Session: OAC-04-01 Storage and Transportation of Radioactive and other Hazardous Materials - 1

Paper Number: 105816

105816 - Thermo-Electric Devices for Powering Sensing Platforms of Internal Conditions of Spent Nuclear Fuel Canisters 

After discharge from a reactor, spent nuclear fuel (SNF) is placed in a water pool to reduce its
radioactivity and heat generation. The SNF is then transferred to a dry storage canister (DSC),
which was previously lowered into the pool, sealed, lifted out of the pool, and drained. The DSC
is then vacuum-dried and filled with a non-oxidizing gas, such as helium or nitrogen to pressures
between 1 and 8 atm. The DSC may then be stored on-site or transported to interim storage
facilities. During long-term storage, the internal components of the DSC may undergo
temperature-dependent degradation mechanisms if the temperature exceeds certain limits.
Therefore, it is important that the internal conditions of DSCs be monitored to ensure their
component temperatures remain below safe limits.

The current research work aims to develop a wireless self-powered platform for monitoring the
internal conditions of DSCs. Sensors and wireless data transmission systems within the DSC will
be powered through Thermo-Electric (TE) devices that harvest thermal energy from the SNF
assemblies and convert it to electric power. Maximizing the electrical power harvested by the TE
devices requires the optimization of the thermal properties, location, and dimensions of the TE
devices. This can be achieved using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of SNF
assemblies and DSCs. In this work, three-dimensional CFD models of the NUHOMS 61-BT and
61-BTH SNF canisters, MP-197 transportation cask, and the HSM-H storage overpack are
constructed in ANSYS. Simulations are conducted to determine the optimal placement,
properties, and dimensions of the TE devices through the implementation of parametric studies.
Optimal TE devices will allow for increased measurement frequency and extended platform life.

Presenting Author: Brandon Hager University of Nevada, Reno

Presenting Author Biography: Mechanical Engineering graduate student at the University of Nevada, Reno conducting computational fluid dynamic simulations to study the thermal behavior of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) dry storage casks (DSCs) during storage and transportation.

Authors:

Brandon Hager University of Nevada, Reno
Mustafa Hadj-Nacer University of Nevada, Reno