SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL INTEGRITY RD WORK FOR DRY STORAGE IN KOREA

摘要

A national strategy for the spent nuclear fuel (SNF)management plan was recommended by the PublicEngagement Commission in 2016. The main idea of it wasdry storage implementation in the beginning phase of thereactor site by the utility. Then the SNF will betransported to a centralized storage site that is managedby a government organization when the site is ready. Oneof the essential work for a safe SNF dry storage is toknow the basic characteristics of SNF and anticipate itsbehavior in dry conditions for several decades regardlessof the national strategy’s direction. This articlesummarized the past 5 years’ achievement on this topic inKorea.The major topics of this R&D work are the nondestructiveexamination of the SNF rods, destructiveexamination on the SNF rods, and the single effect tests,which include the creep in tube type, hydridereorientation in ring and tube type, hydride rim effect,delayed hydride cracking, mechanical propertiesgeneration, and ring compression testing. In addition torod testing, fuel assembly hardware such as the spacergrid, bulge joint, and welding points between thehardware components were examined for integrityevaluation by charging hydrogen into them in order tomimic irradiated material. Some of them will besupported by real SNF component testing in hot cells.These comprehensive R&D studies are expected tocontribute to a successful PWR SNF dry storage businessin Korea.