Disposal Systems Evaluation Framework (DSEF) Version 1.0 - Progress Report

Abstract

Livermore National Laboratory to formalize the development and documentation of repository conceptual design options for each waste form and environment combination.This report summarizes current status and plans for the remainder of FY11 and for FY12.This progress report defines the architecture and interface parameters of the DSEF Excel workbook, which contains worksheets that link to each other to provide input and document output from external codes such that concise comparisons between fuel cycles, disposal environments, repository designs and engineered barrier system materials can be performed. Collaborations between other Used Fuel Disposition Campaign work packages and US Department of Energy / Nuclear Energy campaigns are clearly identified. File naming and configuration management is recommended to allow automated abstraction of data from multiple DSEF runs. Waste forms are examined with respect to three fuel cycles: open, modified open and closed. The resulting six waste types from each cycle are identified as examples with dimensions, mass, reactor burnup and properties. Seven disposal environments were initially identified, with the four key mined and saturated repositories (granite, salt, clay/shale and deep borehole) being part of the base case for DSEF evaluations. Together with six fuel types and pre--emplacement aging times (short, moderate and extended), 24 base case models are proposed. Additionally, evaluation of the DSEF using tuff (Yucca Mountain) and salt (WIPP) will be used as validation test cases.The DSEF interfaces with more sophisticated models for thermal analysis, and is capable of efficient calculations using simplified conceptual models. The DSEF will document the thermal calculations, but will not duplicate development or calculation results done by other UFD work packages. LLNL (as part of other UFD work packages) is also developing an interface to its sophisticated finite element thermal code that was developed outside of the UFD campaign. Thermal models have been identified and initially tested within the DSEFanalytic and finite element. Finite element modeling employs TOPAZ3D (Wemhoff et al, 2007) together with TrueGrid (Rainsberger 2006) to generate geometric shapes that represent waste packages. The analytic models use Mathcad (Mathcad 15.0). This tool will be available to all the UFD participants, including the Generic Disposal System LLNL--TR--484011 iiEnvironments Performance Assessment development team, which currently does not incorporate a sophisticated thermal model. In the performance assessment area, the DSEF documents the inputs going to, and the results coming from such GDSE performance assessment models, therefore documenting and integrating results rather than generating results directly. More importantly, DSEF is a knowledge management tool that creates a reference location for PA models to be documented and compared. Material properties to be used in the performance assessment portion of DSEF are identified and follow a Features, Events and Processes methodo...

Disposal Systems Evaluation Framework DSEF Version 3.0 User Manual

“…As in the DSEF Version 1.0 Progress Report (Sutton 2011), waste forms are examined with respect to three fuel cycles: open (once through), modified open (partial recycle), and closed (full recycle). The six heat-producing waste types from these cycles (one from open, two from modified open, and three from closed) are identified as examples with dimensions, mass, reactor burnup and decay heat properties.…”

Investigations on Repository Near-Field Thermal Modeling - Repository Science/Thermal Load Management & Design Concepts (M41UF033302) Rev.1

“…The modeling tools generated in MathCAD, Excel, and MatLab were used to calculate the temperature evolution for combinations of waste form and geologic medium, assuming a particular emplacement layout for each concept (Sutton et al 2011). Two types of spent nuclear fuel assemblies (SNFA) were considered, namely UOX from an open fuel cycle and MOX from a modified--open fuel cycle.…”