Technical Requirements for High Level Waste Disposal Containers with regard to their Retrievability during Operation and Recovery after Repository Closure
- The Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM) in Germany has gathered extensive expertise over decades in the fields of design testing and safety assessment of transport and storage containers for radioactive materials. On behalf of the German commission for the disposal of highly radioactive waste, BAM had been assigned the elucidation of requirements for high level waste disposal containers specifically in terms of their retrievability from deep geological formations during repository operation and recovery after its closure over a period of time between 500 to 1000 years. The output of the initial assessment is presented taking into account the frame of the current German repository site selection procedure together with the definition of repository conditions corresponding to the potential deep geological formations to be considered for disposal.
This presentation addresses the spectrum of relevant stress factors for disposal containers and reflects their relevanceThe Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM) in Germany has gathered extensive expertise over decades in the fields of design testing and safety assessment of transport and storage containers for radioactive materials. On behalf of the German commission for the disposal of highly radioactive waste, BAM had been assigned the elucidation of requirements for high level waste disposal containers specifically in terms of their retrievability from deep geological formations during repository operation and recovery after its closure over a period of time between 500 to 1000 years. The output of the initial assessment is presented taking into account the frame of the current German repository site selection procedure together with the definition of repository conditions corresponding to the potential deep geological formations to be considered for disposal.
This presentation addresses the spectrum of relevant stress factors for disposal containers and reflects their relevance and consequences during the repository operation phase including the emplacement and their potential retrieval. In addition, further aspects and consequences for container recovery after repository closure are discussed taking into consideration potential repository conditions of different geological formations.
Finally, potential disposal container concepts are briefly addressed comparing the consequences of an improvement of existing dual purpose casks versus completely new disposal canister designs adjusted to the specific geological conditions of the host rock formation. Pros and cons of these two concepts are depicted in order to address major challenges. However, precise container design concepts cannot be consolidated before repository conditions and derived specific container requirements are designated.…