 is presented. T2 - SNL BAM Workshop CY - Albuquerque, NM, USA DA - 14.03.2018 KW - Spent nuclear fuel KW - Fuel rod behavior KW - Hot cell testing PY - 2018 AN - OPUS4-44865 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Neumann, Martin A1 - Feldkamp, Martin A1 - Linnemann, Konrad A1 - Wille, Frank T1 - Transport of HLW canisters on sea vessels N2 - Germany had been transporting spent fuel to the reprocessing plant in Sellafield and La Hague for decades until around 2005. Resulting from the obligation to take back the vitrified high-level waste from reprocessing six CASTOR® HAW28M filled with 168 canisters with radioactive waste in vitrified form were transported from Sellafield to the interim storage facility Biblis in 2020. Rail wagons were used for the transport to the port in Barrow-in-Furness, where they were loaded into a dedicated seagoing vessel, certified as INF Class 3 according to the INF Code. This was the first time that vitrified high level waste with considerable heat load was transported under a German design approval certificate. BAM was involved in the authority assessment of the conditions for the sea transport. For the first transport BAM required among others, assessment of temperature distribution during transport, logging of temperatures of cargo bays and graphical imaging of temperatures of the bay with the cask in order to ensure compliance with temperature specifications, e.g. maximal neutron absorber and gasket temperatures. Special interest was taken in the identification of possible events exceeding the specified temperatures considering the different philosophies of IMDG code and its supplement INF code regarding temperature control of hatches. Results show compliance with assumed conditions. T2 - RAMTrans 2024 CY - London, United Kingdom DA - 14.05.2024 KW - Transport KW - Spent nuclear fuel KW - Ship KW - Sea KW - High level waste PY - 2024 SP - 1 EP - 8 AN - OPUS4-60092 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Linnemann, Konrad A1 - Müller, Lars A1 - Schönfelder, Thorsten A1 - Komann, Steffen A1 - Wille, Frank T1 - Authority Experience during Design Approval Procedure for Packages Loaded with Special Encapsulations for Damaged Spent Nuclear Fuel N2 - The first German package design approval certificate for a dual purpose cask intended for loading with damaged spent nuclear fuel was issued recently. BAM as part of the competent authority system in Germany carried out a comprehensive assessment procedure with respect to the mechanical and thermal design, the release of radioactive material and the quality assurance aspects of manufacturing and operation. Packages for the transport and storage of radioactive material have been assessed by BAM for many years, thus the common assessment procedure is well-known and good practice. Up to now only SNF without defects or HLW with well-defined properties were designated for long-term Interim storage and transports afterwards. Due to Germany’s nuclear phase out all other kinds of spent nuclear fuel in particular damaged spent nuclear fuel shall be packed as well. Damaged spent nuclear fuel needs a tight closure with Special encapsulations and clearly defined properties in Germany. In addition, these encapsulations shall be long-term durable, because they are not accessible after loading in a packaging within periodical inspections. The main difference to Standard package components is that encapsulations with a permanent closure achieve their specified conditions not after manufacturing but only during operation, after loading and closing. To ensure compliance with the specific conditions, special measures for quality assurance are necessary during operation of each encapsulation, e.g. drying and sealing, which were assessed by BAM. The present paper gives an overview of the conducted assessment from BAM and point out the findings concerning to the special closure lid of the approved encapsulation, which is screwed and welded. A wide verification concept is necessary to show the specific tightness under transport conditions. Together with quality assurance measures during first operation steps these encapsulations with damaged spent nuclear fuel can be handled like standard fuel assemblies in approved package designs. T2 - International Conference on the Management of Spent Fuel from Nuclear Power Reactors CY - Vienna, Austria DA - 24.06.2019 KW - Transport package KW - Design approval KW - Spent nuclear fuel KW - Special encapsulation PY - 2019 SP - 1 EP - 9 AN - OPUS4-48749 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Linnemann, Konrad T1 - Authority Experience during Design Approval Procedure for Packages Loaded with Special Encapsulations for Damaged Spent Nuclear Fuel N2 - The first German package design approval certificate for a dual purpose cask intended for loading with damaged spent nuclear fuel was issued recently. BAM as part of the competent authority system in Germany carried out a comprehensive assessment procedure with respect to the mechanical and thermal design, the release of radioactive material and the quality assurance aspects of manufacturing and operation. Packages for the transport and storage of radioactive material have been assessed by BAM for many years, thus the common assessment procedure is well-known and good practice. Up to now only SNF without defects or HLW with well-defined properties were designated for long-term Interim storage and transports afterwards. Due to Germany’s nuclear phase out all other kinds of spent nuclear fuel in particular damaged spent nuclear fuel shall be packed as well. Damaged spent nuclear fuel needs a tight closure with Special encapsulations and clearly defined properties in Germany. In addition, these encapsulations shall be long-term durable, because they are not accessible after loading in a packaging within periodical inspections. The main difference to Standard package components is that encapsulations with a permanent closure achieve their specified conditions not after manufacturing but only during operation, after loading and closing. To ensure compliance with the specific conditions, special measures for quality assurance are necessary during operation of each encapsulation, e.g. drying and sealing, which were assessed by BAM. The present paper gives an overview of the conducted assessment from BAM and point out the findings concerning to the special closure lid of the approved encapsulation, which is screwed and welded. A wide verification concept is necessary to show the specific tightness under transport conditions. Together with quality assurance measures during first operation steps these encapsulations with damaged spent nuclear fuel can be handled like standard fuel assemblies in approved package designs. T2 - International Conference on the Management of Spent Fuel from Nuclear Power Reactors CY - Vienna, Austria DA - 24.06.2019 KW - Transport package KW - Spent nuclear fuel KW - Design approval KW - Special encapsulation PY - 2019 AN - OPUS4-48750 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -