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Assessment of Degradation Mechanisms for Nuclear Metal Fuel and TRISO Fuel During Transportation and Storage

Product Number: 51321-16425-SG
Author: Xihua He/ Yi-Ming Pan/Nathan Hall/Ricardo Torres/James Hammelman
Publication Date: 2021
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$20.00
$20.00

As the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff prepares for regulatory interactions and potential applications for non-light water reactor technologies, there is a need to develop an understanding of the potential challenges associated with regulating transportation and storage of advanced reactor fuel (ARF) types. Potential ARF types that may be subject to NRC regulation in the future include metal fuels (typically uranium alloys such as U-Pu, U-Zr, U-Mo, and U-Pu-Zr, often with sodium between the fuel and cladding) for compact fast reactors and solid coated particle fuels, commonly referred to as tristructural isotropic (TRISO), for high-temperature gas-cooled reactors and molten salt reactors. This paper presents an assessment of potential environmental, thermal, mechanical, and irradiationinduced degradation mechanisms of metal and TRISO ARFs based on information in the literature and operating experience from nuclear applications. It is concluded that the following technical challenges may need to be addressed in safety reviews of transportation cask systems and storage facilities: (i) structural integrity, containment, and chemical reaction with air and water of fresh metal fuels during transportation; (ii) effect of residual salt material on storage of spent TRISO fuel discharged from fluoride salt-cooled high-temperature reactors; (iii) sensitization, intergranular attack, stress corrosion cracking, thermal aging, and radiation embrittlement of stainless steel cladding for spent metal fuel during storage and transportation; and (iv) chemical interaction of sodium with moisture and air and oxidation, hydriding, fragmentation, and restructuring-swelling of sodium-bonded spent metal fuel during storage and transportation. The results of this work are being considered to inform recommendations for potential revisions to guidance documents for safety reviews of transportation and storage of fresh and spent ARF types.

Key words: advanced reactor fuel, metal fuel, TRISO fuel, degradation mechanisms

As the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff prepares for regulatory interactions and potential applications for non-light water reactor technologies, there is a need to develop an understanding of the potential challenges associated with regulating transportation and storage of advanced reactor fuel (ARF) types. Potential ARF types that may be subject to NRC regulation in the future include metal fuels (typically uranium alloys such as U-Pu, U-Zr, U-Mo, and U-Pu-Zr, often with sodium between the fuel and cladding) for compact fast reactors and solid coated particle fuels, commonly referred to as tristructural isotropic (TRISO), for high-temperature gas-cooled reactors and molten salt reactors. This paper presents an assessment of potential environmental, thermal, mechanical, and irradiationinduced degradation mechanisms of metal and TRISO ARFs based on information in the literature and operating experience from nuclear applications. It is concluded that the following technical challenges may need to be addressed in safety reviews of transportation cask systems and storage facilities: (i) structural integrity, containment, and chemical reaction with air and water of fresh metal fuels during transportation; (ii) effect of residual salt material on storage of spent TRISO fuel discharged from fluoride salt-cooled high-temperature reactors; (iii) sensitization, intergranular attack, stress corrosion cracking, thermal aging, and radiation embrittlement of stainless steel cladding for spent metal fuel during storage and transportation; and (iv) chemical interaction of sodium with moisture and air and oxidation, hydriding, fragmentation, and restructuring-swelling of sodium-bonded spent metal fuel during storage and transportation. The results of this work are being considered to inform recommendations for potential revisions to guidance documents for safety reviews of transportation and storage of fresh and spent ARF types.

Key words: advanced reactor fuel, metal fuel, TRISO fuel, degradation mechanisms

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