Year
1989
Abstract
Conceptual designs for waste packages containing spent fuel or high-level waste glass have been developed for use in a repository at Yucca Mountain, if that site is determined to be suitable for a high-level waste repository. The basis for these designs reflects the unique nature of the expected service environment associated with disposal in welded tuff in the unsaturated zone, well above the water table. In addition to a set of reference designs, tailored to the expected conditions, alternative design concepts are being considered that would contain and isolate the waste radionuclides in a more aggressive service environment. Consideration is also being given to the feasibility of a concept known as \"heat tailoring\" that employs the thermal energy released by the wasteforms to enhance and extend the performance of the containers.