Coupled thermo-mechanical modeling of spent nuclear fuel containers for long-term nuclear waste management

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Canada's nuclear power plants have irradiated approximately 2.35 million nuclear fuel bundles weighing over 50,000 metric ton since 1968. These irradiated 'spent' fuel bundles are currently stored above ground in temporary containment systems at reactor sites across Canada. In 2002, the Canadian Government enacted the Nuclear Fuel Waste Act. The Act created the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO), a company mandated to advise the government on options for the long-term management of Canada's spent nuclear fuel. In 2005, NWMO recommended a technical program called Adaptive Phased Management (APM), which envisions centralized containment and isolation of the spent fuel in a Deep Geological Repository (DGR) in a suitable rock formation. A key component of the DGR is the engineered containment barrier known as the Used Fuel Container (UFC). Constructed of pressure vessel grade steel and coated with an integrally bonded layer of pure copper, the UFC is designed to withstand the transient temperatures, radiation, and external pressure loadings of the repository for thousands of years. It is the objective of this Engage grant to accurately predict the long term behavior of the irradiated UFC materials over long time frame both theoretically using the finite element method and experimentally using accelerated mechanical tests of the newly designed system under controlled conditions. Our industrial sponsor is highly committed to this study and will contribute significantly to its success.