Postulated accident scenarios for the on-site transport of spent nuclear fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morandin, G.; Sauve, R.

2004-01-01

Once a spent fuel container is loaded with spent fuel it typically travels on-site to a processing building for permanent lid attachment. During on-site transport a lid clamp is utilized to ensure the container lid remains in place. The safe on-site transport of spent nuclear fuel must rely on the structural integrity of the transport container and system of transport. Regard for on-site traffic and safe, efficient travel routes are important and manageable with well thought-out planning. Non-manageable incidences, such as flying debris from tornado force winds or postulated blasts in proximity to the transport container, that may result in high velocity impact and shock loading on the transport system must be considered. This paper consists of simulations that consider these types of postulated accident scenarios using detailed nonlinear finite element techniques

Potential sites for a spent unreprocessed fuel facility (SURFF), southwesten part of the Nevada Test Site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoover, D.L.; Eckel, E.B.; Ohl, J.P.

1978-01-01

In the absence of specific criteria, the topography, geomorphology, and geology of Jackass Flats and vicinity in the southwestern part of the Nevada Test Site are evaluated by arbitrary guidelines for a Spent Unreprocessed Fuel Facility. The guidelines include requirements for surface slopes of less than 5%, 61 m of alluvium beneath the site, an area free of active erosion or deposition, lack of faults, a minimum area of 5 km 2 , no potential for flooding, and as many logistical support facilities as possible. The geology of the Jackass Flats area is similar to the rest of the Nevada Test Site in topographic relief (305-1,200 m), stratigraphy (complexly folded and faulted Paleozoic sediments overlain by Tertiary ash-flow tuffs and lavas overlain in turn by younger alluvium), and structure (Paleozoic thrust faults and folds, strike-slip faults, proximity to volcanic centers, and Basin and Range normal faults). Of the stratigraphic units at the potential Spent Unreprocessed Fuel Facility site in Jackass Flats, only the thickness and stability of the alluvium are of immediate importance. Basin and Range faults and a possible extension of the Mine Mountain fault need further investigation. The combination of a slope map and a simplified geologic and physiographic map into one map shows several potential sites for a Spent Unreprocessed Fuel Facility in Jackass Flats. The potential areas have slopes of less than 5% and contain only desert pavement or segmented pavement--the two physiographic categories having the greatest geomorphic and hydraulic stability. Before further work can be done, specific criteria for a Spent Unreprocessed Fuel Facility site must be defined. Following criteria definition, potential sites will require detailed topographic and geologic studies, subsurface investigations (including geophysical methods, trenching, and perhaps shallow drilling for faults in alluvium), detailed surface hydrologic studies, and possibly subsurface hydrologic studies

The independent relationship between trouble controlling Facebook use, time spent on the site and distress

Science.gov (United States)

Muench, Fredrick; Hayes, Marie; Kuerbis, Alexis; Shao, Sijing

2015-01-01

Background and Aims There is an emerging literature base on the relationship between maladaptive traits and “addiction” to social networking sites. These studies have operationalized addiction as either spending excessive amounts of time on social networking sites (SNS) or trouble controlling SNS use, but have not assessed the unique contribution of each of these constructs on outcomes in the same models. Moreover, these studies have exclusively been conducted with younger people rather than a heterogeneous sample. This study examined the independent relationship of a brief Facebook addiction scale, time spent on Facebook, and Facebook checking on positive and negative social domains, while controlling for self-esteem and social desirability. Methods Participants were recruited using e-mail, SNS posts and through Amazon’s MTurk system. The sample included 489 respondents ages from 18 to approximately 70, who completed a 10–15 minute survey. Results Results indicate that neither time spent on Facebook nor Facebook checking was significantly associated with either self-esteem, fear of negative social evaluation or social comparison, while SNS addiction symptoms were each independently associated with Facebook usage. Neither time spent on Facebook nor SNS addiction symptoms were associated with positive social relationships. Discussion Overall results suggest that time on SNS and trouble controlling use should be considered independent constructs and that interventions should target underlying loss of control as the primary intervention target above ego syntonic time spent on the site. PMID:26551906

On-site interim storage of spent nuclear fuel: Emerging public issues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feldman, D.L.; Tennessee Univ., Knoxville, TN

1992-01-01

Failure to consummate plans for a permanent repository or above- ground interim Monitored Retrievable Storage (MRS) facility for spent nuclear fuel has spurred innovative efforts to ensure at-reactor storage in an environmentally safe and secure manner. This article examines the institutional and socioeconomic impacts of Dry Cask Storage Technology (DCST)-an approach to spent fuel management that is emerging as the preferred method of on-site interim spent fuel storage by utilities that exhaust existing storage capacity

Emerging and encouraging trends in e-prescribing adoption among providers and pharmacies.

Science.gov (United States)

Gabriel, Meghan E; Furukawa, Michael F; Vaidya, Varun

2013-09-01

The objective of this study is to describe the growth in provider (physician, nurse practitioner, and physician assistant) adoption of e-prescribing and the growth in pharmacies actively accepting e-prescriptions using nationally representative data from December 2008 to December 2012. Additionally, this study explored e-prescribing adoption variation by urban and rural counties. Descriptive analysis of nationally representative, transactional e-prescribing data. Data for this analysis were from Surescripts. Surescripts is a leading e-prescription network utilized by a majority of all chain, franchise, or independently owned pharmacies in the United States routing prescriptions for more than 240 million patients through their network. The total number of prescribers, including physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants e-prescribing via an electronic health record (EHR) on the Surescripts network has increased from 7% to 54%. Additionally, the number of pharmacies actively accepting e-prescriptions is 94%. These increases in pharmacies actively accepting e-prescriptions and the provider's eprescribing mirror the increase in the volume of e-prescriptions sent on the Surescripts network. This analysis shows that the vast majority of pharmacies in the United States are able to accept e-prescriptions and over half of providers are e-prescribing via an EHR.

The impact of a closed-loop electronic prescribing and administration system on prescribing errors, administration errors and staff time: a before-and-after study.

Science.gov (United States)

Franklin, Bryony Dean; O'Grady, Kara; Donyai, Parastou; Jacklin, Ann; Barber, Nick

2007-08-01

To assess the impact of a closed-loop electronic prescribing, automated dispensing, barcode patient identification and electronic medication administration record (EMAR) system on prescribing and administration errors, confirmation of patient identity before administration, and staff time. Before-and-after study in a surgical ward of a teaching hospital, involving patients and staff of that ward. Closed-loop electronic prescribing, automated dispensing, barcode patient identification and EMAR system. Percentage of new medication orders with a prescribing error, percentage of doses with medication administration errors (MAEs) and percentage given without checking patient identity. Time spent prescribing and providing a ward pharmacy service. Nursing time on medication tasks. Prescribing errors were identified in 3.8% of 2450 medication orders pre-intervention and 2.0% of 2353 orders afterwards (pMedical staff required 15 s to prescribe a regular inpatient drug pre-intervention and 39 s afterwards (p = 0.03; t test). Time spent providing a ward pharmacy service increased from 68 min to 98 min each weekday (p = 0.001; t test); 22% of drug charts were unavailable pre-intervention. Time per drug administration round decreased from 50 min to 40 min (p = 0.006; t test); nursing time on medication tasks outside of drug rounds increased from 21.1% to 28.7% (p = 0.006; chi(2) test). A closed-loop electronic prescribing, dispensing and barcode patient identification system reduced prescribing errors and MAEs, and increased confirmation of patient identity before administration. Time spent on medication-related tasks increased.

Using Think Aloud Protocols to Assess E-Prescribing in Community Pharmacies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olufunmilola K. Odukoya, BPharm, MS

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Think aloud protocol has rarely been used as a method of data collection in community pharmacies.Purpose: The aim of the report is to describe how think aloud protocols were used to identify issues that arise when using e-prescribing technology in pharmacies. In this paper, we report on the benefits and challenges of using think aloud protocols in pharmacies to examine the use of e-prescribing systems.Methods: Sixteen pharmacists and pharmacy technicians were recruited from seven community pharmacies in Wisconsin. Data were collected using direct observation alongside think aloud protocol. Direct observations and think aloud protocols took place between January-February, 2011. Participants were asked to verbalize their thoughts as they process electronic prescriptions.Results: Participants identified weaknesses in e-prescribing that they had previously not conceived. This created heightened awareness for vigilance when processing e-prescriptions. The main challenge with using think aloud protocols was due to interruptions in the pharmacies. Also, a few participants found it challenging to remember to continue verbalizing their thought process during think aloud sessions.Conclusion: The use of think aloud protocols as method of data collection is a new way for understanding the issues related to technology use in community pharmacy practice. Think aloud protocol was beneficial in providing objective information on e-prescribing use not solely based on pharmacist’s or technician’s opinion of the technology. This method provided detailed information on a wide variety of real time challenges with e-prescribing technology use in community pharmacies. Using this data collection method can help identify potential patient safety issues when using e-prescribing and suggestions for redesign.

Application of ultra-sons to on-site spent fuel assemblies metrology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gondard, C.; Saglio, R.; Vouillot, M.; Delaroche, P.; Vaubert, Y.; Van Craeynest, J.C.

1983-12-01

Fuel assemblies inspection on the site of a power reactor, between two irradiation campaigns, allows to estimate the behaviour of prototype fuel assemblies and to permit their refueling for the continuation of the irradiation; the utilization of non-destructive, reliable and high-performance techniques, is of a great interest in the application. For, this reason, the C.E.A. has been led to carry out new techniques allowing the visual examination and the dimensional inspection of spent fuel assemblies of 900 MWe French pressurized water reactors, with a transportable Fuel Examination Module (MEC) on every reactor site. This module includes a television camera, and uses for the first time as ''position sensor'' the properties offered by a set of ultrasonic transducers. The main principle of the design, of the operation way of the module, of the measuring methods, and, of the data acquisition and processing, are presented [fr

The impact of a closed‐loop electronic prescribing and administration system on prescribing errors, administration errors and staff time: a before‐and‐after study

Science.gov (United States)

Franklin, Bryony Dean; O'Grady, Kara; Donyai, Parastou; Jacklin, Ann; Barber, Nick

2007-01-01

Objectives To assess the impact of a closed‐loop electronic prescribing, automated dispensing, barcode patient identification and electronic medication administration record (EMAR) system on prescribing and administration errors, confirmation of patient identity before administration, and staff time. Design, setting and participants Before‐and‐after study in a surgical ward of a teaching hospital, involving patients and staff of that ward. Intervention Closed‐loop electronic prescribing, automated dispensing, barcode patient identification and EMAR system. Main outcome measures Percentage of new medication orders with a prescribing error, percentage of doses with medication administration errors (MAEs) and percentage given without checking patient identity. Time spent prescribing and providing a ward pharmacy service. Nursing time on medication tasks. Results Prescribing errors were identified in 3.8% of 2450 medication orders pre‐intervention and 2.0% of 2353 orders afterwards (pMedical staff required 15 s to prescribe a regular inpatient drug pre‐intervention and 39 s afterwards (p = 0.03; t test). Time spent providing a ward pharmacy service increased from 68 min to 98 min each weekday (p = 0.001; t test); 22% of drug charts were unavailable pre‐intervention. Time per drug administration round decreased from 50 min to 40 min (p = 0.006; t test); nursing time on medication tasks outside of drug rounds increased from 21.1% to 28.7% (p = 0.006; χ2 test). Conclusions A closed‐loop electronic prescribing, dispensing and barcode patient identification system reduced prescribing errors and MAEs, and increased confirmation of patient identity before administration. Time spent on medication‐related tasks increased. PMID:17693676

Spent fuel handling system for a geologic storage test at the Nevada Test Site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duncan, J.E.; House, P.A.; Wright, G.W.

1980-01-01

The Lawrence Livermore Laboratory is conducting a test of the geologic storage of encapsulated spent commercial reactor fuel assemblies in a granitic rock at the Nevada Test Site. The test, known as the Spent Fuel Test-Climax (SFT-C), is sponsored by the US Department of Energy, Nevada Operations Office. Eleven pressurized-water-reactor spent fuel assemblies are stored retrievably for three to five years in a linear array in the Climax stock at a depth of 420 m

Corrosion surveillance program of aluminum spent fuel elements in wet storage sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Linardi, E; Haddad, R

2012-01-01

Due to different degradation issues observed in aluminum-clad spent fuel during long term storage in water, the IAEA implemented in 1996 a Coordinated Research Project (CRP) and a Regional Project for Latin America, on Corrosion of Research Reactor Aluminum Clad Spent Fuel in Water. Argentine has been among the participant countries of these projects, carrying out spent fuel corrosion surveillance activities in its storage facilities. As a result of the research a large database on corrosion of aluminum-clad fuel has been generated. It was determined that the main types of corrosion affecting the spent fuel are pitting and galvanic corrosion due to contact with stainless steel. It was concluded that the quality of the water is the critical factor to control in a spent fuel storage facility. Another phase of the program is being conducted currently, which began in 2011 with the immersion of test racks in the RA1 reactor pool, and in the Research Reactor Spent Fuel Storage Facility (FACIRI), located in Ezeiza Atomic Center. This paper presents the results of the chemical analysis of the water performed so far, and its relationship with the examination of the coupons extracted from the sites (author)

Physicians' attitudes towards ePrescribing – evaluation of a Swedish full-scale implementation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Montelius Emelie

2009-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The penetration rate of Electronic Health Record (EHR systems in health care is increasing. However, many different EHR-systems are used with varying ePrescription designs and functionalities. The aim of the present study was to evaluate experienced ePrescribers' attitudes towards ePrescribing for suggesting improvements. Methods Physicians (n = 431 from seven out of the 21 Swedish health care regions, using one of the six most widely implemented EHR-systems with integrated electronic prescribing modules, were recruited from primary care centers and hospital clinics of internal medicine, orthopaedics and surgery. The physicians received a web survey that comprised eight questions on background data and 19 items covering attitudes towards ePrescribing. Forty-two percent (n = 199 of the physicians answered the questionnaire; 90% (n = 180 of the respondents met the inclusion criteria and were included in the final analysis. Results A majority of the respondents regarded their EHR-system easy to use in general (81%, and for the prescribing of drugs (88%. Most respondents believed they were able to provide the patients better service by ePrescribing (92%, and regarded ePrescriptions to be time saving (91% and to be safer (83%, compared to handwritten prescriptions. Some of the most frequently reported weaknesses were: not clearly displayed price of drugs (43%, complicated drug choice (21%, and the perception that it was possible to handle more than one patient at a time when ePrescribing (13%. Moreover, 62% reported a lack of receipt from the pharmacy after successful transmission of an ePrescription. Although a majority (73% of the physicians reported that they were always or often checking the ePrescription a last time before transmitting, 25% declared that they were seldom or never doing a last check. The respondents suggested a number of improvements, among others, to simplify the drug choice and the cancellation of e

Overview of the spent nuclear fuel storage facilities at the Savannah River Site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Conatser, E.R.; Thomas, J.E.

