Transport of radionuclides in urban environs: working draft assessment

Ducharme, Anique; Akins, R.E.; Daniel, S.L.; Ericson, D.M.; Finley, B H; Kaestner, Peter; Sheldon, D.D.; Taylor, Jenny; Tierney,; Finley, N.N.

doi:10.2172/6869761

Cited by 5 publications

(7 citation statements)

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Section: Background Historymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To support the development of the regulations associated with transport and storage of spent nuclear fuel in the late 1970s [7], particularly assessments based on the NRC-supported "Urban Study" and its revision [8][9], the NRC determined that an experimental program was needed to validate the analyses used to develop the regulations. The NRC Urban Study [8] was probably the first study to formally address concerns for potential sabotage-related releases from spent fuel in transit. A limited number of small-scale explosive-aerosol tests with small depleted uranium oxide (DUO 2 ) and actual spent fuel targets were conducted at Battelle Columbus Laboratory (with NRC support) [10] and at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL, now INL) (with SNL and DOE support) [11].…”

Section: Background Historymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is quite a large spread in values for a parameter that has a direct influence on the predicted consequences of a successful sabotage attack. The BCL SFR value of 5.6 was used in calculations that demonstrated that the NRC Urban Study [8] estimate for respirable release was orders of magnitude too high; however, authors of the Sandia study felt strongly that the best estimate of SFR, if there were more data, would more likely be of the order of 1 to 2 [15].…”

Section: Background Historymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Spent fuel sabotage test program, characterization of aerosol dispersal : interim final report.

Gregson¹,

Brockmann²,

Loiseau

et al. 2008

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This multinational, multi-phase spent fuel sabotage test program is quantifying the aerosol particles produced when the products of a high energy density device (HEDD) interact with and explosively particulate test rodlets that contain pellets of either surrogate materials or actual spent fuel. This program provides source-term data that are relevant to plausible sabotage scenarios in relation to spent fuel transport and storage casks and associated risk assessments. We present details and significant results obtained from this program from 2001 through 2007. Measured aerosol results include: respirable fractions produced; amounts, nuclide content, and produced particle size distributions and morphology; measurements of volatile fission product species enhanced sorption-enrichment factors onto respirable particles; and, status on determination of the spent fuel ratio, SFR, needed for scaling studies. Emphasis is provided on recent Phase 3 tests using depleted uranium oxide pellets plus non-radioactive fission product dopants in surrogate spent fuel test rodlets, plus the latest surrogate cerium oxide results and aerosol laboratory supporting calibration work. The DUO 2 , CeO 2 , plus fission product dopant aerosol particle results are compared with available historical data. We also provide a status review on continuing preparations for the final Phase 4 in this program, tests using individual short rodlets containing actual spent fuel from U.S. PWR reactors, with both high-and lower-burnup fuel. The source-term data, aerosol results, and program design have been tailored to support and guide follow-on computer modeling of aerosol dispersal hazards and radiological consequence assessments.

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Section: Background Historymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Background Historymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Background Historymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Spent fuel sabotage test program, characterization of aerosol dispersal : interim final report.

Gregson¹,

Brockmann²,

Loiseau

et al. 2008

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“…Several engineering analyses were published on the subject, including one by DuCharme et al (1978) of Sandia National Laboratories, which became known as the "Urban Study". The Urban Study was based on engineering judgment and contained scant experimental data.…”

Section: Initial Source Term Estimates Based On Engineering Judgmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These consequences were considered unacceptable and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission promulgated very restrictive interim regulations (draft 10CFR73.37) to protect the public from such a malevolent act. (DuCharme, 1978) Applied engineering judgment and limited engineering data Estimated 1% release fraction for respirable aerosol for a transportation cask containing one PWR subassembly Second Urban (Finley, 1980) Refined methods and assumptions of First Urban Study…”

Section: Initial Source Term Estimates Based On Engineering Judgmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Need for Confirmatory Experiments on the Radioactive Source Term from Potential Sabotage of Spent Nuclear Fuel Casks

Philbin¹,

Hoover²,

Newton³

2002

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A technical review is presented of experiment activities and state of knowledge on air-borne, radiation source terms resulting from explosive sabotage attacks on spent reactor fuel subassemblies in shielded casks. Current assumptions about the behavior of irradiated fuel are largely based on a limited number of experimental results involving unirradiated, depleted uranium dioxide "surrogate" fuel. The behavior of irradiated nuclear fuel subjected to explosive conditions could be different from the behavior of the surrogate fuel, depending on the assumptions made by the evaluator. Available data indicate that these potential differences could result in errors, and possible orders-of-magnitude overestimates of aerosol dispersion and potential health effects from sabotage attacks. Furthermore, it is suggested that the current assumptions used in arriving at existing regulations for the transportation and storage of spent fuel in the U.S. are overly conservative. This, in turn, has led to potentially higher-than-needed operating expenses for those activities.A confirmatory experimental program is needed to develop a realistic correlation between source terms of irradiated fuel and unirradiated fuel. The motivations for performing the confirmatory experimental program are also presented. 4 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

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Safety assessment of spent fuel transportation in extreme environments

Sandoval

Weber

Newton

1982

Nuclear and Chemical Waste Management

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INTRODUCTION: STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM This paper deals with a program currently under way at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) to characterize source term aerosols from radioactive materia 1 s exposed to extraordinary environments and to produce improved estimates of environmental and human health consequences. The extreme environments of interest here have been divided into two categories-those related to sabotage (or intentional) acts and those related to extra severe accidents. Major efforts in this program to date have concentrated on the intentional act activity in which the objective is to develop an experimental data base characterizing the release of radioactive material resulti ng from the sabotage of a spent fuel transport. This experimental data base would be the primary input to an analysis of the human health and economic consequences for these types of environments. The origin of the program can be traced back to 1975 when the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) sponsored a study at SNL to determine the ability of several generic high energy devices to disrupt a large truck spent fuel shipping container. The results of this study indicated that it was indeed possible for certain high energy devices to breach a large spent fuel cask.

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Transport of radionuclides in urban environs: working draft assessment

Cited by 5 publications

References 0 publications

Spent fuel sabotage test program, characterization of aerosol dispersal : interim final report.

Spent fuel sabotage test program, characterization of aerosol dispersal : interim final report.

The Need for Confirmatory Experiments on the Radioactive Source Term from Potential Sabotage of Spent Nuclear Fuel Casks

Safety assessment of spent fuel transportation in extreme environments

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