Management of Severely Damaged Spent Fuel and Corium

Closed for proposals

Project Type

Coordinated Research Project

Project Code

T13015

CRP

2007

Approved Date

12 December 2013

Status

Active - Ongoing

Start Date

25 February 2016

Expected End Date

30 November 2022

Participating Countries

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Description

The Fukushima Daiichi accident (March 2011) resulted in severe damage and reported fuel core meltdown in three of the reactors on the nuclear power plant site. A fourth reactor, although shutdown, suffered severe damage to its structure from a hydrogen explosion, which resulted in plant and roofing materials being deposited in the fuel storage pool. The fuel in this pool may also have been damaged due to loss of cooling water and the introduction of seawater as a replacement. In terms of multiple failures, an accident of this scale has not been experienced previously resulting in a substantial remediation challenge. The objective of this CRP is to expand the existing knowledge base and identify optimal approaches for managing severely damaged spent fuel. Severely damaged spent fuel covers: material from post-irradiation examination; fuel debris, fuel damaged during fuel handling operations; fuel damaged as a result of loss of cooling; corium; molten core– concrete interaction products.

Objectives

To expand the existing knowledge base and identify optimal approaches for managing severely damaged spent fuel. Severely damaged spent fuel covers: Material from post irradiation examination; fuel debris; fuel damaged during fuel handling operations; fuel damaged as a result of loss of cooling; corium and melted core concrete interaction products (MCCI).

Specific objectives

To report and assess the characterization of severely damaged spent fuel

To report development work on and assess the techniques for the in situ characterization and monitoring of severely damaged spent fuel

To report, assess and potentially develop methods to mitigate adverse changes in the long-term behaviour of severely damaged spent fuel and packaged material (for example radiolysis, chemical and physical properties)

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