2000-01-01

The May 1996 Record of Decision on a Proposed Nuclear Weapons Nonproliferation Policy concerning Foreign Research Reactor Spent Nuclear Fuel initiated a 13 year campaign renewing a policy to support the return of spent nuclear fuel containing uranium of U.S. origin from foreign research reactors to the United States. As of December 1999, over 22% of the approximately 13,000 spent nuclear fuel assemblies from participating countries have been returned to the Savannah River Site (SRS). These ∼2650 assemblies are currently stored in two dedicated SRS wet storage facilities. One is the Receiving Basin for Off-site Fuels (RBOF) and the other as L-Basin. RBOF, built in the early 60's to support the 'Atoms for Peace' program, has been receiving off-site fuel for over 35 years. RBOF has received approximately 1950 casks since startup and has the capability of handling all of the casks currently used in the FRR program. However, RBOF is 90% filled to capacity and is not capable of storing all of the fuel to be received in the program. L-Basin was originally used as temporary storage for materials irradiated in SRS's L-Reactor. New storage racks and other modifications were completed in 1996 that improved water quality and allowed the L-Basin to receive, handle and store spent nuclear fuel assemblies and components from off-site. The first foreign cask was received into the L-Area in April 1997 and approximately 105 foreign and domestic casks have been received since that time. This paper provides an overview of activities related to fuel receipt and storage in both the Receiving Basin for Off-site Fuels (RBOF) and L-Basin facilities. It will illustrate each step of the fuel receipt program from arrival of casks at SRS through cask unloading and decontamination. It will follow the fuel handling process, from fuel unloading, through the cropping and bundling stages, and final placement in the wet storage rack. Decontamination methods and equipment will be explained to show

Overview of the spent nuclear fuel storage facilities at the Savannah River Site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomas, Jay

1999-01-01

The May 1996 Record of Decision on a Proposed Nuclear Weapons Nonproliferation Policy concerning Foreign Research Reactor Spent Nuclear Fuel initiated a 13 year campaign renewing a policy to support the return of spent nuclear fuel containing uranium of U.S.-origin from foreign research reactors to the United States. As of July 1999, over 18% of the approximately 13,000 spent nuclear fuel assemblies from participating countries have been returned to the Savannah River Site (SRS). These 2400 assemblies are currently stored in two dedicated SRS wet storage facilities. One is the Receiving Basin for Off-site Fuels (RBOF) and the other as L-Basin. RBOF, built in the early 60's to support the 'Atoms for Peace' program, has been receiving off-site fuel for over 35 years. RBOF has received approximately 1950 casks since startup and has the capability of handling all of the casks currently used in the FRR program. However, RBOF is 90% filled to capacity and is not capable of storing all of the fuel to be received in the program. L-Basin was originally used as temporary storage for materials irradiated in SRS's L-Reactor. New storage racks and other modifications were completed in 1996 that improved water quality and allowed L-Basin to receive, handle and store spent nuclear fuel assemblies and components from off-site. The first foreign cask was received into L-Area in April 1997 and approximately 86 foreign and domestic casks have been received since that time. This paper provides an overview of activities related to fuel receipt and storage in both the Receiving Basin for Off-site Fuels (RBOF) and L-Basin facilities. It will illustrate each step of the fuel receipt program from arrival of casks at SRS through cask unloading and decontamination. It will follow the fuel handling process, from fuel unloading, through the cropping and bundling stages, and final placement in the wet storage rack. Decontamination methods and equipment will be explained to show how the empty

Overview of the spent nuclear fuel storage facilities at the Savannah River Site

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Conatser, E.R.; Thomas, J.E. [Westinghouse Savannah River Company, Aiken, SC 29808 (United States)

2000-07-01

The May 1996 Record of Decision on a Proposed Nuclear Weapons Nonproliferation Policy concerning Foreign Research Reactor Spent Nuclear Fuel initiated a 13 year campaign renewing a policy to support the return of spent nuclear fuel containing uranium of U.S. origin from foreign research reactors to the United States. As of December 1999, over 22% of the approximately 13,000 spent nuclear fuel assemblies from participating countries have been returned to the Savannah River Site (SRS). These {approx}2650 assemblies are currently stored in two dedicated SRS wet storage facilities. One is the Receiving Basin for Off-site Fuels (RBOF) and the other as L-Basin. RBOF, built in the early 60's to support the 'Atoms for Peace' program, has been receiving off-site fuel for over 35 years. RBOF has received approximately 1950 casks since startup and has the capability of handling all of the casks currently used in the FRR program. However, RBOF is 90% filled to capacity and is not capable of storing all of the fuel to be received in the program. L-Basin was originally used as temporary storage for materials irradiated in SRS's L-Reactor. New storage racks and other modifications were completed in 1996 that improved water quality and allowed the L-Basin to receive, handle and store spent nuclear fuel assemblies and components from off-site. The first foreign cask was received into the L-Area in April 1997 and approximately 105 foreign and domestic casks have been received since that time. This paper provides an overview of activities related to fuel receipt and storage in both the Receiving Basin for Off-site Fuels (RBOF) and L-Basin facilities. It will illustrate each step of the fuel receipt program from arrival of casks at SRS through cask unloading and decontamination. It will follow the fuel handling process, from fuel unloading, through the cropping and bundling stages, and final placement in the wet storage rack. Decontamination methods and equipment

The site selection process for a spent fuel repository in Finland. Summary report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McEwen, T. [EnvirosQuantiSci (United Kingdom); Aeikaes, T. [Posiva Oy, Helsinki (Finland)

2000-12-01

This Summary Report describes the Finnish programme for the selection and characterisation of potential sites for the deep disposal of spent nuclear fuel and explains the process by which Olkiluoto has been selected as the single site proposed for the development of a spent fuel disposal facility. Its aim is to provide an overview of this process, initiated almost twenty years ago, which has entered its final phase. It provides information in three areas: a review of the early site selection criteria, a description of the site selection process, including all the associated site characterisation work, up to the point at which a single site was selected and an outline of the proposed work, in particular that proposed underground, to characterise further the Olkiluoto site. In 1983 the Finnish Government made a policy decision on the management of nuclear waste in which the main goals and milestones for the site selection programme for the deep disposal of spent fuel were presented. According to this decision several site candidates, whose selection was to be based on careful studies of the whole country, should be characterised and the site for the repository selected by the end of the year 2000. This report describes the process by which this policy decision has been achieved. The report begins with a discussion of the definition of the geological and environmental site selection criteria and how they were applied in order to select a small number of sites, five in all, that were to be the subject of the preliminary investigations. The methods used to investigate these sites and the results of these investigations are described, as is the evaluation of the results of these investigations and the process used to discard two of the sites and continue more detailed investigations at the remaining three. The detailed site investigations that commenced in 1993 are described with respect to the overall strategy followed and the investigation techniques applied. The

Barriers to accepting e-prescribing in the U.S.A.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Alan D

2006-01-01

With the number of prescriptions rising nationally each year, it is surprising that Web-based technology is not fully embraced in the pharmacy industry as an aid to quality-assuring prescribing processes. Traditional prescription handling is done in a manual fashion with physicians hand-writing prescriptions for the patients during an office visit, giving the patient the responsibility of taking the prescription to a pharmacy or mailing the prescription to a mail order company for fulfillment. Electronic prescribing (e-prescribing) has the ability not only to streamline the prescription writing process, but also to reduce the number of errors that may be incurred with hand-written prescriptions. The purpose of this paper is to investigate these phenomena in the U.S.A. A number of hypotheses were tested using principal-components analysis (PCA) and factor analyses. As a result, a total of 55 fully employed, professional and semi-professional service management and internet users, representing a college-educated and knowledge-based sample derived from the metropolitan section of Pittsburgh, was selected. The six major constructs generated from the factor loadings in descending order of importance were: profit and risk factors, shipping and handling, saving, customer relationship management (CRM) and ethics, age, and awareness. The dependent variable chosen to be regressed against these major independent factor-based constructs was willingness to purchase prescriptions online. The overall relationship was found to be statistically significant (F = 2.971, p = 0.015) in predicting willingness to use e-prescribing options based on the various independent constructs. However, when testing the various standardized beta coefficients in the linear model, only the factor score-based construct CRM and ethics was found to significantly contribute to predicting the willingness to purchase prescriptions online (t = -3.074, p = 0.003). Although this study appears to represent the

Savannah River Site Spent Nuclear Fuel Management Final Environmental Impact Statement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

N/A

2000-04-14

The proposed DOE action considered in this environmental impact statement (EIS) is to implement appropriate processes for the safe and efficient management of spent nuclear fuel and targets at the Savannah River Site (SRS) in Aiken County, South Carolina, including placing these materials in forms suitable for ultimate disposition. Options to treat, package, and store this material are discussed. The material included in this EIS consists of approximately 68 metric tons heavy metal (MTHM) of spent nuclear fuel 20 MTHM of aluminum-based spent nuclear fuel at SRS, as much as 28 MTHM of aluminum-clad spent nuclear fuel from foreign and domestic research reactors to be shipped to SRS through 2035, and 20 MTHM of stainless-steel or zirconium-clad spent nuclear fuel and some Americium/Curium Targets stored at SRS. Alternatives considered in this EIS encompass a range of new packaging, new processing, and conventional processing technologies, as well as the No Action Alternative. A preferred alternative is identified in which DOE would prepare about 97% by volume (about 60% by mass) of the aluminum-based fuel for disposition using a melt and dilute treatment process. The remaining 3% by volume (about 40% by mass) would be managed using chemical separation. Impacts are assessed primarily in the areas of water resources, air resources, public and worker health, waste management, socioeconomic, and cumulative impacts.

Optimum MRS site location to minimize spent fuel transportation impacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoskins, R.E.

1987-01-01

A range of spent fuel transportation system parameters are examined in terms of attributes important to minimizing transportation impacts as a basis for identifying geographic regions best suited for siting a monitored retrievable storage (MRS) facility. Transportation system parameters within existing transport cask design and transportation mode capabilities were systematically analyzed. The optimum MRS location was found to be very sensitive to transportation system assumptions particularly with regard to the relative efficiencies of the reactor-to-MRS and MRS-to-repository components of the system. Moreover, dramatic improvements in the reactor-to-MRS component can be made through use of multiple cask shipment of the largest practical casks by dedicated train compared to the traditional single cask rail (70%) and truck (30%) shipments assumed the Department of Energy in their studies that defined the optimum MRS location in the vicinity of Tennessee. It is important to develop and utilize an efficient transportation system irrespective of whether or not an MRS is in the system. Assuming reasonably achievable efficiency in reactor-to-MRS spent fuel transportation and assigning equal probabilities to the three western sites selected for characterization of being the repository site, the optimum MRS location would be in the far-mid-western states. Based on various geographic criteria including barge access and location in a nuclear service area, the State of Tennessee ranks any place from 12th to the 25th at a penalty of about 30% over the minimum achievable impacts. While minimizing transportation impacts is an important factor, other criteria should also be considered in selecting an MRS site

Qualitative analysis of multi-disciplinary round-table discussions on the acceleration of benefits and data analytics through hospital electronic prescribing (ePrescribing) systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Cresswell, Kathrin; Coleman, Jamie; Smith, Pam; Swainson, Charles; Slee, Ann; Sheikh, Aziz

2016-07-04

Electronic systems that facilitate prescribing, administration and dispensing of medicines (ePrescribing systems) are at the heart of international efforts to improve the safety, quality and efficiency of medicine management. Considering the initial costs of procuring and maintaining ePrescribing systems, there is a need to better understand how to accelerate and maximise the financial benefits associated with these systems. We sought to investigate how different sectors are approaching the realisation of returns on investment from ePrescribing systems in U.K. hospitals and what lessons can be learned for future developments and implementation strategies within healthcare settings. We conducted international, multi-disciplinary, round-table discussions with 21 participants from different backgrounds including policy makers, healthcare organisations, academic researchers, vendors and patient representatives. The discussions were audio-recorded, transcribed and then thematically analysed with the qualitative analysis software NVivo10. There was an over-riding concern that realising financial returns from ePrescribing systems was challenging. The underlying reasons included substantial fixed costs of care provision, the difficulties in radically changing the medicines management process and the lack of capacity within NHS hospitals to analyse and exploit the digital data being generated. Any future data strategy should take into account the need to collect and analyse local and national data (i.e. within and across hospitals), setting comparators to measure progress (i.e. baseline measurements) and clear standards guiding data management so that data are comparable across settings. A more coherent national approach to realising financial benefits from ePrescribing systems is needed as implementations progress and the range of tools to collect information will lead to exponential data growth. The move towards more sophisticated closed-loop systems that integrate

Qualitative analysis of multi-disciplinary round-table discussions on the acceleration of benefits and data analytics through hospital electronic prescribing (ePrescribing systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kathrin Cresswell

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Background: Electronic systems that facilitate prescribing, administration and dispensing of medicines (ePrescribing systems are at the heart of international efforts to improve the safety, quality and efficiency of medicine management. Considering the initial costs of procuring and maintaining ePrescribing systems, there is a need to better understand how to accelerate and maximise the financial benefits associated with these systems. Objectives: We sought to investigate how different sectors are approaching the realisation of returns on investment from ePrescribing systems in U.K. hospitals and what lessons can be learned for future developments and implementation strategies within healthcare settings. Methods: We conducted international, multi-disciplinary, round-table discussions with 21 participants from different backgrounds including policy makers, healthcare organisations, academic researchers, vendors and patient representatives. The discussions were audio-recorded, transcribed and then thematically analysed with the qualitative analysis software NVivo10. Results: There was an over-riding concern that realising financial returns from ePrescribing systems was challenging. The underlying reasons included substantial fixed costs of care provision, the difficulties in radically changing the medicines management process and the lack of capacity within NHS hospitals to analyse and exploit the digital data being generated. Any future data strategy should take into account the need to collect and analyse local and national data (i.e. within and across hospitals, setting comparators to measure progress (i.e. baseline measurements and clear standards guiding data management so that data are comparable across settings. Conclusions: A more coherent national approach to realising financial benefits from ePrescribing systems is needed as implementations progress and the range of tools to collect information will lead to exponential data growth. The

Technical concept for test of geologic storage of spent reactor fuel in the Climax granite, Nevada Test Site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramspott, L.D.; Ballou, L.B.; Carlson, R.C.; Montan, D.N.; Butkovich, T.R.; Duncan, J.E.; Patrick, W.C.; Wilder, D.G.; Brough, W.G.; Mayr, M.C.

