Integrity evaluation scheme for Spent Fuel (SF) dry storage has been developed under transportation failure modes. This method especially considered the degradation characteristics of Spent Fuel (SF) during dry storage such as radial and circumferential hydride content, hydride volume fraction, oxide thickness, etc. Hydride and zircaloy cladding are considered as material composite system, using correlation models related to material properties. Critical Strain Energy Density (CSED) is compared with Strain Energy Density (SED), to evaluate cladding integrity. CSED serves as material characteristics, while SED can be considered as boundary condition. To calculate the CSED of cladding in the lateral failure mode, circumferential hydride concentration is used. SED is calculated considering both the bending moment and axial load. On the other hand, in the longitudinal failure case, fuel rod temperature, internal pressure, hoop stress, radial hydride concentration is used to calculate CSED. And pinch force (contact) was considered to evaluate SED. Model validations were conducted by comparing hot cell SF test and existing validated evaluation results. To separately handle normal transportation conditions from hypothetical accident conditions, SED according to stress-strain analysis results was separated into elastic and plastic regions. As a result of applying this scheme for 14×14 SF, failure probability of normal condition was zero, which is the similar result with DOE and same with EPRI. Regarding accident condition, lateral case showed similar result, but longitudinal case showed different but reasonable result, which was due to the different analysis conditions. The proposed methodology which was indigenously developed through this study is named as K-method.

The Korea Nuclear Safety Act defines a high integrity container (HIC) as “a radioactive waste packaging container that can maintain its integrity for more than 300 years under the general underground environment and disposal conditions in Korea”, and detailed technical standards are not described. The US Nuclear Safety Commission’s “Low-Level Waste Licensing Branch Technical Position on Waste Form” describes the detailed requirements for solidification and HIC. The main contents of the US NRC technical position include limiting the free standing water, minimum design life, demonstrating mechanical, thermal and radiation stability, etc. In this study, the stability evaluation was performed to understand the mechanical strength with respect to horizontal and vertical loads. The basic property of polymer concrete was carefully evaluated, including compressive strength, structural fatigue resistance, etc. The long term creep test, loading of 40% of compressive strength, indicates that the polymer concrete exhibits good long term mechanical integrity.

This paper aims to evaluate the mechanical integrity for Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) cladding under lateral loads during transportation. The evaluation process requires a conservative consideration of the degradation conditions of SNF cladding, especially the hydride effect, which reduces the ductility of the cladding. The dynamic forces occurring during the drop event are pinch force, axial force and bending moment. Among those forces, axial force and bending moment can induce transverse tearing of cladding. Our assessment of 14 × 14 PWR SNF was performed using finite element analysis considering SNF characteristics. We also considered the probabilistic procedures with a Monte Carlo method and a reliability evaluation. The evaluation results revealed that there was no probability of damage under normal conditions, and that under accident conditions the probability was small for transverse failure mode.

This study developed an analytical methodology for the mechanical integrity of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) cladding tubes under external pinch loads during transportation, with reference to the failure mode specified in the relevant guidelines. Special consideration was given to the degraded characteristics of SNF during dry storage, including oxide and hydride contents and orientations. The developed framework reflected a composite cladding model of elastic and plastic analysis approaches and correlation equations related to the mechanical parameters. The established models were employed for modeling the finite elements by coding their physical behaviors. A mechanical integrity evaluation of 14 × 14 PWR SNF was performed using this system. To ensure that the damage criteria met the applicable legal requirements, stress-strain analysis results were separated into elastic and plastic regions with the concept of strain energy, considering both normal and hypothetical accident conditions. Probabilistic procedures using Monte Carlo simulations and reliability evaluations were included. The evaluation results showed no probability of damage under the normal conditions, whereas there were small but considerably low probabilities under accident conditions. These results indicate that the proposed approach is a reliable predictor of SNF mechanical integrity.

막 여과는 막을 통해 물을 통과시켜 수중의 오염 물질이나 불순물을 제거하는 기술이며 고도수처리 및 하수 처리와 같은 다양한 분야에서 사용된다. 하지만, 우발적인 수질 오염이나 막 손상의 경우에는 대응하기 어렵다는 단점이 있다. 따라서 여과 과정을 거친 후 식수의 오염을 막기 위해 막의 손상을 모니터링 해야 한다. 본 연구에서는, 압전 센서를 사용하여 고주파 기반 전기역학적 임피던스(EMI)를 측정하여 막 완결성 시험을 수행하였다. 외부 배관에 부착된 압전 센서는 배관 내부 압력 변화로 인한 막의 물리적 특성의 변화를 검출 할 수 있다. 압력 감쇠 시험을 진행하는 동안, 부착된 압전 센서를 통해 EMI 를 측정함으로써 막 손상으로 인한 압력 강하를 측정 할 수 있다. 본 기술을 검증하기 위하여 실제 수원지에서 현장 테스트가 수행되었다. 신뢰성을 높이기 위해 각 측정 단계에서 20 회 실험을 수행 하였고 그 결과, 미세한 압력 강하를 검출함으로써 막의 손상을 모니터링 할 수 있음을 확인하였다.