Commercial Spent Nuclear Fuel Safety Analyses: Traditional Design-Basis Bounding vs. As-Loaded Approaches

Spent nuclear fuel (SNF) cask systems are evaluated for approved contents that provide bounding fuel characteristics (design-basis) such as fuel type, initial enrichment, and discharge burnup. The bounding fuel characteristics establish the upper limits of the cask's safety parameters (e.g., dose rates). Due to the wide variation in SNF assembly burnup values and discharge dates, cask systems are loaded with assemblies that satisfy the bounding fuel characteristics with some amount of uncredited safety margin. In this session, we will discuss (1) design-basis and as-loaded analysis approaches and (2) various applications of uncredited safety margins that can be quantified by as-loaded analyses. The as-loaded analysis approach has the potential to significantly improve SNF management and streamline the regulatory review process.

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