Dynamic Impact Effects on Spent Fuel Assemblies

Spent fuel can be stored at a reactor site in accordance with 10 CFR 72. One method of storage is to use a cask to contain and shield the spent fuel in a dry, inert environment. These large casks are subjected to many operations n the storage process which include loading of the spent fuel in a storage pool, lifting the cask out of the pool, and transporting the cask to a storage area. During these operations, the cask could be dropped and impact a hard surface or object In addition, the cask could tip over onto the storage pad because of natural phenomena such as a tornado, earthquake or flood. The impact of the cask could damage the spent fuel that is contained inside of the cask. Storage casks are designed and licensed to withstand accident impact loads and to contain within regulatory limits all radioactive material even when it is assumed that the claddings of the spent fuel rods fail during the impact. While there is no regulatory requirement to maintain fuel integrity under accident conditions, it is of interest to assess the ability of the fuel rod cladding to resist such loads.