1979-01-01

The Spent Fuel Test in the Climax granite at the Nevada Test Site is a generic test in which spent fuel assemblies from an operating commercial nuclear reactor are emplaced at, and retrieved from, a plausible waste repository depth in a typical granite. Eleven canisters of spent fuel are emplaced in a storage drift 420 m below the surface along with six electrical simulator canisters. Two adjacent drifts contain electrical heaters which are operated so as to simulate the initial five years of the temperature-stress-displacement fields of a large repository. The site is described, and the pre-operational measurement program and characteristics of the spent fuel are given. Both thermal and mechanical response calculations are summarized. The field instrumentation and data acquisition systems are described, as well as the system for handling the spent fuel

Site-selection studies for final disposal of spent fuel in Finland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vuorela, P.; Aeikaes, T.

1984-02-01

In the management of waste by the Industrial Power Company Ltd. (TVO) preparations are being made for the final disposal of unprocessed spent fuel into the Finnish bedrock. The site selection program will advance in three phases. The final disposal site must be made at the latest by the end of the year 2000, in accordance with a decision laid down by the Finnish Government. In the first phase, 1983-85, the main object is to find homogeneous stable bedrock blocks surrounded by fracture zones located at a safe distance from the planned disposal area. The work usually starts with a regional structural analysis of mosaics of Landsat-1 winter and summer imagery. Next an assortment of different maps, which cover the whole country, is used. Technical methods for geological and hydrogeological site investigations are being developed during the very first phase of the studies, and a borehole 1000 meters deep will be made in southwestern Finland. Studies for the final disposal of spent fuel or high-level reprocessing waste have been made since 1974 in Finland. General suitability studies of the bedrock have been going on since 1977. The present results indicate that suitable investigation areas for the final disposal of highly active waste can be found in Finland

On-site storage of spent nuclear fuel assemblies in German nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Banck, J.

1999-01-01

The selection of back-end strategies for spent fuel assemblies is influenced by a number of different factors depending on the given situation in any specific country. In Germany, the back-end strategy implemented in the past was almost exclusively reprocessing. This strategy was required by the German Atomic Energy Act. Since 1994, when the Atomic Energy Act was amended, the option of direct final disposal has been granted the equivalent status by law to that afforded to reprocessing (and reuse of valuable materials). As a result, German utilities may now choose between these two alternatives. Another important condition for optimizing the back-end policy is the fact that fuel cycle costs in Germany are directly dependent on spent fuel volumes (in contrast to the US, for example, such costs are related to the amount of power generated). Another boundary condition for German utilities with respect to spent fuel management is posed by the problems with militant opponents of nuclear energy during transportation of spent fuel to interim storage sites. These facts have given rise to a reconsideration of the fuel cycle back-end, which has resulted in a change in strategy by most German utilities in favour of the following: Preference for long-term storage and maximized use of on-site storage capacity; Reduction in the amount of spent fuel by increasing burnup as much as possible. These decisions have also been driven by the deregulation of energy markets in Europe, where utilities are now permitted to sell electric power to consumers beyond their original supply network and must therefore offer electric power on a very cost competitive basis. (author)

Shipment of gas generating spent fuel on the U.S. Department of Energy Hanford Site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Edwards, W.S.

1998-01-01

Approximately 2,100 metric tons of unprocessed, irradiated nuclear fuel elements are stored in the two K Basins at the US Department of Energy (DOE) Hanford Site near Richland, Washington. The basin water contains significant quantities of dissolved nuclear isotopes and radioactive fuel corrosion particles. The condition of the spent fuel elements varies from intact to severely damaged, where the cladding is badly split or has peeled, with substantial fuel missing. The K Basins are located within a few hundred meters of the Columbia River and have leaked twice in the past. One of the highest priorities of the DOE is to remove the spent fuel from the K Basins, stabilize it, and move it to a Canister Storage Building (CSB), built well away from the Columbia River, for long-term storage prior to final disposition at a repository. Transportation of the K Basin spent fuel will occur entirely within the confines of the Hanford Site, which does not have routine public access. Consequently, the transport is onsite, and does not fall under the Federal Hazardous Materials Regulations (DOT 1997). DOE Order 460.1 (DOE 1995) enables DOE facilities to develop onsite transportation programs that provide equivalent safety to the Federal Hazardous Materials Regulations (DOT 1997). The basis for the Hanford Site onsite transportation program is detailed in HNF-PRO-1 54 (FDH 1998). The Hanford Site onsite transportation program was developed to meet the equivalent safety requirement, be consistent with analogous commercial operations, interface appropriately with facility safety analysis requirements, and utilize a risk-based management approach to ensure effort is applied consistent with the risk. The program focus is on the establishment of defendable safety bases. Authorization to use an onsite transportation system is granted by the approval of the applicable Safety Analysis Report for Packaging (Onsite). The K Basin spent fuel transportation activity is similar, in some respects

Electrometallurgical treatment of metallic spent nuclear fuel stored at the Hanford Site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laidler, J.J.; Gay, E.C.

1996-01-01

The major component of the DOE spent nuclear fuel inventory is the metallic fuel stored at the Hanford site in the southeastern part of the state of Washington. Most of this fuel was discharged from the N-Reactor; a small part of the inventory is fuel from the early Hanford production reactors. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) plans to remove these fuels from the spent fuel storage pools in which they are presently stored, dry them, and place them in interim storage at a location at the Hanford site that is far removed from the Columbia River. It is not yet certain that these fuels will be acceptable for disposal in a mined geologic repository without further treatment, due to their potential pyrophoric character. A practical method for treatment of the Hanford metallic spent fuel, based on an electrorefining process, has been developed and has been demonstrated with unirradiated N-Reactor fuel and with simulated single-pass reactor (SPR) spent fuel. The process can be operated with any desired throughput rates; being a batch process, it is simply a matter of setting the size of the electrorefiner modules and the number of such modules. A single module, prototypic of a production-scale module, has been fabricated and testing is in progress at a throughput rate of 150 kg (heavy metal) per day. The envisioned production version would incorporate additional anode baskets and cathode tubes and provide a throughput rate of 333 kgHM/day. A system with four of these modules would permit treatment of Hanford metallic fuels at a rate of at least 250 metric tons per year

Spent fuel storage and isolation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bensky, M.S.; Kurzeka, W.J.; Bauer, A.A.; Carr, J.A.; Matthews, S.C.

1979-02-01

The principal spent fuel activities conducted within the commercial waste and spent fuel within the Commercial Waste and Spent Fuel Packaging Program are: simulated near-surface (drywell) storage demonstrations at Hanford and the Nevada Test Site; surface (sealed storage cask) and drywell demonstrations at the Nevada Test Site; and spent fuel receiving and packaging facility conceptual design. These investigations are described

Teaching young GPs to cope with psychosocial consultations without prescribing: a durable impact of an e-module on determinants of benzodiazepines prescribing.

Science.gov (United States)

Creupelandt, Hanne; Anthierens, Sibyl; Habraken, Hilde; Declercq, Tom; Sirdifield, Coral; Siriwardena, Aloysius Niroshan; Christiaens, Thierry

2017-12-19

Despite guidelines and campaigns to change prescribing behavior, General Practitioners (GPs) continue to overprescribe benzodiazepines (BZDs). New approaches to improve prescribing are needed. Using behavior change techniques and tailoring interventions to user characteristics are vital to promote behavior change. This study evaluated the impact of an e-module on factors known to determine BZD prescribing practice. A tailored e-module that focuses on avoiding initial BZD prescriptions (and using psychological interventions as an alternative) was developed and offered to GPs in vocational training. Three self-report assessments took place: at baseline, immediately after the module (short term) and at least six months after completion (long term). Assessed determinants include GPs' attitudes concerning treatment options, perceptions of the patient and self-efficacy beliefs. Readiness to adhere to prescribing guidelines was evaluated through assessing motivation, self-efficacy and implementability of non-pharmacological interventions. Changes in determinants were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Changes in readiness to adhere to guidelines was analyzed using the nonparametric McNemar Bowker test. A desirable, significant and durable impact on determinants of BZD prescribing was observed. GPs (n = 121) underwent desirable changes in their attitudes, perceptions and self-efficacy beliefs and these changes remained significant months after the intervention. Barriers to using a non-pharmacological approach often cited in literature remained absent and were not highlighted by the intervention. Furthermore a significant impact on GPs' readiness to adhere to guidelines was observed. Participants reported change in their ability to cope with psychosocial consultations and to have tried using non-pharmacological interventions. Tailoring an e-intervention to target group (GPs) characteristics appears to be successful in promoting behavioral change in GPs

Using stakeholder perspectives to develop an ePrescribing toolkit for NHS Hospitals: a questionnaire study.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Lisa; Cresswell, Kathrin; Slee, Ann; Slight, Sarah P; Coleman, Jamie; Sheikh, Aziz

2014-10-01

To evaluate how an online toolkit may support ePrescribing deployments in National Health Service hospitals, by assessing the type of knowledge-based resources currently sought by key stakeholders. Questionnaire-based survey of attendees at a national ePrescribing symposium. 2013 National ePrescribing Symposium in London, UK. Eighty-four delegates were eligible for inclusion in the survey, of whom 70 completed and returned the questionnaire. Estimate of the usefulness and type of content to be included in an ePrescribing toolkit. Interest in a toolkit designed to support the implementation and use of ePrescribing systems was high (n = 64; 91.4%). As could be expected given the current dearth of such a resource, few respondents (n = 2; 2.9%) had access or used an ePrescribing toolkit at the time of the survey. Anticipated users for the toolkit included implementation (n = 62; 88.6%) and information technology (n = 61; 87.1%) teams, pharmacists (n = 61; 87.1%), doctors (n = 58; 82.9%) and nurses (n = 56; 80.0%). Summary guidance for every stage of the implementation (n = 48; 68.6%), planning and monitoring tools (n = 47; 67.1%) and case studies of hospitals' experiences (n = 45; 64.3%) were considered the most useful types of content. There is a clear need for reliable and up-to-date knowledge to support ePrescribing system deployments and longer term use. The findings highlight how a toolkit may become a useful instrument for the management of knowledge in the field, not least by allowing the exchange of ideas and shared learning.

Technical concept for a test of geologic storage of spent reactor fuel in the climax granite, Nevada Test Site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramspott, L.D.; Ballou, L.B.; Carlson, R.C.; Montan, D.N.; Butkovich, T.R.; Duncan, J.E.; Patrick, W.C.; Wilder, D.G.; Brough, W.G.; Mayr, M.C.

1979-01-01

We plan to emplace spent fuel assemblies from an operating commercial nuclear reactor in the Climax granite at the US Department of Energy's Nevada Test Site. In this generic test, 11 canisters of spent fuel will be emplaced with 6 electrical simulator canisters in a storage drift 420 m below in surface and their effects compared. Two adjacent drifts will contain electrical heaters, operated to simulate the temperature-stress-displacement fields of a large repository. We describe the test objectives, the technical issues, the site, the preoperational measurement program, thermal and mechanical response calculations, the characteristics of the spent fuel, the field instrumentation and data-acquisition systems, and the system for handling the spent fuel

Seismic hazard analysis for the NTS spent reactor fuel test site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Campbell, K.W.

1980-01-01

An experiment is being directed at the Nevada Test Site to test the feasibility for storage of spent fuel from nuclear reactors in geologic media. As part of this project, an analysis of the earthquake hazard was prepared. This report presents the results of this seismic hazard assessment. Two distinct components of the seismic hazard were addressed: vibratory ground motion and surface displacement

Local negotiation on compensation siting of the spent nuclear fuel repository in Finland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kojo, Matti

2007-01-01

The aim of the paper is to analyse the local negotiation process between the Municipality of Eurajoki and the nuclear power company Teollisuuden Voima (TVO) and the nuclear waste management company Posiva Oy. The aim of the negotiations was to find an acceptable form of compensation for siting a spent nuclear fuel repository in Olkiluoto, Finland. The paper includes background information on the siting process in Finland, the local political setting in the Municipality of Eurajoki and a description of the negotiation process. The analysis of the negotiations on compensation is important for better understanding the progress of the Finnish siting process. The paper describes the picture of the contest to host the spent nuclear fuel repository. It also provides more information on the relationship between the Municipality of Eurajoki and the power company TVO. The negotiations on compensation and the roles of various players in the negotiations have not been studied in detail because the minutes of the Vuojoki liaison group were not available before the decision of the Supreme Administrative Court in May 2006. (author)

Spent LWR fuel encapsulation and dry storage demonstration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bahorich, R.J.; Durrill, D.C.; Cross, T.E.; Unterzuber, R.

1980-01-01

In 1977 the Spent Fuel Handling and Packaging Program (SFHPP) was initiated by the Department of Energy to develop and test the capability to satisfactorily encapsulate typical spent fuel assemblies from commercial light-water nuclear power plants and to establish the suitability of one or more surface and near surface concepts for the interim dry storage of the encapsulated spent fuel assemblies. The E-MAD Facility at the Nevada Test Site, which is operated for the Department of Energy by the Advanced Energy Systems Division (AESD) of the Westinghouse Electric Corporation, was chosen as the location for this demonstration because of its extensive existing capabilities for handling highly radioactive components and because of the desirable site characteristics for the proposed storage concepts. This paper describes the remote operations related to the process steps of handling, encapsulating and subsequent dry storage of spent fuel in support of the Demonstration Program

Barriers and facilitators to recovering from e-prescribing errors in community pharmacies.

Science.gov (United States)

Odukoya, Olufunmilola K; Stone, Jamie A; Chui, Michelle A

2015-01-01

To explore barriers and facilitators to recovery from e-prescribing errors in community pharmacies and to explore practical solutions for work system redesign to ensure successful recovery from errors. Cross-sectional qualitative design using direct observations, interviews, and focus groups. Five community pharmacies in Wisconsin. 13 pharmacists and 14 pharmacy technicians. Observational field notes and transcribed interviews and focus groups were subjected to thematic analysis guided by the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS) work system and patient safety model. Barriers and facilitators to recovering from e-prescription errors in community pharmacies. Organizational factors, such as communication, training, teamwork, and staffing levels, play an important role in recovering from e-prescription errors. Other factors that could positively or negatively affect recovery of e-prescription errors include level of experience, knowledge of the pharmacy personnel, availability or usability of tools and technology, interruptions and time pressure when performing tasks, and noise in the physical environment. The SEIPS model sheds light on key factors that may influence recovery from e-prescribing errors in pharmacies, including the environment, teamwork, communication, technology, tasks, and other organizational variables. To be successful in recovering from e-prescribing errors, pharmacies must provide the appropriate working conditions that support recovery from errors.

