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When storage of spent nuclear fuel or high level waste is carried out in dual purpose casks (DPC), the effects of aging on safety relevant DPC functions and properties have to be managed in a way that a safe transport after the storage period of several decades is capable and can be justified and certified permanently throughout that period. The effects of aging mechanisms (e.g. radiation, different corrosion mechanisms, stress relaxation, creep, structural changes and degradation) on the transport package design safety assessment features have to be evaluated. Consideration of these issues in the DPC transport safety case will be addressed. Special attention is given to all cask components that cannot be directly inspected or changed without opening the cask cavity, like the inner parts of the closure system and the cask internals, like baskets or spent fuel assemblies. The design criteria of that transport safety case have to consider the operational impacts during storage. Aging is not the subject of technical aspects only but also of intellectual aspects, like changing standards, scientific/technical knowledge development and personal as well as institutional alterations. Those aspects are to be considered in the management system of license holders and in appropriate design approval update processes. The paper addresses issues that are subject of an actual International Atomic Energy Agency TECDOC draft 'Preparation of a safety case for a dual purpose cask containing spent nuclear fuel'.
Pectin-water interactions: comparison of different analytical methods and influence of storage
(2015)
Interactions of pectin with water are essential for nearly all pectin applications. It was assumed that these interactions strongly depend not only on chemical molecular parameters but also on physical powder material properties and that they might be affected by storage. This was examined with nine different pectin samples from three suppliers. Storage at 60 °C and 80% humidity for two weeks was used in order to simulate long term storage at moderate conditions. Material properties were tested by measuring solid density and BET surface and by mercury porosimetry and X-ray analysis. Pectin-water interactions were examined with two different methods, a modified sorption method at αw around 1.0 and the capillary sucking method (Baumann method). After storage, the BET surface of the pectin samples was reduced, solid density was altered differently and crystalline structures became amorphous. It is assumed that storage at high heat and humidity caused particle surfaces softening, swelling and partly dissolution. The particle surfaces smoothed, small inter-particle voids were reduced or sealed and particles agglomerated. These alterations caused a reduced water uptake of stored pectins. In general, the accessibility of hydrophilic groups in pectin was more important for pectin-water interactions than their number. All applied methods for testing pectin-water interactions detected special sample properties and their combination allowed an extensive evaluation of the water binding properties.
A mathematical model to predict the heating-up in open air wood chip piles has been developed. This model includes the heat production from chemical, physical and microbial exothermal processes. In the manuscript the laboratory experiments needed to develop and validate the model are described. In addition, temperature and gas concentrations were measured in two large-scale wood piles (volumes bigger than 1000 m³), in order to provide the applicability of the model to large-scale scenarios. The predictions of the model and the large-scale experimental data showed good agreement concerning the maximum temperature reached inside an open air wood pile. Special attention has been devoted to the microbial processes, since they proved to be the most important cause of heat production in the early stages of storage. This work is intended to help in predicting and thus avoiding possible self-ignition scenarios for this type of wood storage.
The temperature and gas concentrations in a
newly established pine-wood debris pile of 20 m × 15 m ×
6 m in dimensions (approximately 400 tons of fresh weight
material) were monitored for 150 days. Temperature was
measured at ten different positions within the pile, while
concentrations of CO2, O2, CO and CH4 were taken at four
different representative locations. The pile was characterized
by a strong temperature increase within the first 10–
12 days of storage. Results of the gas analysis in this period
suggest that the temperature increase was caused by microbial
processes. In particular, reduced oxygen concentration
and almost complete absence of methane indicate mainly
aerobic respiration processes. Effects of weather conditions
on the temperature/gas distribution and time evolution are
also discussed in the paper.
Approaches towards a generic methodology for storage of hazardous energy carriers and waste products
(2013)
Energy carriers – either conventional or 'new' ones – have to be provided in large amounts to meet the requirements of permanent availability and reliable supply of electricity. Depending on their state of aggregation, energy carriers are either stored in large masses (if solid or liquid) or at elevated pressures (if gaseous). Both impose the hazard of large-scale fire, in the latter case additionally the danger of explosion or unintended release. Very similar hazards occur for wastes. Solid wastes are present in large masses and only a small part is recycled. Most of the solid wastes are used in energy conversion. The main gaseous waste is CO2. During capturing also the hazard of unintended release exists. In this article, existing approaches for safe storage and fire prevention are discussed and a generic methodology is outlined. This methodology consists of the following steps:
gaining knowledge about the behaviour of the material stored (reactivity, thermal stability, etc.),
assessing the environmental conditions for the storage site (neighbourhood, safety distances, etc.),
assessment of prospective consequences of an incident and
development of individual loss prevention conceptions.
All steps require both experimental testing and theoretical considerations about accident scenarios as integral parts of the methodology.
Dual purpose casks for the transportation and storage of spent nuclear fuel and other radioactive materials require very high leak tightness of lid closure systems under accident conditions as well as in the long term to prevent activity release. For that purpose metal seals of specific types with an inner helical spring and outer metal liners are widely used and have shown their excellent performance if certain quality assurance requirements for fabrication and assembling are satisfied. Well defined surface roughness, clean and dry inert conditions are therefore essential. No seal failure in a loaded cask happened under these conditions until today. Nevertheless, the considered and licensed operation period is limited and all safety assessments have been performed and approved for this period of time which is 40 years in Germany so far. However, in the meantime longer storage periods might be necessary for the future and therefore additional material data will be required. BAM is involved in the qualification and evaluation procedures of those seals from the early beginning. Because long term tests are always time consuming BAM has early decided to perform additional tests with specific test seal configurations to gain a better understanding of the long term behaviour with regard to seal pressure force, leakage rate and useable resilience which is safety relevant mainly in case of accidental mechanical loads inside a storage facility or during a subsequent transport. Main test parameters are the material of the outer seal jacket (silver or aluminium) and the temperature. This paper presents the BAM test program including an innovative test mock-up and most recent test results. Based on these data extrapolation models to extended time periods are discussed, and also future plans to continue tests and to investigate seal behaviour for additional test parameters are explained.
German approach and feedback on experience of transportability of SNF packages after interim storage
(2014)
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.