- #91
Hiddencamper
- 403
- 182
5 years is the requirement for long term storage/dry cask.
there are storage casks that can be used for transport/shipping. Remember a single fuel bundle or even fuel rod has drastically less heat density than a dry storage cask containing 60+ bundles. There is nothing legally that prevents casks from accepting fuel less than 5 years. The cask designer must demonstrate that the cask or container/etc is safe with the number of bundles that have been installed.
When we have failed fuel, typically we disassemble the upper tie plate and we can pull individual rods out. Each individual rod has a barcode etched in, so we record the rod numbers in that bundle, sipe the rods, look for the leaker. get video of it. We can do different ultrasonic techniques or whatever to try and measure what we can. Typically you can tell just by looking at it whether it was internal/external, and get a good idea. If more data is needed that's when you look into moving it to another facility, but in most/all cases that's all you really care about when you have a failed bundle.
Remember, all of this is done under water due to both heat and dose rates.
there are storage casks that can be used for transport/shipping. Remember a single fuel bundle or even fuel rod has drastically less heat density than a dry storage cask containing 60+ bundles. There is nothing legally that prevents casks from accepting fuel less than 5 years. The cask designer must demonstrate that the cask or container/etc is safe with the number of bundles that have been installed.
When we have failed fuel, typically we disassemble the upper tie plate and we can pull individual rods out. Each individual rod has a barcode etched in, so we record the rod numbers in that bundle, sipe the rods, look for the leaker. get video of it. We can do different ultrasonic techniques or whatever to try and measure what we can. Typically you can tell just by looking at it whether it was internal/external, and get a good idea. If more data is needed that's when you look into moving it to another facility, but in most/all cases that's all you really care about when you have a failed bundle.
Remember, all of this is done under water due to both heat and dose rates.