Geological evaluation of spent fuel storage and low-intermediate level radwaste disposal in the site of NPP candidate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sucipta; Yatim, S.; Martono, H.; Pudyo, A.

1997-01-01

Based on the consideration of techno-economy and environmental safety, the radioactive waste treatment installation (RWI), interim storage of spen fuel (ISSF) and low-intermediate level disposal shall be sited in the surrounding of NPP area. The land suitability of NPP's site candidate at Muria Peninsula as spent fuel storage and low-intermediate level radwaste disposal need to be studied. Site selection was conducted by overlay method and scoring method, and based on safety criteria which include geological and environmental aspects. Land evaluation by overlay method has given result a potential site which have highest suitable land at surrounding of borehole L-15 about 17.5 hectares. Land evaluation by scoring method has given result two land suitability classes, i.e. moderate suitability class (includes 14 borehole) and high suitability class, include borehole L-2, L-14 and L-15 (author)

US spent fuel research and experience

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Machiels, A [EPRI and USDOE (United States)

2012-07-01

The structural performance of high-burnup spent fuel cladding during dry storage and transportation has been the subject of research and evaluation at EPRI for several years. The major issues addressed in this research program have included the following: Characterization and development of predictive models for damage mechanisms perceived to be potentially active during dry storage; Modeling and analysis of deformation processes during long-term dry storage; Development of cladding failure models and failure criteria, considering cladding material and physical conditions during dry storage and transportation; Failure analysis, considering end-of-dry-storage conditions, of spent fuel systems subjected to normal and accident conditions of transport, prescribed in Part 71 of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10CFR71) While issues related to dry storage have largely been resolved, transportation issues have not, at least for spent fuel with discharge burnups greater than 45 GWd/MTU. A research program was launched in late 2002 following two NRC-industry meetings held on September 6, 2002 and October 23, 2002. The aim of the research program was to assess the performance of high-burnup spent fuel cladding under normal and accident conditions of transportation, as prescribed by 10CFR71, considering the physical characteristics and mechanical properties of cladding at the end of dry storage. The objective is to present a synthesis of the information that collectively forms a part of a technical basis intended to facilitate resolution of regulatory issues associated with the transportation of spent nuclear fuel characterized by discharge burnups greater than 45 GWd/MTU.

Site-specific issues related to structural/seismic design of an underground independent spent fuel storage installation (ISFSI)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tripathi, B.P.

2005-01-01

Utilities owning and operating commercial nuclear power plants (NPP) in USA may choose to build an underground Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI) to store the spent nuclear fuels. The regulatory requirements and other guidance are based on 10 CFR Part 72, Regulatory Guide RG 3.73, Standard Review Plans NUREG-1536 and NUREG-1567, and Interim staff Guidance (ISG) documents as applicable. Structures, Systems, and Components (SSCs) classified as important to safety are designed to withstand the effects of site-specific environmental conditions and natural phenomena such as earthquake, tornado, flood, etc. An underground ISFSI for storage of spent nuclear fuel, presents some unique analysis and design challenges. This paper will briefly address some of these challenges and discuss site-specific loads, including seismic for the ISFSI design. (authors)

Savannah River Site FY 1998 Spent Nuclear Fuel Interim Management Plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dupont, M.E.

1998-01-01

This document has been prepared to present in one place the near and long-term plans for safe management of Savannah River Site (SRS) spent nuclear fuel inventories until final disposition has been identified and implemented. The activities described are consistent with FY 1998 Annual Operational Plan guidance and with the December 1997 SRS Accelerated Cleanup Plan update. Summarized are highlights, key decision dates, and baseline assumptions of this plan

Spent fuel and waste inventories and projections

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carter, W.L.; Finney, B.C.; Alexander, C.W.; Blomeke, J.O.; McNair, J.M.

1980-08-01

Current inventories of commercial spent fuels and both commercial and US Department of Energy radioactive wastes were compiled, based on judgments of the most reliable information available from Government sources and the open literature. Future waste generation rates and quantities to be accumulated over the remainder of this century are also presented, based on a present projection of US commercial nuclear power growth and expected defense-related activities. Spent fuel projections are based on the current DOE/EIA estimate of nuclear growth, which projects 180 GW(e) in the year 2000. It is recognized that the calculated spent fuel discharges are probably high in view of recent reactor cancellations; hence adjustments will be made in future updates of this report. Wastes considered, on a chapter-by-chapter basis, are: spent fuel, high-level wastes, transuranic wastes, low-level wastes, mill tailings (active sites), and remedial action wastes. The latter category includes mill tailings (inactive sites), surplus facilities, formerly utilized sites, and the Grand Junction Project. For each category, waste volume inventories and projections are given through the year 2000. The land usage requirements are given for storage/disposal of low-level and transuranic wastes, and for present inventories of mill tailings

Dry spent fuel storage licensing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sturz, F.C.

1995-01-01

In the US, at-reactor-site dry spent fuel storage in independent spent fuel storage installations (ISFSI) has become the principal option for utilities needing storage capacity outside of the reactor spent fuel pools. Delays in the geologic repository operational date at or beyond 2010, and the increasing uncertainty of the US Department of Energy's (DOE) being able to site and license a Monitored Retrievable Storage (MRS) facility by 1998 make at-reactor-site dry storage of spent nuclear fuel increasingly desirable to utilities and DOE to meet the need for additional spent fuel storage capacity until disposal, in a repository, is available. The past year has been another busy year for dry spent fuel storage licensing. The licensing staff has been reviewing 7 applications and 12 amendment requests, as well as participating in inspection-related activities. The authors have licensed, on a site-specific basis, a variety of dry technologies (cask, module, and vault). By using certified designs, site-specific licensing is no longer required. Another new cask has been certified. They have received one new application for cask certification and two amendments to a certified cask design. As they stand on the brink of receiving multiple applications from DOE for the MPC, they are preparing to meet the needs of this national program. With the range of technical and licensing options available to utilities, the authors believe that utilities can meet their need for additional spent fuel storage capacity for essentially all reactor sites through the next decade

Greek National E-Prescribing System: Preliminary Results of a Tool for Rationalizing Pharmaceutical Use and Cost.

Science.gov (United States)

Polyzos, Nikolaos; Kastanioti, Catherine; Zilidis, Christos; Mavridoglou, George; Karakolias, Stefanos; Litsa, Panagiota; Menegakis, Valantis; Kani, Chara

2016-10-01

In Greece, due to the ongoing economic crisis a number of measures aiming at rationalising expenditure implemented. A new e-prescribing system, under a unified healthcare fund was the main pillar of these reforms focus on monitoring and auditing prescribing patterns. Main objective of this study was to document the Greek experience with the new national e-prescribing system. We analyse the dispensed prescriptions over the period 2013-2014, stratified into four levels: therapeutic subgroup, patent status, physician's specialty and geographical region. Data analysis offered a comprehensive insight into pharmaceutical expenditure over the timeframe and revealed discrepancies regarding composition of spending, brand-generic substitution within certain therapeutic subgroups, physicians' prescribing behaviour based on medical specialty, therapeutic subgroup as well as regional per capita measures. E-prescribing system is a valuable tool providing sound information to health policymakers in order to monitor and rationalize pharmaceutical expenditure, in value and volume terms.

South African physicians’ acceptance of e-prescribing technology: an empirical test of a modified UTAUT model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jason Cohen

2013-07-01

Full Text Available E-prescribing systems hold promise for improving the quality and efficiency of the scripting process. Yet, the use of the technology has been associated with a number of challenges. The diffusion of e-prescribing into physician practices and the consequent realisation of its potential benefits will depend on whether physicians are willing to accept and engage with the technology. This study draws on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT and recent literature on user trust in technology to develop and test a model of the factors influencing South African physicians’ acceptance of e-prescribing. Data was collected from a sample of 72 physicians. Results indicate a general acceptance of e-prescribing amongst physicians who on average reported strong intentions to use e-prescribing technologies if given the opportunity. PLS analysis revealed that physicians’ performance expectancies and perceptions of facilitating conditions had significant direct effects on acceptance whilst trust and effort expectancy had important indirect effects. Social influence and price value perceptions did not add additional explanatory power. The model explained 63% of the variation in physician acceptance.

Site safety progress review of spent fuel central interim storage facility. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gurpinar, A.; Serva, L.; Giuliani

1995-01-01

Following the request of the Czech Power Board (CEZ) and within the scope of the Technical Cooperation Project CZR/9/003, a progress review of the site safety of the Spent Fuel Central Interim Storage Facility (SFCISF) was performed. The review involved the first two stages of the works comprising the regional survey and identification of candidate sites for the underground and surface storage options. Five sites have been identified as a result of the previous works. The following two stages will involved the identification of the preferred candidate sites for the two options and the final site qualification. The present review had the purpose of assessing the work already performed and making recommendations for the next two stages of works

Nurse prescribing in dermatology: doctors' and non-prescribing nurses' views.

Science.gov (United States)

Stenner, Karen; Carey, Nicola; Courtenay, Molly

2009-04-01

This paper is a report of a study conducted to explore doctor and non-prescribing nurse views about nurse prescribing in the light of their experience in dermatology. The cooperation of healthcare professionals and peers is of key importance in enabling and supporting nurse prescribing. Lack of understanding of and opposition to nurse prescribing are known barriers to its implementation. Given the important role they play, it is necessary to consider how the recent expansion of nurse prescribing rights in England impacts on the views of healthcare professionals. Interviews with 12 doctors and six non-prescribing nurses were conducted in 10 case study sites across England between 2006 and 2007. Participants all worked with nurses who prescribed for patients with dermatological conditions in secondary or primary care. Thematic analysis was conducted on the interview data. Participants were positive about their experiences of nurse prescribing having witnessed benefits from it, but had reservations about nurse prescribing in general. Acceptance was conditional upon the nurses' level of experience, awareness of their own limitations and the context in which they prescribed. Fears that nurses would prescribe beyond their level of competence were expected to reduce as understanding and experience of nurse prescribing increased. Indications are that nurse prescribing can be acceptable to doctors and nurses so long as it operates within recommended parameters. Greater promotion and assessment of standards and criteria are recommended to improve understanding and acceptance of nurse prescribing.

Development of SKI's Regulatory Approach to the Siting of a Spent Nuclear Fuel Repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Westerlind, Magnus

2003-01-01

Since the beginning of the 1990s the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co., SKB, is actively working with the siting of a spent nuclear fuel repository. Feasibility studies have been completed in a total of eight municipalities, and in December 2000 three municipalities (Oskarshamn, Tierp and Oesthammar) were proposed for further investigations. These site investigations include surface based site characterisation from deep bore holes but also further studies of infrastructure, land use, transportation etc. SKB's proposal was reviewed by SKI and about 60 other organisations, including municipalities, NGOs, government agencies etc. during the winter/spring 2000/2001. In June 2001 SKI reported the review findings to the Government. In parallel with SKI also the Swedish Council for Nuclear Waste (KASAM) reviewed SKB's proposal and reported to the Government. In its decision in November 2001 the Government supported SKB's proposal to continue with site investigations. Based on SKB's material, the reviews and the Government's decision the municipalities of Oesthammar and Oskarshamn have agreed to site investigations while Tierp have decided no to continue. The site investigations in Oesthammar and Oskarshamn started during 2002. The siting process has meant that several new actors have been engaged in nuclear waste management in general and disposal of spent nuclear fuel in particular. This has meant that 'old' actors, particularly SKB, the regulators (the Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate, SKI, and the Swedish Radiation Protection Authority, SSI) have had to evaluate, develop and clarify their roles and strategies for dialogue. This paper presents reflections on the impacts on some of SKI's regulatory activities

SKI's engagement in the process for siting a spent nuclear fuel repository

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Paeivioe Jonsson, Josefin; Westerlind, Magnus [Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate, Stockholm (Sweden)

2006-09-15

In Sweden, issues concerning the disposal of nuclear waste historically required co-operation among primarily two main actors: The nuclear industry and the state. Municipalities involved in SKB's feasibility studies objected to the fact that they lacked resources to keep the people in the municipality informed about the ongoing work. As a result the Parliament decided that municipalities involved in SKB's siting process should receive money from the nuclear waste fund for their engagement. Since 2005 resources also have been made available for NGO's participating in SKB's ongoing EIA-process. In total they can yearly receive up to 2.5 million Swedish kronor. The fact that new actors continuously have been engaged in disposal of spent nuclear fuel has meant that 'old' actors, particularly SKB, the regulators (the Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate, SKI, and the Swedish Radiation Protection Authority, SSI) have had to evaluate, develop and clarify their roles and strategies for dialogue and regulatory oversight. This paper presents the effects the increased engagement has had on SKI's regulatory activities. Looking back it is possible to identify two well-defined break points in SKI's views on communication and active participation in the siting process. The first was the so-called DIALOGUE-project, which was initiated by SKI in the early 1990s. In this research project there were participants from e.g. SKI and SSI, municipalities and environmental organisations. The two most important conclusions for SKI were firstly that regulators can and should participate already in the early stages of a siting process, and that this can be done without loosing credibility as an independent reviewer of a licence application and secondly that actors (in the siting process) with conflicting interests and views can reach agreement on the basis for decisions. The second break point occurred in the mid 1990s when SKB announced that the

Development of on-site spent fuel transfer system designs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lambert, R.W.; Pennington, C.W.; Guerra, G.V.

1993-01-01

The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) of the United States has sponsored development of conceptual designs for accomplishing spent fuel transfer from spent fuel pools to casks and from one cask to another. Under an EPRI research contract, transnuclear has developed several concepts for spent fuel transfer systems. (J.P.N.)

48 CFR 852.271-72 - Time spent by counselee in counseling process.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... counseling process. 852.271-72 Section 852.271-72 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF... Clauses 852.271-72 Time spent by counselee in counseling process. As prescribed in 871.212, insert the following clause: Time Spent by Counselee in Counseling Process (APR 1984) The contractor agrees that no...

Detailed site characterization for final disposal of spent fuel in Finland - Case study Loviisa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anttila, P.; Ahokas, H.; Ruotsalainen, P.; Cosma, C.; Keskinen, J.; Hinkkanen, H.; Rouhiainen, P.; Oehberg, A.

