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Solid Radioactive Waste Strategy Report.pdf - UK EPR

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<strong>EPR</strong> <strong>UK</strong><br />

N° NESH-G/2008/en/0123<br />

REV. A PAGE 245 / 257<br />

Criticality<br />

Criticality safety is achieved by ensuring that the geometrical arrangement of spent fuel is<br />

safe throughout the handling and storage operations.<br />

Fuel assemblies are individually located in the transport container and in the storage canister<br />

by fixed partitions, which maintain sufficient separation between the assemblies to ensure<br />

there will be no criticality under any conceivable conditions,. Fuel assemblies in the<br />

unloading cell are handled in an adapted canister, with a similar arrangement of partitions.<br />

Procedural controls will be put in place to prevent fuel assembly handling errors such as<br />

loading extra assemblies into the unloading cell.<br />

Overheating<br />

The facilities will be designed to maintain the temperature of spent fuel assemblies within the<br />

identified safe limits under all expected combinations of radioactive decay heating and<br />

ambient temperature. During storage and transport, spent fuel cooling is achieved entirely by<br />

passive processes, aided by features such as:<br />

· heat conducting design of canister partitions;<br />

· selection of a gas with good heat transfer properties for backfilling canisters;<br />

· vault design with air channels to provide good convection in all conditions.<br />

Long term temperature control in the fuel storage vaults is important for preventing the<br />

progressive oxidation of UO 2 in the fuel to U 3 O 8 which has a much lower density. Conversion<br />

of the uranium dioxide in such a manner could lead to failure of fuel cladding due to internal<br />

expansion of the fuel.<br />

Loss of electrical power supply<br />

With the spent fuel cooling system being passive by design, the continued cooling of spent<br />

fuel will not be affected by a power failure.<br />

External events<br />

Flooding<br />

The dry storage vault is such designed that it will remain sub-critical even if flooded.<br />

Earthquake<br />

The facility will be designed to withstand the design basis earthquake (DBE). All<br />

equipment with a nuclear safety function will be designed to maintain the safety of the<br />

facility after the DBE.<br />

The process building, in particular the unloading cell, and its associated vessels and<br />

pipework will be designed to withstand the DBE without failure of containment.

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