Management of Severely Damaged Spent Fuel and Corium
Closed for proposals
Project Type
Project Code
T13015CRP
2007Approved Date
Status
Start Date
Expected End Date
Participating Countries
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)