Spent fuel test - Climax: technical measurements. Interim report, fiscal year 1981

Abstract

The Spent Fuel Test-Climax (SFT-C) is located 420 m below surface in the Climax granite stock on the Nevada Test Site. The test is being conducted for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) und<=r the technical direction of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Eleven canisters of spent nuclear reactor fuel were emplaced, and six electrical simulators were energized from April to May 1980, initiating the 3-to 5-year-duration test. The SFT-C operational objective of demonstrating the feasibility of packaging, transporting, storing, and retrieving highly radioactive fuel assemblies in a safe and reliable manner has been met. Technical objectives of the test led to development of a technical measurements program, which is the subject of this report. Geotechnical, seismological, and test status data have been recorded on a continuing basis for the first 1-1/2 years of the test on more than 900 channels. Much of the acquired data are now available for analysis and are presented here. Highlights of activities this year include completion of site characterization field work, major modifications to the data acquisition and the management systems, and the addition of instrument evaluation as an explicit objective of the test.