1998-01-01

The spent fuel from the Finnish nuclear power plants will be disposed of in the Finnish bedrock. Pos iva Oy is responsible for the site selection programme carried out in accordance with the governmental decisions. Preliminary site investigations were made in five areas in 1987-1992. Based on the results, three areas, Romuvaara in Kuhmo, Kivetty in Aeaenekoski and Olkiluoto in Eurajoki, were selected for the detailed site characterization in 1993-2000. The final site will be selected by the end of the year 2000. The interim reporting of the detailed studies of the three areas was made in 1996. In 1997, the island of Haestholmen, as the host to the Loviisa NPP, was included as a fourth candidate site in the programme for the detailed site investigations. The goal is to characterize this site also in detail by the end of 2000 to attain the same level of knowledge as available from the three other sites. The background information existing from the studies made for the construction of the repository for the low-and intermediate-level wastes will create a good basis to reach the target. The research programme for the detailed site characterization has mainly been focused on groundwater flow and geochemistry due to their importance in terms of long-term safety of the repository. Equipment and methodology development by Posiva has introduced new tools that provide more accurate data on relevant parameters than the ones used in previous stages of site characterization. The programme also contains studies for additional information of the structural and geological properties of the bedrock towards the depth. Also predictive modelling has been made for evaluating the relevance of the assumptions made. The methods applied in the site characterization have comprised, e.g., geological mapping, deep core drilling, groundwater sampling and analyzing, hydraulic testing and geophysical measurements

Detailed site characterization for final disposal of spent fuel in Finland - Case study Loviisa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anttila, P. [IVO Power Engineering Ltd. (Finland); Ahokas, H.; Ruotsalainen, P. [Fintact Oy (Finland); Cosma, C.; Keskinen, J. [Vibrometric Oy (Finland); Hinkkanen, H. [Posiva Oy (Finland); Rouhiainen, P. [PRG-Tec Oy (Finland); Oehberg, A. [Saanio and Riekkola Consulting Engineers (Finland)

1998-09-01

The spent fuel from the Finnish nuclear power plants will be disposed of in the Finnish bedrock. Pos iva Oy is responsible for the site selection programme carried out in accordance with the governmental decisions. Preliminary site investigations were made in five areas in 1987-1992. Based on the results, three areas, Romuvaara in Kuhmo, Kivetty in Aeaenekoski and Olkiluoto in Eurajoki, were selected for the detailed site characterization in 1993-2000. The final site will be selected by the end of the year 2000. The interim reporting of the detailed studies of the three areas was made in 1996. In 1997, the island of Haestholmen, as the host to the Loviisa NPP, was included as a fourth candidate site in the programme for the detailed site investigations. The goal is to characterize this site also in detail by the end of 2000 to attain the same level of knowledge as available from the three other sites. The background information existing from the studies made for the construction of the repository for the low-and intermediate-level wastes will create a good basis to reach the target. The research programme for the detailed site characterization has mainly been focused on groundwater flow and geochemistry due to their importance in terms of long-term safety of the repository. Equipment and methodology development by Posiva has introduced new tools that provide more accurate data on relevant parameters than the ones used in previous stages of site characterization. The programme also contains studies for additional information of the structural and geological properties of the bedrock towards the depth. Also predictive modelling has been made for evaluating the relevance of the assumptions made. The methods applied in the site characterization have comprised, e.g., geological mapping, deep core drilling, groundwater sampling and analyzing, hydraulic testing and geophysical measurements 23 refs, 4 figs

Rethinking the economics of centralized spent fuel storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wood, T.W.; Short, S.M.; Dippold, D.G.; Rod, S.R.; Williams, J.W.

1991-01-01

The technology for extended storage of spent nuclear fuel (SNF), either at-reactor or in a centralized facility such as a monitored retrievable storage (MRS) facility, is well-developed and proven from an engineering and safety perspective. The question of whether spent fuel should await its final geologic disposal while at a reactor site or in an MRS facility is essentially an economic one. While intuition and previous results suggest that centralized storage will be more economical than at-reactor storage beyond some break-even quantity of SNF, the incremental costs of pool storage at-reactor are close to zero as long as pool capacity is generally available. Thus, if economics is the prime motivator, the quantity of spent fuel required to warrant centralized storage could be quite large. The economics of centralizing the storage of spent fuel at a single site, as opposed to continued storage at over 100 reactor sites, has been the subject of several recent analyses. Most of these analyses involved calculating the benefits of an MRS facility (in terms of avoided utility costs) with a pre-defined MRS operating scenario (e.g., spent fuel acceptance schedule, storage capacity, and typical storage cycle). While these analyses provided some insight into the economic justification for an MRS facility, even the most favorable scenarios resulted in net costs of hundreds of millions of dollars when evaluated on a discounted cash flow basis

Safety Assessment Document for the Spent Reactor Fuel Geologic Storage Test in the Climax Granite Stock at the Nevada Test site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1980-01-01

The objective of the Spent Fuel Geologic Storage Test in the Climax Granite Stock is to evaluate the response of a granitic rock mass to the underground storage of encapsulated spent reactor fuel in a geometry that simulates a module of a large-scale geologic repository. This document reports an assessment of the safety of conducting this test. Descriptions are provided of the geography, meteorology, hydrology, geology, and seismology of the Climax Site; the effects of postulated natural phenomena and other activities at the nevada Test Site on the safety of the test; and the design and operation of the test facility and associated equipment. Evaluations are made of both the radiological and nonradiological impacts of normal operations, abnormal operations, and postulated accidents. It is concluded that conduct of the spent fuel test at the Climax Site will not result in any undue risk to the public, property, environment, or site employees

Structural geology report: Spent Fuel Test - Climax Nevada Test Site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilder, D.G.; Yow, J.L. Jr.

1984-10-01

We performed underground mapping and core logging in the Climax Stock, a granitic intrusive at the Nevada Test Site, as part of a major field test to determine the feasibility of using granitic or crystalline rock for the underground storage of spent fuel from a nuclear reactor. This mapping and logging identified more than 2500 fractures, over 1500 of which were described in enough detail to allow statistical analyses and orientation studies to be performed. We identified eight joint sets, three major shear sets, and a fault zone within the Spent Fuel Test - Climax (SFT-C) portion of the Stock. Joint sets identified within the SFT-C and elsewhere in the Stock correlated well. The orientations of joint sets identified by other investigators were consistent with our findings, indicating that the joint sets are persistent and have a relatively uniform orientation throughout a major portion of the Stock. The one joint set not seen elsewhere in the Stock is healed and the wall rock is altered, implying that healed joints were not included in the mapping criteria used by other investigators. The shear sets were distinguished from the joint sets by virtue of crushed minerals, continuous clay infilling, and other evidences of shearing, and from faults by the lack of offsetting. Previous investigators working mainly in the Pile Driver Drifts identified two of the shear sets. The third set, being nearly parallel to these Drifts had not been identified previously. The fault zone identified at the far (Receiving Room) end of the project is oriented approximately N45 0 E-75 0 SE, similar to both the Boundary and Shaft Station Faults. We have, therefore, concluded that the Receiving Room Fault is one of a series of normal faults that occur within the Climax Stock and that are possibly related, in both age and genesis, to the Boundary Fault. 52 refs., 26 figs., 11 tabs

76 FR 40403 - R.E. Ginna Nuclear Power Plant, LLC, R.E. Ginna Nuclear Power Plant, R.E. Ginna Independent Spent...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-08

... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [Docket No. 50-244; Docket No. 72-67] R.E. Ginna Nuclear Power Plant, LLC, R.E. Ginna Nuclear Power Plant, R.E. Ginna Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation; Notice of... Facility Operating License No. DPR-18, for the R.E. Ginna Nuclear Power Plant (Ginna), currently held by R...

Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) Project Execution Plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

LEROY, P.G.

2000-01-01

The Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) Project supports the Hanford Site Mission to cleanup the Site by providing safe, economic, environmentally sound management of Site spent nuclear fuel in a manner that reduces hazards by staging it to interim onsite storage and deactivates the 100 K Area facilities

Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) Project Execution Plan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

LEROY, P.G.

2000-11-03

The Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) Project supports the Hanford Site Mission to cleanup the Site by providing safe, economic, environmentally sound management of Site spent nuclear fuel in a manner that reduces hazards by staging it to interim onsite storage and deactivates the 100 K Area facilities.

LSDS Development for Isotopic Fissile Assay in Spent Fuel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Yong Deok; Park, Chang Je; Park, Geun Il; Lee, Jung Won; Song, Kee Chan [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2011-07-01

As an option to reduce a spent fuel and reuse an existing fissile material in spent fuel, sodium fast reactor SFR program linked with pyro-processing is under development in KAERI. A uranium-TRU mixture through a pyro-process is used to fabricate SFR fuel. An assay of isotopic fissile content plays an important role in an optimum design of storage site and reuse of fissile materials of spent fuel. Lead slowing down spectrometer LSDS is being developed in KAERI to analyze isotopic fissile material content. LSDS has several features: direct fissile assay, near real time fissile assay, no influence from radiation background, fissile isotopic assay and applicable to spent fuel and recycled fuel. Based on the designed geometry, neutron energy resolution was investigated. The neutron energy spectrum was analyzed as well. Spent fuel emits large number of neutrons by spontaneous fission. Neutron generator must overcome the neutron background to get the pure fission signals from fissile materials. Neutron generator is planned to have compact system with one section electron linac which is easy maintenance, less cost and high neutron yield. The LSD has the power to resolve the fission characteristics from each fissile material. This feature can analyze the content of isotopic fissile. From 1keV to 0.1eV energy range, the energy resolution is enough to get the individual fissile fission signatures. The dominant fission signature is shown below 1eV for each fissile isotope. The neutron generation system with target was designed to get fission signals by fissile materials. The system was decided to overcome neutron backgrounds and to get good counting statistics. Finally, an accurate fissile material content will contribute to safety of spent fuel reuse in future nuclear energy system and optimum design of spent fuel storage site. Additionally, an accurate fissile material content will increase international transparence and credibility for the reuse of PWR spent fuel.

LSDS Development for Isotopic Fissile Assay in Spent Fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Yong Deok; Park, Chang Je; Park, Geun Il; Lee, Jung Won; Song, Kee Chan

2011-01-01

As an option to reduce a spent fuel and reuse an existing fissile material in spent fuel, sodium fast reactor SFR program linked with pyro-processing is under development in KAERI. A uranium-TRU mixture through a pyro-process is used to fabricate SFR fuel. An assay of isotopic fissile content plays an important role in an optimum design of storage site and reuse of fissile materials of spent fuel. Lead slowing down spectrometer LSDS is being developed in KAERI to analyze isotopic fissile material content. LSDS has several features: direct fissile assay, near real time fissile assay, no influence from radiation background, fissile isotopic assay and applicable to spent fuel and recycled fuel. Based on the designed geometry, neutron energy resolution was investigated. The neutron energy spectrum was analyzed as well. Spent fuel emits large number of neutrons by spontaneous fission. Neutron generator must overcome the neutron background to get the pure fission signals from fissile materials. Neutron generator is planned to have compact system with one section electron linac which is easy maintenance, less cost and high neutron yield. The LSD has the power to resolve the fission characteristics from each fissile material. This feature can analyze the content of isotopic fissile. From 1keV to 0.1eV energy range, the energy resolution is enough to get the individual fissile fission signatures. The dominant fission signature is shown below 1eV for each fissile isotope. The neutron generation system with target was designed to get fission signals by fissile materials. The system was decided to overcome neutron backgrounds and to get good counting statistics. Finally, an accurate fissile material content will contribute to safety of spent fuel reuse in future nuclear energy system and optimum design of spent fuel storage site. Additionally, an accurate fissile material content will increase international transparence and credibility for the reuse of PWR spent fuel

Medication errors with electronic prescribing (eP): Two views of the same picture

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

Background Quantitative prospective methods are widely used to evaluate the impact of new technologies such as electronic prescribing (eP) on medication errors. However, they are labour-intensive and it is not always feasible to obtain pre-intervention data. Our objective was to compare the eP medication error picture obtained with retrospective quantitative and qualitative methods. Methods The study was carried out at one English district general hospital approximately two years after implementation of an integrated electronic prescribing, administration and records system. Quantitative: A structured retrospective analysis was carried out of clinical records and medication orders for 75 randomly selected patients admitted to three wards (medicine, surgery and paediatrics) six months after eP implementation. Qualitative: Eight doctors, 6 nurses, 8 pharmacy staff and 4 other staff at senior, middle and junior grades, and 19 adult patients on acute surgical and medical wards were interviewed. Staff interviews explored experiences of developing and working with the system; patient interviews focused on experiences of medicine prescribing and administration on the ward. Interview transcripts were searched systematically for accounts of medication incidents. A classification scheme was developed and applied to the errors identified in the records review. Results The two approaches produced similar pictures of the drug use process. Interviews identified types of error identified in the retrospective notes review plus two eP-specific errors which were not detected by record review. Interview data took less time to collect than record review, and provided rich data on the prescribing process, and reasons for delays or non-administration of medicines, including "once only" orders and "as required" medicines. Conclusions The qualitative approach provided more understanding of processes, and some insights into why medication errors can happen. The method is cost-effective and

Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) spent fuel transportation and handling facility models

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andrews, W.B.; Bower, J.C.; Burnett, R.A.; Engel, R.L.; Rolland, C.W.

1979-09-01

A spent fuel logistics study was conducted in support of the US DOE program to develop facilities for preparing spent unreprocessed fuel from commercial LWRs for geological storage. Two computerized logistics models were developed. The first one was the site evaluation model. Two studies of spent fuel handling facility and spent fuel disposal facility siting were completed; the first postulates a single spent fuel handling facility located at any of six DOE laboratory sites, while the second study examined siting strategies with the spent fuel repository relative to the spent fuel handling facility. A second model to conduct storage/handling facility simulations was developed. (DLC)

Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) spent fuel transportation and handling facility models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andrews, W.B.; Bower, J.C.; Burnett, R.A.; Engel, R.L.; Rolland, C.W.

1979-09-01

A spent fuel logistics study was conducted in support of the US DOE program to develop facilities for preparing spent unreprocessed fuel from commercial LWRs for geological storage. Two computerized logistics models were developed. The first one was the site evaluation model. Two studies of spent fuel handling facility and spent fuel disposal facility siting were completed; the first postulates a single spent fuel handling facility located at any of six DOE laboratory sites, while the second study examined siting strategies with the spent fuel repository relative to the spent fuel handling facility. A second model to conduct storage/handling facility simulations was developed

Spent fuel management in Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mineo, H.; Nomura, Y.; Sakamoto, K.

