[en] In order to conform to various shipping and burial regulations specifying allowable dose rates and isotopic content, activities of the non-fuel bearing components were calculated by the computer code ORIGEN, based on reactor operating parameters, cool times, and ASTM specifications. These data were used to evaluate various packaging configurations and/or shipping casks for conformity to the regulations and disposal site license constraints. Because of the high transportation and burial charges, the overall cost of disposing of this type waste is highly dependent on the number of shipments. The Nuclear Assurance Corporation has developed equipment to cut the bulky items and reduce the packing volume of the individual components tenfold. Equipment design and development also considered remote, underwater environment, physical characteristics of the irradiated material, i.e., zirconium embrittlement, the need to minimize required pool floor space and interference with other pool activities, operating convenience, and maintenance requirements

[en] In recent years it became apparent in the nuclear industry that discharged fuel channels and other irradiated hardware from LWR's were utilizing significant storage space in plant spent fuel pools. Nuclear Assurance Corporation has fulfilled contracts with major US utilities for packaging and disposal of fuel channels, poison curtains, control rods and instrument sources from their BWR's. In order to conform to various shipping and burial regulations specifying allowable dose rates and isotopic content, activities of the non-fuel bearing components were calculated by the computer code ORIGEN, based on reactor operating parameters, cool times, and ASTM specifications. These data were used to evaluate various packaging configurations and/or shipping casks for conformity to the regulations and disposal site license constraints. Because of the high transportation and burial charges, the overall cost of disposing of this type waste is highly dependent on the number of shipments. NAC developed equipment to cut the bulky items and reduce the packing volume of the individual components tenfold. Equipment design and development also considered remote, underwater environment, physical characteristics of the irradiated material, i.e., zirconium embrittlement, the need to minimize required pool floor space and interference with other pool activities, operating convenience, and maintenance requirements

[en] The evaluations of the TN casks to transport extended burnup fuel showed: Shielding is the limiting factor for the TN-8L cask with over 10 years cooling time required for fuel with an assembly average burnup of 55,000 MWD/MTU. Reducing the number of assemblies from 3 to 2 or using a more realistic shielding analysis method or reduces the required cooling time to 3 to 4 years. Fission gas release rates are the limiting factor for the TN-9 cask due to the comparatively large fission gas release fraction used for extended burnup BWR fuel. Reducing the number of assemblies from 7 to 6 reduces the required cooling time from over 20 years to approximately 1 year. Heat rejection is the limiting factor for the TN-12Y cask. Reducing the number of PWR assemblies from 12 to 8 or the number of BWR assemblies from 32 to 27 reduces the required cooling time to approximately 5 years which is the design cooling time for the cask. In order to transport the high initial enrichment fuel required for extended burnup, partial loding of the casks are necessary to maintain criticality control unless other neutron absorption schemes are used or the regulatory agencies permit credit to be taken for fuel depletion due to burnup

No abstract available

[en] A cask for containing spent nuclear fuel during transport. The cask has a pair of multiple element trunnions disposed on opposite sides of the cask adjacent the top thereof. The multiple elements of the trunnions provide separate and independent load paths for lifting the cask. The trunnions are removable and disassemblable to permit inspection of each element. Disposed on the ends of the cask are convex impact limiters for reducing forces applied to the cask in a collision. Apparatus engageable with the trunnions for lifting the cask thereby comprise a pair of multiple element laminated plates engageable with a crane hook. A pair of multiple element straps have ends selectively engageable with the plates and ends selectively engageable with the trunnions of the cask

[en] Storage of spent fuel is a common problem for many nuclear power plant operators worldwide. A shortage of space will soon become a reality because spent fuel storage pools, even after re-racking, are too small for plant lifetimes, which, in turn, are tending increasingly to be longer. The storage pools currently represent the only possibility to store these spent fuels, though some systems have been proposed to solve this problem. While most of these systems are uncertain, or have not been tested, the metallic storage/transport casks of the TN-24 family are currently available to expand at the reactor storage capacity until an away from the reactor storage site, either a final disposal or a reprocessing site, becomes available. The paper deals with the TN-24 concept and the experience accumulated with a TN-24 cask which was fabricated and tested under active conditions. (author)

[en] This document is a compilation of data and reports that provide an overview of the capabilities of U.S. domestic transportation systems for the shipment of materials that are or may be classified as radioactive wastes

[en] The paper presents information on the design, analysis and fabrication of two casks (TN-BRP and TN-REG) for the transport and storage of specific spent fuel assemblies in storage at the West Valley, New York, facility. The TN-BRP cask was designed for 85 Big Rock Point BWR fuel assemblies and the TN-REG cask was designed for 40 R.E. Ginna PWR fuel assemblies. The cask designs differ in body size and basket configuration in order to accomodate the different fuel types. The same set of impact limiters and the same transport frame are used for transport of the loaded casks. The design criteria document was issued in January 1984. Fabrication of the casks was awarded to Kobe Steel, Ltd of Japan in August of 1984. The first cask (TN-BRP) was delivered to West Valley on July 23, 1985, along with the transport frame and impact limiters. The second cask (TN-REG) was delivered to West Valley on August 19, 1985. (author)