Goode, JB, Hambley, DI and Hanson, BC orcid.org/0000-0002-1720-1656 (2019) A benchtop comparison of drying methods relevant to failed spent nuclear fuel. Progress in Nuclear Energy, 115. pp. 120-125. ISSN 0149-1970
Abstract
A drying rig has been constructed to allow detailed comparison of both vacuum drying and flowed gas drying of spent nuclear fuels in response to the upcoming closure of the Thorp reprocessing facility at Sellafield, UK. Drying will be needed ahead of disposal possibly ahead of dry interim storage of stainless steel clad Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor fuel.
A large number of tests have been carried out using the same small scale simulated fuel pin. The overall results suggest that the drying rate obtained from vacuum drying is significantly higher than when carrying out flowed gas drying. When energy usage is accounted for the drying efficiency is increased still further.
Testing also considered different defects; pinholes and stress corrosion cracks. Despite the theoretical open area of the crack being potentially greater than for a pinhole, the pinholed samples were found to have a considerably higher drying rate.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2019 Elsevier. All rights reserved. This is an author produced version of an article published in Progress in Nuclear Energy. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | Nuclear fuel; Dry storage; Stainless steel; AGR; Pinholes; Cracks |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Engineering & Physical Sciences (Leeds) > School of Chemical & Process Engineering (Leeds) |
Funding Information: | Funder Grant number EPSRC EP/L014041/1 |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 05 Jun 2019 12:26 |
Last Modified: | 30 Mar 2020 00:40 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Elsevier |
Identification Number: | 10.1016/j.pnucene.2019.03.025 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:146763 |