1998-01-01

In Japan 52 commercial nuclear power units are now operated, and the total power generation capacity is about 45 GWe. The cumulative amount of spent fuel arising is about 13,500 tU as of March 1997. Spent fuel is reprocessed, and recovered nuclear materials are to be recycled in LWRs and FBRs. In February 1997 short-term policy measures were announced by the Atomic Energy Commission, which addressed promotion of reprocessing programme in Rokkasho, plutonium utilization in LWRs, spent fuel management, backend measures and FBR development. With regard to the spent fuel management, the policy measures included expansion of spent fuel storage capacity at reactor sites and a study on spent fuel storage away from reactor sites, considering the increasing amount of spent fuel arising. Research and development on spent fuel storage has been carried out, particularly on dry storage technology. Fundamental studies are also conducted to implement the burnup credit into the criticality safety design of storage and transportation casks. Rokkasho reprocessing plant is being constructed towards its commencement in 2003, and Pu utilization in LWRs will be started in 1999. Research and development of future recycling technology are also continued for the establishment of nuclear fuel cycle based on FBRs and LWRs. (author)

Spent fuel management in South Africa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bredell, P.J.; Stott, A.K.

1998-01-01

Eskom, the South African utility, operates one of the largest electricity networks in the world. However, only 6% of the South African generating capacity is nuclear; the remainder is coal fired and hydroelectric. The nuclear component consists of the Koeberg Nuclear Power Plant, comprising two French supplied PWRs of 920 MWe each, situated approximately 45 kilometres from cape Town. Construction started in 1976 and the two reactors reached criticality in 1984 and 1985 respectively. South Africa also has an Oak Ridge type research reactor, called SAFARI, operated by the South African Atomic Energy Corporation (AEC) at their Pelindaba site near Pretoria. This research reactor was commissioned in 1965, and has been in operation ever since. South Africa has a National Radioactive Waste Disposal facility called Vaalputs, some 600 km north of Cape Town. The facility, operated by AEC, is presently licensed only for the disposal of low and intermediate radioactive level wastes. Vaalputs offers unique features as a potential interim spent fuel storage and final disposal site, such as favorable geology (granite), low seismicity, low population density, remoteness from industrial centres and and conditions. Therefore, this site has been investigated by the AEC as a potential interim spent fuel storage site, but has not yet been licensed for this purpose. Hence, all spent fuel is currently stored on the two sites at Koeberg and Pelindaba respectively. The spent fuel storage pools at Koeberg have recently been enlarged to accommodate the lifetime spent fuel arisings of the plant. Since late 1997, the Safari spent fuel is stored in a pipe storage facility, constructed away from the reactor on the Pelindaba site. (author)

Site selection - location of the repository for spent nuclear fuel; Platsval - lokalisering av slutfoervaret foer anvaent kaernbraensle

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2010-12-15

This document describes the localization work and SKB's choice of site for the repository. Furthermore, SKB's basis and rationale for the decisions taken during the work are reported. The document is Appendix PV of applications under the Nuclear Activities Act and the Environmental Code to both build and operate an encapsulation plant adjacent to the central interim storage facility for spent nuclear fuel in Oskarshamn, and to construct and operate a disposal facility for spent nuclear fuel at Forsmark in Oesthammar municipality

Pharmacy and primary care perspectives on e-prescribing in a rural community: A focused ethnography.

Science.gov (United States)

Kooienga, Sarah; Singh, Reshmi L

Electronic prescribing (ERx) is the ability for prescriber to send a digital prescription directly to a pharmacist through a dedicated secure network. A number of federally funded incentives such as the health information technology for economic and clinical health (HITECH) and Meaningful Use standards have led to ERx implementation. ERx is an integral part of primary care practice and today most community pharmacies are enabled to accept e-prescriptions. Little is known about the experience of rural pharmacists, primary care providers and patients regarding e-prescribing. This paper reports on the results of ERx from their perspectives. The findings are a portion of a larger qualitative descriptive study focused on the meaning of Meaningful Use in remote rural communities. One remote rural community in the Pacific Northwest was used for this research endeavor. Explore understandings of e-prescribing from both pharmacist and primary care provider perspective. Explore patients' understandings and experiences of e-prescribing. The conceptual model for this research was the Ecological Transactional Model. This model informed the research design, interview questions and analysis. A qualitative descriptive methodology - focused ethnography was used for this study. Six key informant interviews, 14 patient interviews and 15 hours of participant observation provided the data. Data analysis occurred collectively between a social pharmacy researcher, a primary care nurse practitioner-researcher and pharmacy graduate students. The research qualitatively identified contextual understandings and dimensions of ERx in this setting. Based on a focused ethnographic methodology, contextual understandings of rurality and role identity, both pharmacist and primary care provider, were explored. Perspectives on ERx of patients, clinic manager and RN staff were also elicited. Three dimensions of ERx were identified - technological, structural and communication. The structural

Multi-purpose container technologies for spent fuel management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2000-12-01

The management of spent nuclear fuel is an integral part of the nuclear fuel cycle. Spent fuel management resides in the back end of the fuel cycle, and is not revenue producing as electric power generation is. It instead results in a cost associated power generation. It is a major consideration in the nuclear power industry today. Because technologies, needs and circumstances vary from country to country, there is no single, standardized approach to spent fuel management. The projected cumulative amount of spent fuel generated worldwide by 2010 will be 330 000 t HM. When reprocessing is accounted for, that amount is likely to be reduced to 215 000 t HM, which is still more than twice as much as the amount now in storage. Considering the limited capacity of at-reactor (AR) storage, various technologies are being developed for increasing storage capacities. At present, many countries are developing away-from-reactor (AFR) storage in the form of pool storage or as dry storage. Further these AFR storage systems may be at-reactor sites or away-from-reactor sites (e.g. centrally located interim storage facilities, serving several reactors). The dry storage technologies being developed are varied and include vaults, horizontal concrete modules, concrete casks, and metal casks. The review of the interim storage plans of several countries indicates that the newest approaches being pursued for spent fuel management use dual-purpose and multi-purpose containers. These containers are envisaged to hold several spent fuel assemblies, and be part of the transport, storage, and possibly geological disposal systems of an integrated spent fuel management system

A Quality, Benefit, Cost, and Financial Framework for Health Information Technology, E-Prescribing: A Delphi Study.

Science.gov (United States)

DeMuro, Paul R; Ash, Joan; Middleton, Blackford; Fletcher, Justin; Madison, Cecelia J

2017-01-01

Little research has been conducted about the quality, benefits, costs, and financial considerations associated with health information technology (HIT), particularly informatics technologies, such as e-prescribing, from the perspective of all its stakeholders. This research effort sought to identify the stakeholders involved in e-prescribing and to identify and rank-order the positives and the negatives from the perspective of the stakeholders to create a framework to assist in the development of incentives and payment mechanisms which result in better managed care. The Delphi method was employed by enlisting a panel of experts. They were presented with the results of initial research in an online survey of questions which sought to prioritize the quality, benefit, cost, and financial effects of e-prescribing from the perspective of each stakeholder. From the results of this study, a framework was presented to framework experts. The experts added stakeholders and positives and negatives to the initial lists and rank-ordered the positives and negatives of e-prescribing from the perspective of each stakeholder. The aggregate results were summarized by category of stakeholder. The framework experts evaluated the framework. Positives and negatives can be rank-ordered from the perspective of each stakeholder. A useful framework was created.

Longleaf pine site response to repeated fertilization and forest floor removal by raking and prescribed burning

Science.gov (United States)

Kim Ludovici; Robert Eaton; Stanley Zarnoch

2018-01-01

Removal of forest floor litter by pine needle raking and prescribed burning is a common practice in longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) stands on Coastal Plain sites in the Southeastern United States. Repeated removal of litter by raking and the loss of surface organic matter from controlled burns can affect the...

Mobile Melt-Dilute Treatment for Russian Spent Nuclear Fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peacock, H.

2002-01-01

Treatment of spent Russian fuel using a Melt-Dilute (MD) process is proposed to consolidate fuel assemblies into a form that is proliferation resistant and provides critically safety under storage and disposal configurations. Russian fuel elements contain a variety of fuel meat and cladding materials. The Melt-Dilute treatment process was initially developed for aluminum-based fuels so additional development is needed for several cladding and fuel meat combinations in the Russian fuel inventory (e.g. zirconium-clad, uranium-zirconium alloy fuel). A Mobile Melt-Dilute facility (MMD) is being proposed for treatment of spent fuels at reactor site storage locations in Russia; thereby, avoiding the costs of building separate treatment facilities at each site and avoiding shipment of enriched fuel assemblies over the road. The MMD facility concept is based on laboratory tests conducted at the Savannah River Technology Center (SRTC), and modular pilot-scale facilities constructed at the Savannah River Site for treatment of US spent fuel. SRTC laboratory tests have shown the feasibility of operating a Melt-Dilute treatment process with either a closed system or a filtered off-gas system. The proposed Mobile Melt-Dilute process is presented in this paper

Fuel Assemblies Thermal Analysis in the New Spent Fuel Storage Facility at Inshass Site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khattab, M.; Mariy, Ahmed

1999-01-01

New Wet Storage Facility (NSF) is constructed at Inshass site to solve the problem of spent fuel storage capacity of ETRR-1 reactor . The Engineering Safety Heat Transfer Features t hat characterize the new facility are presented. Thermal analysis including different scenarios of pool heat load and safety limits are discussed . Cladding temperature limit during handling and storage process are specified for safe transfer of fuel

Spent fuel interim management: 1995 update

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anderson, C.K.

1995-01-01

The problems of interim away-from-reactor spent fuel storage and storage in spent fuel pools at the reactor site are discussed. An overview of the state-of-the-art in the USA, Europe, and Japan is presented. The technical facilities for away-from-reactor storage are briefly described, including wet storage pools, interactive concrete systems, metallic containers, and passive concrete systems. Reprocessing technologies are mostly at the design stage only. It is predicted that during the 20 years to come, about 50 000 tonnes of spent fuel will be stored at reactor sites regardless of the advance of spent fuel reprocessing or interim storage projects. (J.B.). 4 tabs., 2 figs

Spent Fuel Working Group Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Toole, T.

1993-11-01

The Department of Energy is storing large amounts of spent nuclear fuel and other reactor irradiated nuclear materials (herein referred to as RINM). In the past, the Department reprocessed RINM to recover plutonium, tritium, and other isotopes. However, the Department has ceased or is phasing out reprocessing operations. As a consequence, Department facilities designed, constructed, and operated to store RINM for relatively short periods of time now store RINM, pending decisions on the disposition of these materials. The extended use of the facilities, combined with their known degradation and that of their stored materials, has led to uncertainties about safety. To ensure that extended storage is safe (i.e., that protection exists for workers, the public, and the environment), the conditions of these storage facilities had to be assessed. The compelling need for such an assessment led to the Secretary's initiative on spent fuel, which is the subject of this report. This report comprises three volumes: Volume I; Summary Results of the Spent Fuel Working Group Evaluation; Volume II, Working Group Assessment Team Reports and Protocol; Volume III; Operating Contractor Site Team Reports. This volume presents the overall results of the Working Group's Evaluation. The group assessed 66 facilities spread across 11 sites. It identified: (1) facilities that should be considered for priority attention. (2) programmatic issues to be considered in decision making about interim storage plans and (3) specific vulnerabilities for some of these facilities

Site investigations for the disposal of spent fuel - investigation program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aeikaes, Timo

1985-11-01

The Industrial Power Company Ltd (TVO) is making preparations for the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel into the Finnish bedrock. The revised site investigation program for the years 1986-2010 is presented in this report. The objectives and activities in the near future are described in more detail. The main objectives and frame programs for the investigations in the more distant future are described. The program planning of these investigations are being developed in the preceding site investigations. The investigations for the site selection are divided into four phases: 1983-1985 selection of the investigation areas, preparations for the field investigations, drilling and investigations in a deep test borehole; 1986-1992 preliminary site investigations in 5-10 investigation areas; 1993-2000 detailed site investigations in 2-3 investigation areas. Site selection in the year 2000; 2001-2010 complementary investigations on the selected site. The first investigation phase will be carried out as planned. In this phase a 1001 m deep test borehole was drilled at Lavia in western Finland. With the investigations in the borehole and related development work, preparations were made for the future field investigations. The equipment and investigation methods are being developed during the site investigations. The equipment for taking groundwater samples and the unit for hydraulic testing have been developed. In the future the emphasis in the work will be in developing equipment for monitoring of the hydraulic head and measuring the volumetric flow. In groundwater sampling the present procedure can be improved by adding the test for the in-situ measurements. The results of the field investigations will be stored and processed in a centralized data base. The data base will transmit the results for the interpretation and then the interpreted results transmitted for model calculations and reporting. The cost estimate for the investigations in 1986-2010 is 110-125 million

Rock cavern storage of spent fuel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cho, Won Jin; Kim, Kyung Soo [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Kwon, Sang Ki [Inha University, Incheon (Korea, Republic of)

2015-12-15

The rock cavern storage for spent fuel has been assessed to apply in Korea with reviewing the state of the art of the technologies for surface storage and rock cavern storage of spent fuel. The technical feasibility and economic aspects of the rock cavern storage of spent fuel were also analyzed. A considerable area of flat land isolated from the exterior are needed to meet the requirement for the site of the surface storage facilities. It may, however, not be easy to secure such areas in the mountainous region of Korea. Instead, the spent fuel storage facilities constructed in the rock cavern moderate their demands for the suitable site. As a result, the rock cavern storage is a promising alternative for the storage of spent fuel in the aspect of natural and social environments. The rock cavern storage of spent fuel has several advantages compared with the surface storage, and there is no significant difference on the viewpoint of economy between the two alternatives. In addition, no great technical difficulties are present to apply the rock cavern storage technologies to the storage of domestic spent fuel.

Spent fuel treatment in Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takahashi, K.

1999-01-01

In Japan, 52 nuclear power reactors are operating with a total power generation capacity of 45 GWe. The cumulative amount of spent fuel arising, as of March 1998, is about 14,700 W. Spent fuel is reprocessed and recovered nuclear materials are to be recycled in LWRs and FBRs. Pu utilization in LWRs will commence in 1999. In January 1997, short-term policy measures were announced by the Atomic Energy Commission, which addressed promotion of the reprocessing programme in Rokkasho, plutonium utilization in LWRs, spent fuel management, back-end measures and FBR development. With regard to the spent fuel management, the policy measures included expansion of spent fuel storage capacity at reactor sites and a study on spent fuel storage away-from-reactor sites, considering the increasing amount of spent fuel arising. Valuable experience was been accumulated at the Tokai Reprocessing Plant (TRP), from the start of hot operation in 1977 up to now. The role of the TRP will be changed from an operation-oriented to a more R and D oriented facility, when PNC is reorganized into the new organization JNC. The Rokkasho reprocessing plant is under construction and is expected to commence operation in 2003. R and D of future recycling technologies is also continued for the establishment of a nuclear fuel cycle based on FBRs and LWRs. (author)

How Stakeholder Assessment of E-Prescribing Can Help Determine Incentives to Facilitate Management of Care: A Delphi Study.

