The Use of Burnup Credit for Criticality Control for the Multipurpose Canister System

The U.S. Department of Energy's ongoing effort to demonstrate criticality safety for multipurpose canister systems that use burnup credit in addition to more conventional criticality control techniques is discussed Because the multipurpose canister is a component of storage, transport and disposal systems, it must satisfy three sets of technical and regulatory design requirements. The general technical and regulatory considerations related to criticality safety design and burnup credit are highlighted. The principal issues related to criticality control, including the use of burnup credit, are identified, and the department's approach to resolving these issues is presented.