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ARN Nuclear Regulatory Authority

ARN Nuclear Regulatory Authority. Spent Fuel Management of NPPs in Argentina D.E. Alvarez and H.M. Lee Gonzales. International Conference on Management of Spent Fuel from Nuclear Power Reactors 31 May - 4 June 2010, Vienna Austria. Spent Fuel Management of NPPs in Argentina.

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ARN Nuclear Regulatory Authority

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  1. ARN Nuclear Regulatory Authority Spent Fuel Management of NPPs in Argentina D.E. Alvarez and H.M. Lee Gonzales International Conference on Management of Spent Fuel from Nuclear Power Reactors 31 May - 4 June 2010, Vienna Austria

  2. Spent Fuel Management of NPPs in Argentina Uses and applications of nuclear energy have begun in Argentina in 1950, the year that the National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA) has been created Wide variety of activities were performed in the nuclear field Management of spent fuel and radioactive waste Applying the legal and regulatory provisions in force

  3. Spent Fuel Management of NPPs in Argentina - National Congress Act Nº 24804 (1997) to regulate the Nuclear Activity Nuclear Regulatory Authority –ARN- (1997) to regulate and supervise the nuclear activity - National Congress Act Nº 25018 (1998) todetermine the Radioactive Waste Management Regime(Nat. Radioact. Waste Management Prog. - CNEA -) - Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management (2001)

  4. Spent Fuel Management of NPPs in Argentina ArgentineGovernment Nuclear Regulatory Authority (ARN) Ministryof Federal Planning, Public Invest &Services SecretaryofEnergy National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA) NucleoeléctricaArgentinaS. A. (NA-SA) NPPs

  5. Spent Fuel Management of NPPs in Argentina Government of Argentina exercises state ownership of special radioactive fission material contained in spent fuels from any origin: NPPs and experimental, research and/or production reactors According to the Strategic Plan, the decision to reuse fissile material contained in spent fuel will be adopted before 2030 Meanwhile, the spent fuel generated by the NPP in Argentina is being stored in interim storages (Primary Responsible NA-SA) At decommissioning time, an appropriate transfer of Responsible Entity will be needed and before that a decommissioning license should be required by CNEA

  6. Spent Fuel Management of NPPs in Argentina EMBALSENPP PHWR - 648 MW 700 km from Buenos Aires BUENOS AIRES ATUCHA I NPP PHWR - 357 MW 112 km from Buenos Aires ATUCHA II NPP under construction PHWR - 692 MW 112 km from Buenos Aires

  7. Spent Fuel Management of NPPs in Argentina Atucha I NPP CNA I is a PHWR (357 MWe)of German origin which is in operation since 1974 Former times: natural uranium fuel (0.71%) Between 1995 and 2000: fresh fuel gradually modified from natural to slightly enriched uranium (0.85 % nominal)

  8. Spent Fuel Management of NPPs in Argentina Fuel element composed by 36 bars (+ 1), active length of 5323 mm. Each bar contains 442 UO2 pellets cladding in a zircaloy-4 alloy tube with an external diameter of 13.82 mm and 0.5 mm thick. Fuel assembly (153.5 Kg of U) is very slender, total length of 6028.5 mm, external diameter of 107.8 mm and a weight of approx. 200 kg. Total number of fuel elements in the reactor core is 252 AtuchaI NPP 8

  9. Spent Fuel Management of NPPs in Argentina Spent fuel is stored temporarily under water hanging vertically in stainless steel racks AtuchaI NPP two Pool Buildings maneuvering pool + four decay pools maneuvering pool + two decay pools initial capacity: 6944 FE positions compact arrangement: storing capacity of 8304 FE completed full 3240 FE 9

  10. Spent Fuel Management of NPPs in Argentina Atucha I NPP With a load factor of 85%, the arrangement will satisfy the storage demand up to 2015. But the end of the design of life of the Plant would be reached in 2017: it will be required to arrange a minimum of 620 free positions inside of the spent fuel facility + A decision about life extension or decommissioning should be taken in the near future 10

