Performance Assessment for Geological Disposal of Graphite Waste Containing TRISO Particles

Akker, Bret Patrick van den; Ahn, Joonhong

doi:10.13182/nt11-103

Cited by 10 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 22 publications

(24 reference statements)

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“…In addition, we explore different package loading (i.e., the number of fuel elements per package) based on the previously studied package designs (Table S4; 21). Subsequently, the generic repository PA is developed (Section 6.4) to compute the release of radionuclides from the waste forms, their migration in the geosphere, and the peak dose rates over one million years (22,23). Our conceptual model (Fig.…”

Section: Reactor-to-repository Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The release rates are then connected to the groundwater ow and reactive transport code PFLOTRAN, which has been extensively used for the repository PAs (18). We focus on iodine-129 (I-129), which is typically the dominant dose contributor in the PAs (7,18,23,24,25). The peak dose rates are then computed based on the assumption that people use groundwater pumped from a well 10 km from the repository.…”

Section: Reactor-to-repository Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The remaining I-129 fraction is released congruently with the fuel matrix. In this study, we use the model developed Ahn (22) for the UO 2 and metallic fuel and Van der Akker and Ahn (23) for the TRISO fuel to quantify the amount of I-129 released from a failed waste package in a geological repository. We would note that for TRISO particles, the major barrier preventing fuel degradation and radionuclide release is the graphite matrix of the fuel element, because the degradation rate of the graphite matrix is much lower than the one of PyC or SiC.…”

Section: Repository Performance Assessment Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Here we describe the mathematical formulation of the congruent release for completeness, although the details were described in Ahn (22) and Van der Akker and Ahn (23). First, the geometrical transformation is applied for all matrix types to transform the fuel matrix into the sphere of the equivalent volume in a package.…”

Section: Repository Performance Assessment Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Cross-disciplinary Reactor-to-Repository Framework for Evaluating Spent Nuclear Fuel from Advanced Reactors

Wainwright,

Christiaen,

Atz

et al. 2024

Preprint

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This study presents a cross-disciplinary reactor-to-repository framework to compare different advanced reactors with respect to their spent nuclear fuel (SNF). The framework consists of (1) OpenMC for simulating neutronics, fuel depletion, and radioactive decays; (2) NWPY for computing the repository footprint for SNF disposal given the thermal constraints; and (3) PFLOTRAN for simulating radionuclide transport in the geosphere to compute the peak dose rate, which is used to quantify the repository performance and environmental impact. We first perform the meta-analysis of past comparative analyses to identify the factors led previously to inconsistent conclusions. We then demonstrate the new framework by comparing five reactor types. Significant findings are that (1) the repository footprint is neither linearly related to SNF volume nor to decay heat, due to the repository’s thermal constraint, (2) fast reactors have significantly higher I-129 inventory, which is often the primarily dose contributor from repositories, and (3) the repository performance primarily depends on the waste forms. The TRISO-based reactors, in particular, have significantly higher SNF volumes, but result in smaller repository footprints and lower peak dose rates. Our analysis highlights the diversity of these reactors, each of which should be evaluated individually. The open-source framework ensures proper cross-disciplinary connections between reactor simulations and environmental assessments, as well as the transparency/traceability required for such comparative analyses. It aims to support reactor designers, repository developers and policy makers in evaluating the impact of different reactor designs, with the ultimate goal of improving the sustainability of nuclear energy systems.

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Section: Reactor-to-repository Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Reactor-to-repository Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Repository Performance Assessment Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Repository Performance Assessment Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Cross-disciplinary Reactor-to-Repository Framework for Evaluating Spent Nuclear Fuel from Advanced Reactors

Wainwright,

Christiaen,

Atz

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Accident-Tolerant Fuel

Brown

Nelson

Terrani

2020

Comprehensive Nuclear Materials

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1-D modeling of radionuclide transport via heterogeneous geological formations for arbitrary length decay chains using numerical inversion of Laplace transforms

Akker

Ahn

2014

Annals of Nuclear Energy

Self Cite

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a b s t r a c tWe present the Laplace-transformed analytical solution (LTAS) to the one-dimensional radionuclide transport equation for an arbitrary length decay-chain through an arbitrary combination of multiply fractured and porous transport segments subject to an arbitrary time-dependent release mode at the entrance point to the series of transport segments. The LTAS may be numerically inverted to obtain the time-dependent concentration of the radionuclides of interest at an arbitrary down gradient location. For a special case, where the source function is defined as the band release with a single radionuclide without precursors, the Laplace inverse transformation could be performed analytically, yielding a closed-form analytical solution. A computer code, TTBX, has been developed by implementing the LTAS, and benchmarked against the closed-form analytical solution. Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the utility of these solutions and the importance of increased fidelity in the transport pathway for reliable performance assessment for the geological disposal of spent nuclear fuels.

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Performance Assessment for Geological Disposal of Graphite Waste Containing TRISO Particles

Abstract: This paper presents a deterministic performance assessment for spent fuel from deep-burn modular hightemperature reactors (DBMHRs)

Cited by 10 publications

References 22 publications

Cross-disciplinary Reactor-to-Repository Framework for Evaluating Spent Nuclear Fuel from Advanced Reactors

Cross-disciplinary Reactor-to-Repository Framework for Evaluating Spent Nuclear Fuel from Advanced Reactors

Accident-Tolerant Fuel

1-D modeling of radionuclide transport via heterogeneous geological formations for arbitrary length decay chains using numerical inversion of Laplace transforms

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