Structural analysis for the determination of design variables of spent nuclear fuel disposal canister

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a structural analysis to determine design variables such as the inner basket array type, and thicknesses of the outer shell, and the lid and bottom of a spent nuclear fuel disposal canister. The canister construction type introduced here is a solid structure with a cast iron insert and a corrosion resistant overpack, which is designed for the spent nuclear fuel disposal in a deep repository in the crystalline bedrock, entailing an evenly distributed load of hydrostatic pressure from the groundwater and high swelling pressure from the bentonite buffer. Hence, the canister must be designed to withstand these high pressure loads. Many design variables may affect the structural strength of the canister. In this study, among those variables, the array type of inner baskets and thicknesses of outer shell and lid and bottom are attempted to be determined through a linear structural analysis. Canister types studied here are one for the pressurized water reactor (PWR) fuel and another for the Canadian deuterium and uranium reactor (CANDU) fuel.