A concrete horizontal modular system for spent-fuel storage was constructed and demonstrated at Carolina Power and Light's (CP&L) Robinson station. This report documents the success of both cold and hot performance testing of the modules. BACKGROUND The Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA) of 1982 reaffirms that U.S. utilities are responsible for the interim storage of their spent nuclear fuel until DOE begins accepting it for disposal. The act also directs DOE to work with the private sector in demonstrating viable new storage technologies that expand interim storage options. CP&L subsequently entered into a cooperative agreement with DOE and EPRI in 1983 to demonstrate dry storage of spent fuel in the NUTECH horizontal modular storage system (NUHOMS) at the H. B. Robinson plant near Hartsville, South Carolina. This report evaluates the system's thermal performance during cold heater tests, as well as its thermal and shielding performance when loaded with spent fuel. OBJECTIVES To demonstrate and document the thermal performance of the NUHOMS system under normal and simulated off-normal conditions while validating the heat transfer and shielding design analyses.APPROACH Before loading the modules with spent fuel, researchers conducted a series of cold electric heater tests to simulate the decay heat of spent-fuel assemblies. To model off-normal conditions, they blocked the air inlets and outlets. Researchers then repeated the tests after loading spent fuel into the storage modules and determined shielding performance by measuring radioactive dose rates around the modules. RESULTSThe results of this project demonstrated the conservative design of the NUHOMS systems used at the H. B. Robinson site. Measurement of fuel temperatures, for example, indicated that fuel was maintained well below peak NRC limits. With the spent fuel in place, the peak measured concrete temperatures were below the maximum design temperatures recommended by the American Concrete Institute. Evaluation of data indicated that thermal performance of the system was only mildly sensitive to blockage of the module's air inlets or outlets. Similarly, evaluation of radiologic data around EPAI NP-6941s Electric Power Research Institute the loaded horizontal module showed very low gamma and neutron readings, which were well within design limits.EPRI PERSPECTIVE This report complements report NP-6940, which documents the design, licensing, and construction of the test NUHOMS modules. With the completion of this project, utilities now have an additional spent-fuel storage option available to them to meet their growing needs in this area. On the basis of the demonstration program-which documents technical performance, NRC licensability, and system economicsutilities can now more confidently plan their spent-fuel storage strategies.
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