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The main characteristics, such as temperatures of the fuel rod cladding and cask surface, dose rates at the surface and at the some distance for CASTOR RBMK-1500 and CONSTOR RBMK-1500 casks loaded with spent nuclear fuel are presented. These casks are used for an interim dry storage of spent nuclear fuel at Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant. Numerical modeling (calculation of the equivalent dose rates, activities of nuclides, etc.) and experimental measurements of the equivalent dose and gamma spectrum on the cask surface at the dry storage facility were performed for assessment of radiation characteristics. Temperatures were evaluated using only numerical modeling. Rather good agreement between experimentally determined and calculated dose rates for CASTOR RBMK-1500 and CONSTOR RBMK-1500 casks was obtained. Also it was revealed that maximum fuel rod cladding temperature is higher for CONSTOR RBMK-1500 cask, but never exceeds the maximum allowable value. The cask surface temperatures are similar for both cask types.

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Two RBMK-1500 water-cooled graphite-moderated channel-type power reactors at the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant (INPP) are under decommissioning now. The total mass of irradiated graphite in the cores of both units is more than 3600 tons. The main source of uncertainty in the numerical assessment of graphite activity is the uncertainty of the initial impurities content in graphite. Nitrogen is one of the most important impurities, having a large neutron capture cross-section. This impurity may become the dominant source of C-14 production. RBMK reactors graphite stacks operate in the cooling mixture of helium-nitrogen gases and this may additionally increase the quantity of the nitrogen impurity. In this paper the results of the numerical modelling of graphite activation for the INPP Unit 1 reactor are presented. In order to evaluate the C-14 activity dependence on the nitrogen impurity content, several cases with different nitrogen content were modelled taking into account initial nitrogen impurity quantities in the graphite matrix and possible nitrogen quantities entrapped in the graphite pores from cooling gases.

Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant (INPP) operates two RBMK-1500 water-cooled graphite-moderated channel-type power reactors. The total mass of graphite in the cores of both units at INPP is about 3600 tons. Modelling of activation processes in the reactor's structural materials is necessary for decommissioning planning, because large amounts of activated structural materials (graphite, stainless steel, concrete, etc.) should be managed as radioactive waste. Knowledge of radiological characteristics and a radioactive inventory of irradiated materials are essential in planning of the decommissioning processes. The purpose of this work was to perform conservative neutron activation analysis for decommissioning purposes of INPP. ORIGEN computer code was used for the calculations. Activity levels were calculated for different nuclides present in the graphite and estimates were made how these activity levels depend on irradiation time, neutron flux value and other parameters. Obtained results were compared with the data available from other investigations for GR-280 graphite.

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