Sensitivity of the neutron multiplication factor to water ingress into a spent fuel cask

Abstract

Abstract An essential component of safety analyses is the investigation of accident scenarios. In this paper water ingress scenarios of spent fuel containers, as they may occur during transport or storage, are examined. In the main body of this paper, a number of paths are studied through which water can gain access to the spent fuel cask and eventually reach the fuel pellet, potentially resulting in an increase in reactivity as a result of over-moderation. The primary objective of this project was to perform an assessment of what, in the unlikely event of a Fukushima- type accident, the impact would be on the reactivity of the cask by analyzing a gradual increase in water level in the spent fuel casks. In addition, the way the keff of the system responds to such an increase is discussed. The paper also provides the results of an assessment of the reactivity effect of water ingress via various pathways/channels.