  11. Spent Fuel Management of NPPs in Argentina Atucha I NPP • Implementation of a drystorageseemstobethebestsolutiontocovernecessitiestocreateadditionalcapacityfor: • Storingthespent fuel (extension of life) or • To transfer allthespent fuel out of the NPP in the case of decommission A simplified conceptual design of a dry storage is under development: underground vertical silos placed in a new building annexed to one of the Pool Buildings 11

  12. Spent Fuel Management of NPPs in Argentina AtuchaII NPP CNA II is a PHWR similar to CNA I. Startoperation in 2011. Spent fuel will bestoragedunderwateruntill a drystoragealternativewillbedefined Pool Building 12

  13. Spent Fuel Management of NPPs in Argentina Embalse NPP CNE reactor is a typical CANDU 6 (648 MWe) on load PHWR that is in operation in Argentina since 1984 13

  14. Spent Fuel Management of NPPs in Argentina Embalse NPP Fuel bundles are composed by 37 bars of 495.3 mm length. Each bar, containing 38 UO2pellets (natural uranium), is cladding in a zircaloy-4 alloy tube. Fuel assembly has an external diameter of 102.74 mm and 22 Kg of UO2 14

  15. Spent Fuel Management of NPPs in Argentina Embalse NPP “Calandria” has 380 horizontal pressure tubes /channels with a capacity of 4560 fuel bundles (12 per channel) Refueling frequency at full power is 15.2 fuel bundles per day, maximum burn up 7800 MWd/tU 15

  16. Spent Fuel Management of NPPs in Argentina Embalse NPP Leaving the core, the spent fuel bundles are transfered underwater to the reception bay (capacity: 4800 bundles). They are disposed horizontally on trays of a double array of 12 bundles each one which are transfered to the storage bay and stocked in piles (capacity for 45144 spent fuel bundles, it means 10 years at maximum power) 16

  17. Spent Fuel Management of NPPs in Argentina Embalse NPP A dry storage alternative was implemented in 1993 to cope with the spent fuel storage demand up to the end of the operative life of CNE. Spent fuel bundles remain at least 6 years in the wet storage for thermal cooling and radioactive decay after being transfer to the dry storage: concrete “canisters” arranged in a yard at the power station site. 17

  18. Spent Fuel Management of NPPs in Argentina Embalse NPP Each full loaded canister contains 9 steel sealed piled baskets, each one with 60 bundles Canisters are 6.3 m high vertical cylinders and approx. 3 m external diameter. Cooled by natural convection, were designed to support some accidental events as earthquakes, floods, tornadoes and the risk of explosions No especial activities of maintenance are necessary when the canisters are filled and sealed. At present, there are 152 full loaded silos from 216 18

  19. Spent Fuel Management of NPPs in Argentina Embalse NPP Canisters yard is inside a double fence which surrounded the NPP for security protection CNE was designed with a 30 years nominal life (load factor of 80%). Due load factor = 88% in the last 10 years, the plant design life will be reached in 2011. Life extensionproject is under development The modular design of thedrystorageallowstobeenlarged, with no fulfillment of specialrequirements 19

  20. Spent Fuel Management of NPPs in Argentina Conclusions A decision about the fuel cycle back-end strategy will be taken before 2030. It is important to mention that, recently, the National Supreme Court has been issued on a cause related with a possible entry to the Country of the spent fuel from an Australian reactor constructed by an Argentine enterprise, based on the fact that spent fuel is not radioactive waste Meanwhile, the spent fuel in each Nuclear Plant is temporarily storage on site. In Atucha I, the spent fuel is being storage in pools but a dry storage design is under development. Embalse counts with a dry storage since 1993; the spent fuel, after certain period of time kept in wet storage, is transferred to dry storage silos. Enlargement of the spent fuel interim storage capacity at CNE is made easily through the construction of new modules of dry storage silos 20

  21. Spent Fuel Management of NPPs in Argentina Conclusions (cont.) The management of the spent fuel, during the operation life of the Nuclear Power Plants, is a responsibility of the operator (NA-SA) and at the time of decommissioning the responsibility will be of the Responsible Organization (CNEA). A reasonable time before that moment both Entities must come to make the appropriate transfer agreements as well as CNEA should start the decommissioning license procedure 21

  22. Spent Fuel Management of NPPs in Argentina THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION

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