Science.gov (United States)

DeMuro, Paul R; Ash, Joan; Middleton, Blackford; Fletcher, Justin; Madison, Cecelia J

2017-11-01

Little research has been conducted on the quality, benefits, costs, and financial considerations associated with health information technology (HIT), particularly informatics technologies such as e-prescribing, from the perspective of all of its stakeholders. To (a) identify the stakeholders involved in e-prescribing and (b) identify and rank order the positives and negatives of e-prescribing from the perspective of stakeholders in order to create a framework for payers, integrated delivery systems, policymakers and legislators, and those who influence public policy to assist them in the development of incentives and payment mechanisms that result in the better management of care. The Delphi method was used to enlist a panel of experts in e-prescribing, informatics, and/or HIT who have published in the field. This panel was presented with the results of initial research and an online survey of questions that sought to prioritize the quality, benefit, cost, and financial effects of e-prescribing from the perspective of each stakeholder. Eleven experts completed the first survey, which contained a list of stakeholders and positives and negatives associated with e-prescribing. Nine of the 11 experts completed the second survey, and 7 experts completed the final survey. From the results of these 3 surveys, a framework was presented to 5 framework experts, who were representatives from payers, integrated delivery systems, policymakers and legislators, and those who influence public policy. These framework experts were interviewed regarding the usefulness of the framework from their perspectives. The experts added stakeholders and many positives and negatives to the initial list and rank ordered the positives and negatives of e-prescribing from the perspective of each stakeholder. The aggregate results were summarized by stakeholder category. The positives and negatives were categorized as health, finance, effort, time, management, or data concerns. The framework experts

Current state of spent fuel management in the Russian Federation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Makarchuk, T.F.; Spichev, V.V.; Tikhonov, N.S.; Simanovsky, V.M.; Tokarenko, A.I.; Bespalov, V.N.

1998-01-01

Twenty nine power units of nine nuclear power plants of total installed capacity 22 GW(e) are now in operation in the Russian Federation. They produce approximately 12% of electric power in the country. The annual spent fuel arising is about 790 tU. The spent fuel from VVER-440 and BN-600 is reprocessed at the RT-1 plant near Chelyabinsk. The VVER-1000 spent fuel is planned to be reprocessed at the reprocessing plant RT-2 which is under construction near Krasnoyarsk. The RBMK-1000 spent fuel is not reprocessed because of its low fissile content. It is meant to be stored in intermediate storage facilities at the NPP sites and in a centralized storage facility during a period not less than 50 years and then to be disposed of in geological formations. State of the art of spent fuel reprocessing, storage and transportation is considered in the paper. Problems of nuclear fuel cycle back-end in Russia are taken into account. (author)

Presentation of safety after closure of the repository for spent nuclear fuel. Main report of the project SR-Site. Part III

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-01-01

The purpose of the safety assessment SR-Site is to investigate whether a safe repository for spent nuclear fuel by KBS-3 type can be constructed at Forsmark in Oesthammar in Sweden. The location of the Forsmark has been selected based on results of several surveys from surface conditions at depth in Forsmark and in Laxemar in Oskarshamn. The choice of location is not justified in SR-Site Report, but in other attachments to SKB's permit applications. SR-Site Report is an important part of SKB's permit applications to construct and operate a repository for spent nuclear fuel at Forsmark in Oesthammar. The purpose of the report in the applications is to show that a repository at Forsmark is safe after closure

Presentation of safety after closure of the repository for spent nuclear fuel. Main report of the project SR-Site. Part I

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-01-01

The purpose of the safety assessment SR-Site is to investigate whether a safe repository for spent nuclear fuel by KBS-3 type can be constructed at Forsmark in Oesthammar in Sweden. The location of the Forsmark has been selected based on results of several surveys from surface conditions at depth in Forsmark and in Laxemar in Oskarshamn. The choice of location is not justified in SR-Site Report, but in other attachments to SKB's permit applications. SR-Site Report is an important part of SKB's permit applications to construct and operate a repository for spent nuclear fuel at Forsmark in Oesthammar. The purpose of the report in the applications is to show that a repository at Forsmark is safe after closure

Prescribed burning supports grassland biodiversity - A multi-species study

Science.gov (United States)

Valkó, Orsolya; Deák, Balázs; Magura, Tibor; Török, Péter; Kelemen, András; Tóth, Katalin; Horváth, Roland; Nagy, Dávid; Debnár, Zsuzsanna; Zsigrai, György; Kapocsi, István; Tóthmérész, Béla

2017-04-01

During ancient times, fire was an important factor shaping European landscapes. Nowadays, prescribed burning can be one of the most effective conservation tools for the management of open landscapes, controlling dominant species, reducing accumulated litter or decreasing wildfire risk. In a prescribed burning experiment, we studied the effects of fire on dry alkaline grasslands. We tested whether autumn prescribed burning can be an alternative conservation measure in these grasslands. We selected six sites in Hungary: in three sites, prescribed burning was applied in November 2011, while three sites remained unburnt. We studied the effects of fire on soil characteristics, plant biomass and on the vegetation and arthropod assemblages (isopods, spiders, ground beetles and rove beetles). Soluble salt content increased significantly in the burnt sites, but soil pH, organic matter, potassium and phosphorous did not change. We found that prescribed fire had several positive effects from the nature conservation viewpoint. Diversity and the number of flowering shoots were higher, and the cover of the dominant grass was lower in the burnt sites. Graminoid biomass was lower, while total, green and forb biomass were higher in the burnt plots compared to the control ones. Our findings suggest that prescribed burning fire did not harm arthropods; species-level analyses showed that out of the most abundant invertebrate species, the abundance of ten was not affected, one decreased and one increased after burning. Our findings highlight that mosaic prescribed fire is a viable management tool in open landscapes, because it supports plant diversity and does not threaten arthropods.

To prescribe codeine or not to prescribe codeine?

Science.gov (United States)

Fleming, Marc L; Wanat, Matthew A

2014-09-01

A recently published study in Pediatrics by Kaiser et al. (2014; Epub April 21, DOI: 10.1542/peds.2013-3171) reported that on average, over the past decade, children aged 3 to 17 were prescribed approximately 700,000 prescriptions for codeine-containing products each year in association with emergency department (ED) visits. Although, guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics issued warnings in 1997 and reaffirmed their concerns regarding the safety and effectiveness of codeine in 2006, it is still often prescribed for pain and cough associated with upper respiratory infection. With the impending rescheduling of hydrocodone combination products to Schedule II, physicians and mid-level prescribers may be compelled to prescribe codeine-containing products (e.g., with acetaminophen) due to reduced administrative burden and limits on Schedule II prescriptive authority for nurse practitioners and physician assistants in some states. This commentary expounds on the safety and effectiveness concerns of codeine, with a primary focus on patients in the ED setting.

The use of prescribed and non-prescribed medication by Dutch children.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dijk, L. van; Lindert, H. van

2002-01-01

Background: Most research on the use of medication focuses on adults. Children, however, use medication too, most of which is prescribed by GP's. Children also use non-prescribed medication (f.e. bought in the drugstore), but the extent to which is not known. Moreover, it is not known to what extent

Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel. Specific Safety Guide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2012-01-01

This Safety Guide provides recommendations and guidance on the storage of spent nuclear fuel. It covers all types of storage facilities and all types of spent fuel from nuclear power plants and research reactors. It takes into consideration the longer storage periods that have become necessary owing to delays in the development of disposal facilities and the decrease in reprocessing activities. It also considers developments associated with nuclear fuel, such as higher enrichment, mixed oxide fuels and higher burnup. The Safety Guide is not intended to cover the storage of spent fuel if this is part of the operation of a nuclear power plant or spent fuel reprocessing facility. Guidance is provided on all stages for spent fuel storage facilities, from planning through siting and design to operation and decommissioning, and in particular retrieval of spent fuel. Contents: 1. Introduction; 2. Protection of human health and the environment; 3. Roles and responsibilities; 4. Management system; 5. Safety case and safety assessment; 6. General safety considerations for storage of spent fuel. Appendix I: Specific safety considerations for wet or dry storage of spent fuel; Appendix II: Conditions for specific types of fuel and additional considerations; Annex: I: Short term and long term storage; Annex II: Operational and safety considerations for wet and dry spent fuel storage facilities; Annex III: Examples of sections of operating procedures for a spent fuel storage facility; Annex IV: Site conditions, processes and events for consideration in a safety assessment (external human induced phenomena); Annex V: Site conditions, processes and events for consideration in a safety assessment (external natural phenomena); Annex VI: Site conditions, processes and events for consideration in a safety assessment (external human induced phenomena); Annex VII: Postulated initiating events for consideration in a safety assessment (internal phenomena).

Spent Nuclear Fuel project, project management plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuquay, B.J.

1995-01-01

The Hanford Spent Nuclear Fuel Project has been established to safely store spent nuclear fuel at the Hanford Site. This Project Management Plan sets forth the management basis for the Spent Nuclear Fuel Project. The plan applies to all fabrication and construction projects, operation of the Spent Nuclear Fuel Project facilities, and necessary engineering and management functions within the scope of the project

Spent nuclear fuel in Bulgaria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peev, P.; Kalimanov, N.

1999-01-01

The development of the nuclear energy sector in Bulgaria is characterized by two major stages. The first stage consisted of providing a scientific basis for the programme for development of the nuclear energy sector in the country and was completed with the construction of an experimental water-water reactor. At present, spent nuclear fuel from this reactor is placed in a water filled storage facility and will be transported back to Russia. The second stage consisted of the construction of the 6 NPP units at the Kozloduy site. The spent nuclear fuel from the six units is stored in at reactor pools and in an additional on-site storage facility which is nearly full. In order to engage the government of the country with the on-site storage problems, the new management of the National Electric Company elaborated a policy on nuclear fuel cycle and radioactive waste management. The underlying policy is de facto the selection of the 'deferred decision' option for its spent fuel management. (author)

Automation bias in electronic prescribing.

Science.gov (United States)

Lyell, David; Magrabi, Farah; Raban, Magdalena Z; Pont, L G; Baysari, Melissa T; Day, Richard O; Coiera, Enrico

2017-03-16

Clinical decision support (CDS) in e-prescribing can improve safety by alerting potential errors, but introduces new sources of risk. Automation bias (AB) occurs when users over-rely on CDS, reducing vigilance in information seeking and processing. Evidence of AB has been found in other clinical tasks, but has not yet been tested with e-prescribing. This study tests for the presence of AB in e-prescribing and the impact of task complexity and interruptions on AB. One hundred and twenty students in the final two years of a medical degree prescribed medicines for nine clinical scenarios using a simulated e-prescribing system. Quality of CDS (correct, incorrect and no CDS) and task complexity (low, low + interruption and high) were varied between conditions. Omission errors (failure to detect prescribing errors) and commission errors (acceptance of false positive alerts) were measured. Compared to scenarios with no CDS, correct CDS reduced omission errors by 38.3% (p < .0001, n = 120), 46.6% (p < .0001, n = 70), and 39.2% (p < .0001, n = 120) for low, low + interrupt and high complexity scenarios respectively. Incorrect CDS increased omission errors by 33.3% (p < .0001, n = 120), 24.5% (p < .009, n = 82), and 26.7% (p < .0001, n = 120). Participants made commission errors, 65.8% (p < .0001, n = 120), 53.5% (p < .0001, n = 82), and 51.7% (p < .0001, n = 120). Task complexity and interruptions had no impact on AB. This study found evidence of AB omission and commission errors in e-prescribing. Verification of CDS alerts is key to avoiding AB errors. However, interventions focused on this have had limited success to date. Clinicians should remain vigilant to the risks of CDS failures and verify CDS.

Optimization of time and location dependent spent nuclear fuel storage capacity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Macek, V.

1977-01-01

A linear spent fuel storage model is developed to identify cost-effective spent nuclear fuel storage strategies. The purpose of this model is to provide guidelines for the implementation of the optimal time-dependent spent fuel storage capacity expansion in view of the current economic and regulatory environment which has resulted in phase-out of the closed nuclear fuel cycle. Management alternatives of the spent fuel storage backlog, which is created by mismatch between spent fuel generation rate and spent fuel disposition capability, are represented by aggregate decision variables which describe the time dependent on-reactor-site and off-site spent fuel storage capacity additions, and the amount of spent fuel transferred to off-site storage facilities. Principal constraints of the model assure determination of cost optimal spent fuel storage expansion strategies, while spent fuel storage requirements are met at all times. A detailed physical and economic analysis of the essential components of the spent fuel storage problem, which precedes the model development, assures its realism. The effects of technological limitations on the on-site spent fuel storage expansion and timing of reinitiation of the spent fuel reprocessing on optimal spent fuel storage capacity expansion are investigated. The principal results of the study indicate that (a) expansion of storage capacity beyond that of currently planned facilities is necessary, and (b) economics of the post-reactor fuel cycle is extremely sensitive to the timing of reinitiation of spent fuel reprocessing. Postponement of reprocessing beyond mid-1982 may result in net negative economic liability of the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle

Final disposal of spent nuclear fuel in Finnish bedrock - Romuvaara site report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anttila, P. [Fortum Engineering Oy (Finland); Ahokas, H. [Fintact Oy (Finland); Front, K. [VTT Communities and Infrastructure, Espoo (Finland)] [and others

1999-06-01

Posiva Oy is studying the Finnish bedrock for the geological disposal of spent nuclear fuel. The study is based on the site selection research programme started originally in 1983. The programme is in accordance with the decision in principle by the Council of State in 1983 and aims at the selection of one site in 2000. Four sites, Haestholmen in Loviisa, Kivetty in Aeaenekoski, Olkiluoto in Eurajoki and Romuvaara in Kuhmo, have been studied in detail. This report summarises the results of the site investigations carried out at Romuvaara. The bedrock of Romuvaara belongs to the Archean basement complex, whose oldest parts date back over 2800 million years. The bedrock consists mainly of migmatitic banded gneisses (tonalite, leucotonalite and mica gneiss), which are cut by granodiorite and metadiabase dykes. The rocks, excluding the metadiabase, have undergone a polyphase Archaean deformation. Altogether 31 bedrock structures (R-structures) have been modelled at the investigation site, most of them representing steeply dipping fracture zones. The rock mass between the fracture zones represents what is termed `intact rock`, which is typically hard, unweathered and sparsely fractured. The R-structures are generally hydraulically more conductive than the intact rock and their mean transmissivity is 1.6 x 10{sup -7} m{sup 2}/s. The corresponding mean of the hydraulic conductivity values for the intact rock measured using a 2 m packer interval is 8 x 10{sup -12} m/s, if a lognormal distribution for all measured values is assumed. A clear decrease in hydraulic conductivity with depth has been found, for both the R-structures and the intact rock. In addition, the hydraulically conductive fractures seem to be more frequent and their transmissivities higher in the uppermost 100 - 200 m of the bedrock than at greater depths. The groundwater of Romuvaara is classified as fresh water and the Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) and chloride contents increase with depth. The chemically

Final disposal of spent nuclear fuel in Finnish bedrock - Kivetty site report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anttila, P.; Ahokas, H.; Front, K.

