Spent Fuel Characterization

Closed for proposals

Project Type

Coordinated Research Project

Project Code

T13018

CRP

2239

Approved Date

23 June 2020

Status

Closed

Start Date

12 August 2020

Expected End Date

31 December 2024

Completed Date

3 March 2025

Participating Countries

Argentina
Belgium
Egypt
Finland
France
Lithuania
Mexico
Republic of Korea
Romania
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Ukraine
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Description

In order to assess the ability of spent fuel assemblies to meet the requirements for transition from one back end fuel cycle step to another, certain characteristics have to be known to support safety and technical assessments.
The CRP will address the work currently being undertaken to determine the characteristics of spent fuel to ensure its safe management throughout storage, transport and disposal.

Objectives

The overall objective of this Coordinated Research Project is to support and share information between concerned Member States on issues related to the characterization of spent nuclear fuel in the various steps of its management. This will be achieved by gathering information from Member States regarding the approaches to characterization they have taken and are developing for the various steps of SFM, including the validation of models, techniques and procedures, enabling the exchange of information and experiences between Member States with a greater maturity in this area with Member States with limited experience and infrastructures, aiming at compiling this information in an IAEA Technical Report as the CRP output.

Specific objectives

Collecting and exchanging information from Member States on the methods they currently use for characterizing spent fuel at the various steps of SFM and how they have been validated.

Sharing information on techniques, systems and codes under development, and their plans for subsequent validation.

Identifying the potential for collaborative work between Institutes.

Enhancing the maturity of knowledge in MSs with limited experience.

Enhance participation of young experts.

Collecting and exchanging information from Member States on the methods they currently use for characterizing spent fuel at the various steps of SFM and how they have been validated.

Sharing information on techniques, systems and codes under development, and their plans for subsequent validation.

Identifying the potential for collaborative work between Institutes.

Enhancing the maturity of knowledge in MSs with limited experience.

Enhance participation of young experts.

Impact

The CRP raised partners’ awareness on the topic and allowed them to share their own knowledge and learn what other countries/organizations were doing on the same topical area. Especially during the RCMs, in Sweden and the UK, the technical visits helped a lot demonstrate why characterization of SNF is such an important topic. Regarding the link to the EURAD project, the impact of the CRP was to bring the international perspective to a European project through the members participating in both projects.

Relevance

The CRP's topic is as relevant today as it was when the project was launched, and many participating countries realized through this project that there are valuable lessons to be learned, which will significantly improve their projects.

CRP Publications

Type

Conference proceedings, HOTLAB 2021 - Annual Meeting on Hot Laboratories and Remote Handling, Prague, Czech Republic, September 26-30, 2021

Year

2021

Publication URL

https://hotlab.sckcen.be/proceedings

Description

Non-destructive Method for Measurement of Oxide Layer Thickness on Irradiated Fuel Rods, Maren Mincu

Country/Organization

Romania RATEN

Type

Nuclear Science and Engineering

Year

2023

Description

Neutronic Characterization for a Pressurized Water Reactor Spent Fuel Assembly

Country/Organization

Egypt

Type

The 2023 Water Reactor Fuel Performance Meeting (WRFPM2023)

Year

2023

Description

Evaluation of SCALE code cross-section processing options for RBMK simulations

Country/Organization

Lithuania

Type

PhD Thesis Virginie Solans

Year

2024

Publication URL

https://uu.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2%3A1887995&dswid=7684

Description

Analysis of Gamma and Neutron Emission for Predicting Decay Heat in Spent Nuclear Fuel

Country/Organization

Sweden

Type

Nuclear Science and Engineering

Year

2023

Publication URL

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/373042460_Neutronic_Characterization_fo…

Description

Neutronic Characterization for a Pressurized Water Reactor Spent Fuel Assembly

Country/Organization

Egypt

Type

The 2023 Water Reactor Fuel Performance Meeting (WRFPM2023)

Year

2023

Publication URL

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.net.2022.08.001

Description

Evaluation of SCALE code cross-section processing options for RBMK simulations

Country/Organization

Lithuania

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