Experience and Prospects of WWER-1000 Reactor Spent Fuel Transport

The paper deals with the USSR experience in shipping the commercial WWER-1000 reactor spent fuel in TK-10 and TK-13 casks. The cask designs, their basic characteristics and the WWER-1000 spent fuel features are described. An example of calculational/experimental approach in the design of a basket (one of the most important components) for spent fuel assembly (SFA) accommodation in a cask is given. The main problems of future development works are presented in brief. A concept of development of nuclear power industry with the closed fuel cycle is assumed in the Soviet Union, hence the spent nuclear fuel is to be transported from NPPs to reprocessing plants. Construction of NPPs in the USSR for the nearest decades is based on the use of commercial pressure-water reactors of WWER-1000 type. The same reactor type is used and is planned to be used in the future in some CMEA-Countries, the spent fuel from which is to be transported into the USSR. So, the WWER-1000 spent fuel transportation is one of the main transport problems in the USSR nuclear power industry.