Tome Architecture and management of a geological repository - Andra

7 - Spent fuel repository zone7.1.1.2 CEA fuels (research reactors and National Defence)Alongside the scenarios described above, CEA fuels are quite diverse. They include (i) fuels fromUNGG reactors, (ii) fuels from the EL4 heavy water reactor, (iii) fuel elements from the Célestinreactors installed at Marcoule and (iv) nuclear propulsion fuels from land-based reactors or those onboard of ships.The UNGG fuels correspond to a residual tonnage of non-reprocessed fuels, around 15 tonnes. Theyare currently conditioned in cylindrical claddings 88 or 130 mm in diameter and equal to 655.5 mmhigh. These claddings contain a very small amount of waste, 9 or 18 kilograms on average dependingon the type of cladding. They have a particularly low heat rating of around 3 watts maximum.The EL4 fuels represent about 50 tonnes of heavy metal. The fuel element is in the form of a 19-rodcluster fitting tightly in an ATR structure (alloy of zirconium with copper and molybdenum). The rodsare made up metallic cladding in a zirconium-copper alloy and contain uranium oxide pellets veryslightly enriched with uranium-235 (1.28% or 1.41% depending on the rods). The initial weight of theuranium oxide is 10.6 kilograms per cluster. The EL4 fuel clusters are currently conditioned instainless steel claddings about 100 mm in diameter and 1100 mm long. Each cladding contains twoclusters placed on top of each other. Their heat rating is also very low (maximum 10 watts percladding).The Célestin fuel elements are made up of metallic plates containing enriched uranium, mounted on ametallic structure. They are conditioned in stainless steel claddings around 340 mm in diameter and1100 mm long. Each cladding holds six fuel elements representing a total heat rating of 120 wattsmaximum.The nuclear propulsion fuels are made up of (i) oxide fuels based on sintered uranium oxide plates and(ii) metallic fuels based on highly enriched metallic uranium. These latter fuels are no longer used.In both cases, the fuel takes the form of an assembly made up of several bundles. The bundles areseparated from the assembly and conditioned in identical diameter claddings (340 mm approximately,like the claddings containing the Célestin fuel elements), but of different lengths to suit the bundledimensions. Each cladding contains four or six bundles from the same type of fuel assemblies. Theheat rate here is at most in the same order of magnitude as for the C0 waste packages (155 watts)described in chapter 6.1.7.1.2 Quantification of the number of spent fuel assembliesThe following table reproduces the hypotheses of the number of assemblies included in the study.Table 7.1.3Number of PWR fuel assemblies"Short" UOX AFA-2GEassembly, type CU1"Long" UOX AFA-2LEassembly, type CU1Production sitesEDFScenarioS1aNumber of PWR fuel assembliesScenario ScenarioS1b S1cScenarioS20 0 0 27 2000 0 0 26 800Total UOX assemblies, type CU1 0 0 0 54 000"Short" MOX AFA-2GEassembly, type CU2EDF 0 5 400 5 400 4 000Total MOX assemblies, type CU2 0 5 400 5 400 4 000Furthermore, 5,810 primary claddings are to be considered for type CU3 fuels, if appropriate.Dossier 2005 granite - ARCHITECTURE AND MANAGEMENT OF A GEOLOGICAL REPOSITORY197/228