Surveillance of LWR spent fuel in wet storage. Final report, October 1984

Battelle, Pacific Northwest Laboratories established a surveillance program for EPRI that documents the integrity of spent light-water reactor fuel and structural materials (spent fuel storage pool liners, racks, piping, etc.) during wet storage. The program involves providing an update on the overall performance of spent fuel in wet storage, monitoring Licensee Event Reports (LERs) for pertinent significant occurrences, identifying lead spent fuel assemblies that are of particular interest to EPRI, monitoring developments in fuel design and performance and assessing their influence on spent fuel storage characteristics, and identifying specific actions or programs that may be needed to maintain the viability of wet storage of spent fuel for extended periods. Experience to date indicates that wet storage is a well-developed technology with no associated major technological problems. Spent fuel storage pools are operated without substantial risk to the public or the plant personnel. A list of lead spent fuel assemblies is presented. Pertinent occurrences from LERs are listed. Very few fuel assemblies have suffered major mechanical damage as a result of handling operations at spent fuel storage pools. Experience to date with handling operations at spent fuel storage pools indicates that failed fuel rods and inadvertent fracturing of fuel rods canmore » be accommodated. Minor problems have occurred with spent fuel storage pool components such as liners, racks, and piping. Surveillance continues to be needed on: (1) possible effects on handling and storage of spent fuel from extended burnup, hydrogen injection at boiling water reactors, and rod consolidation operations; (2) extended pool exposure of neutron-absorbing materials; (3) cracking of spent fuel storage pool piping at pressurized water reactors; and (4) control of impurities in spent fuel pool waters. 120 references, 13 figures, 10 tables.« less