HANDLING SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL FROM THE RESEARCH REACTORS OF THE RUSSIAN SCIENCE CENTER KURCHATOV INSTITUTE

摘要

Shipping out the spent fuel of the research reactors at the Institute for reprocessing is examined. The spent fuel is characterized by a great diversity of structural characteristics of the fuel assemblies and fuel elements, fuel compositions, and the enrichment, burnup, and cool-down times of the fuel as well as the state of the components of the assemblies and the structural materials. A classification and quantitative indicators of the accumulated spent fuel from the standpoint of the modern state of its reprocessing technology and the requirements for delivery to the Mayak Industrial Association are presented. The structural features of the TKU-19 and -128 shipment containers are presented, and the loading of spent fuel assemblies into them for shipment to reprocessing is described. The plans and goals of further work on the removal of spent fuel from the Institute's territory are presented.