1999-06-01

Posiva Oy is studying the Finnish bedrock for the geological disposal of spent nuclear fuel. The study is based on the site selection research programme started originally in 1983. The programme is in accordance with the decision in principle by the Council of State in 1983 and aims at the selection of one site in 2000. Four sites, Haestholmen in Loviisa, Kivetty in Aeaenekoski, Olkiluoto in Eurajoki and Romuvaara in Kuhmo, have been studied in detail. This report summarises the results of the site investigations carried out at Kivetty. The bedrock of Kivetty belongs to the large Svecofennian granitoid complex of central Finland, about 1880 million years in age. The most common rock type is porphyritic granodiorite, which is cut by younger medium-grained granodiorite and porphyritic or even-grained granite. Minor bodies of gabbro, older than the porphyritic granodiorite, are also present. The granitoids show evidence of two deformation phases. Altogether 29 bedrock 'structures' (R-structures) have been modelled at the investigation site, most of them representing steeply dipping fracture zones. The rock mass between the fracture zones represents what is termed 'intact rock', which is typically hard, unweathered and sparsely fractured. The R-structures are generally hydraulically more conductive than the intact rock and their mean transmissivity is 1.3-10 -6 m 2 /s. The corresponding mean of the hydraulic conductivity values for the intact rock, measured using a 2 m packer interval is 4*10 -11 m 2 /s, if a lognormal distribution for all measured values is assumed. A clear decrease in hydraulic conductivity with depth has been found for the intact rock, and there seems to be a parallel decrease in the transmissivity of structures. In addition, the hydraulically conductive fractures seem to be more frequent and their transmissivities higher in the uppermost 100 - 200 m of the bedrock than at greater depths. The groundwater of Kivetty is classified as fresh water and

Final disposal of spent nuclear fuel in Finnish bedrock - Romuvaara site report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anttila, P.; Ahokas, H.; Front, K.

1999-06-01

Posiva Oy is studying the Finnish bedrock for the geological disposal of spent nuclear fuel. The study is based on the site selection research programme started originally in 1983. The programme is in accordance with the decision in principle by the Council of State in 1983 and aims at the selection of one site in 2000. Four sites, Haestholmen in Loviisa, Kivetty in Aeaenekoski, Olkiluoto in Eurajoki and Romuvaara in Kuhmo, have been studied in detail. This report summarises the results of the site investigations carried out at Romuvaara. The bedrock of Romuvaara belongs to the Archean basement complex, whose oldest parts date back over 2800 million years. The bedrock consists mainly of migmatitic banded gneisses (tonalite, leucotonalite and mica gneiss), which are cut by granodiorite and metadiabase dykes. The rocks, excluding the metadiabase, have undergone a polyphase Archaean deformation. Altogether 31 bedrock structures (R-structures) have been modelled at the investigation site, most of them representing steeply dipping fracture zones. The rock mass between the fracture zones represents what is termed 'intact rock', which is typically hard, unweathered and sparsely fractured. The R-structures are generally hydraulically more conductive than the intact rock and their mean transmissivity is 1.6 x 10 -7 m 2 /s. The corresponding mean of the hydraulic conductivity values for the intact rock measured using a 2 m packer interval is 8 x 10 -12 m/s, if a lognormal distribution for all measured values is assumed. A clear decrease in hydraulic conductivity with depth has been found, for both the R-structures and the intact rock. In addition, the hydraulically conductive fractures seem to be more frequent and their transmissivities higher in the uppermost 100 - 200 m of the bedrock than at greater depths. The groundwater of Romuvaara is classified as fresh water and the Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) and chloride contents increase with depth. The chemically most evolved

The dry spent RBMK fuel cask storage site at the Ignalina NPP in Lithuania

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Penkov, V.V.; Diersch, R.

1999-01-01

At present, there are about 15,000 spent RBMK fuel assemblies stored in the water pools near the reactors at the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant (INPP). Part of them are cut in two bundles and stored in standardized baskets in the pools. Each basket is loaded with 102 bundles. For long-term interim storage of this fuel, it was decided to use dry storage in casks. For this reason, the total activity to be stored is split into individual units (casks). Each cask represents a closed and independent safety system, fulfilling all safety-relevant requirements for both normal operational and hypothetical accidental conditions. The main safety relevant features of the storage cask system are: (1) Inherent safety system; (2) Double barrier system; (3) Passive cooling by natural convection; (4) Safety against accidents. The cask dry storage system is a cost effective and multi-functional system for storage, transport after the operation time and final disposal under consideration of additional protective elements. From an economical point of view, cask storage has a number of advantages. Two cask types have been intended for the INPP storage site: (1) The CASTOR RBMK cask made of ductile cast iron; (2) The CONSTOR RBMK sandwich cask made of an inner and outer steel shell and reinforced heavy concrete. The CASTOR RBMK and the CONSTOR RBMK casks are designed to withstand severe storage site accidents and with help of impact limiters - to fulfil the IAEA test criteria for type B(U)F packages. The INPP spent RBMK fuel storage site is designed as an open air storage for an operational time of 50 years. The casks are arranged on the concrete storage pad. The site is equipped with a crane for cask handling and technological buildings and security systems. The safety analyses for fuel and cask handling and for cask handling and for cask technology at the site have been made and accepted by the Lithuanian Competent Authority. (author)

Thermal calculations for the design, construction, operation, and evaluation of the Spent Fuel Test - Climax, Nevada Test Site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montan, D.N.; Patrick, W.C.

1981-01-01

The Spent Fuel Test-Climax (SFT-C) is a test of retrievable deep geologic storage of commercially generated spent nuclear reactor fuel in granitic rock. Eleven spent fuel assemblies, together with six electrical simulators and 20 guard heaters, are emplaced 420 m below the surface in the Climax granite at the US Department of Energy Nevada Test Site. On June 2, 1978 LLNL secured funding for the SFT-C, and completed spent fuel emplacement May 28, 1980. This report documents a series of thermal calculations that were performed in support of the SFT-C. Early calculations employed analytical solutions to address such design and construction issues as drift layout and emplacement hole spacings. Operational aspects of the test required more detailed numerical solutions dealing with ventilation and guard-heater power levels. The final set of calculations presented here provides temperature histories throughout the test facility for evaluation of the response of the SFT-C and for comparison of calculations with acquired data. This final set of calculations employs the as-built test geometry and best-available material properties

Management of Hanford Site non-defense production reactor spent nuclear fuel, Hanford Site, Richland, Washington

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-03-01

The US Department of Energy (DOE) needs to provide radiologically, and industrially safe and cost-effective management of the non-defense production reactor spent nuclear fuel (SNF) at the Hanford Site. The proposed action would place the Hanford Site's non-defense production reactor SNF in a radiologically- and industrially-safe, and passive storage condition pending final disposition. The proposed action would also reduce operational costs associated with storage of the non-defense production reactor SNF through consolidation of the SNF and through use of passive rather than active storage systems. Environmental, safety and health vulnerabilities associated with existing non-defense production reactor SNF storage facilities have been identified. DOE has determined that additional activities are required to consolidate non-defense production reactor SNF management activities at the Hanford Site, including cost-effective and safe interim storage, prior to final disposition, to enable deactivation of facilities where the SNF is now stored. Cost-effectiveness would be realized: through reduced operational costs associated with passive rather than active storage systems; removal of SNF from areas undergoing deactivation as part of the Hanford Site remediation effort; and eliminating the need to duplicate future transloading facilities at the 200 and 400 Areas. Radiologically- and industrially-safe storage would be enhanced through: (1) removal from aging facilities requiring substantial upgrades to continue safe storage; (2) utilization of passive rather than active storage systems for SNF; and (3) removal of SNF from some storage containers which have a limited remaining design life. No substantial increase in Hanford Site environmental impacts would be expected from the proposed action. Environmental impacts from postulated accident scenarios also were evaluated, and indicated that the risks associated with the proposed action would be small

Standardized, utility-DOE compatible, spent fuel storage-transport systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, M.L.

1991-01-01

Virginia Power has developed and licensed a facility for dry storage of spent nuclear fuel in metal spent fuel storage casks. The modifications to the design of these casks necessary for licensing for both storage and transport of spent fuel are discussed along with the operational advantages of dual purpose storage-transport casks. Dual purpose casks can be used for storage at utility and DOE sites (MRS or repository) and for shipment between these sites with minimal spent fuel handling. The cost for a standardized system of casks that are compatible for use at both DOE and utility sites is discussed along with possible arrangements for sharing both the cost and benefits of dual purpose storage-transport casks

Modular dry storage of spent fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baxter, J.W.

1982-01-01

Long term uncertainties in US spent fuel reprocessing and storage policies and programs are forcing the electric utilities to consider means of storing spent fuel at the reactor site in increasing quantitities and for protracted periods. Utilities have taken initial steps in increasing storage capacity. Existing wet storage pools have in many cases been reracked to optimize their capacity for storing spent fuel assemblies

E-learning on antibiotic prescribing-the role of autonomous motivation in participation: a prospective cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Caris, Martine G; Sikkens, Jonne J; Kusurkar, Rashmi A; van Agtmael, Michiel A

2018-05-10

E-learning is increasingly used in education on antimicrobial stewardship, but participation rates are often low. Insight into factors that affect participation is therefore needed. Autonomous motivation is associated with higher achievements in medical education and could also play a role in e-learning participation. We therefore aimed to investigate the role of residents' autonomous motivation in their participation in e-learning on antibiotic prescribing. We performed a multicentre cohort study in two academic and two teaching hospitals. Residents who filled out questionnaires on antibiotic knowledge, the perceived importance of antibiotics and motivation [Self-Regulation Questionnaire - Academic (SRQ-a)] received e-learning access. We used the SRQ-a to calculate relative autonomous motivation (RAM), an index that estimates the amount of autonomous motivation compared with the amount of controlled motivation. We then analysed associations between RAM and participation in e-learning with logistic regression. Eighty-six residents participated (74% female, mean age 30 years). Overall e-learning participation was 58% (n = 50). Participation was 41% in residents with negative RAM (i.e. more controlled motivation) and 62% in residents with positive RAM (i.e. more autonomous motivation). RAM was positively associated with participation, adjusted for residency in an academic hospital (adjusted OR 2.6, 95% CI 1.5-4.6). Participation in non-obligatory e-learning on antibiotic prescribing is higher in residents with more autonomous motivation. Interventions to increase autonomous motivation could improve participation. Preceding e-learning on antibiotic prescribing with face-to-face education, to explain the importance of the subject, could enhance autonomous motivation and thus optimize e-learning efficiency.

Improving antibiotic prescribing skills in medical students: the effect of e-learning after 6 months.

Science.gov (United States)

Sikkens, Jonne J; Caris, Martine G; Schutte, Tim; Kramer, Mark H H; Tichelaar, Jelle; van Agtmael, Michiel A

2018-05-09

Antimicrobial prescribing behaviour is first established during medical study, but teachers often cite lack of time as an important problem in the implementation of antimicrobial stewardship in the medical curriculum. The use of electronic learning (e-learning) is a potentially time-efficient solution, but its effectiveness in changing long-term prescribing behaviour in medical students is as yet unknown. We performed a prospective controlled intervention study of the long-term effects of a short interactive e-learning course among fourth year medical students in a Dutch university. The e-learning was temporarily implemented as a non-compulsory course during a 6 week period. Six months later, all students underwent an infectious disease-based objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) aimed at simulating postgraduate prescribing. If they passed, each student did the OSCE only once. We created a control group of students from a period when the e-learning was not implemented. Main outcomes were the OSCE pass percentage and knowledge, drug choice and overall scores. We used propensity scores to create equal comparisons. We included 71 students in the intervention group and 285 students in the control group. E-learning participation in the intervention group was 81%. The OSCE pass percentage was 86% in the control group versus 97% in the intervention group (+11%, OR 5.9, 95% CI 1.7-20.0). OSCE overall, knowledge and drug choice grades (1-10) were also significantly higher in the intervention group (differences +0.31, +0.31 and +0.51, respectively). E-learning during a limited period can significantly improve medical students' performance of an antimicrobial therapeutic consultation in a situation simulating clinical practice 6 months later.

Spent fuel workshop'2002

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poinssot, Ch.

2002-01-01

This document gathers the transparencies of the presentations given at the 2002 spent fuel workshop: Session 1 - Research Projects: Overview on the IN CAN PROCESSES European project (M. Cowper), Overview on the SPENT FUEL STABILITY European project (C. Poinssot), Overview on the French R and D project on spent fuel long term evolution, PRECCI (C. Poinssot); Session 2 - Spent Fuel Oxidation: Oxidation of uranium dioxide single crystals (F. Garrido), Experimental results on SF oxidation and new modeling approach (L. Desgranges), LWR spent fuel oxidation - effects of burn-up and humidity (B. Hanson), An approach to modeling CANDU fuel oxidation under dry storage conditions (P. Taylor); Session 3 - Spent Fuel Dissolution Experiments: Overview on high burnup spent fuel dissolution studies at FZK/INE (A. Loida), Results on the influence of hydrogen on spent fuel leaching (K. Spahiu), Leaching of spent UO 2 fuel under inert and reducing conditions (Y. Albinsson), Fuel corrosion investigation by electrochemical techniques (D. Wegen), A reanalysis of LWR spent fuel flow through dissolution tests (B. Hanson), U-bearing secondary phases formed during fuel corrosion (R. Finch), The near-field chemical conditions and spent fuel leaching (D. Cui), The release of radionuclides from spent fuel in bentonite block (S.S. Kim), Trace actinide behavior in altered spent fuel (E. Buck, B. Hanson); Session 4 - Radiolysis Issues: The effect of radiolysis on UO 2 dissolution determined from electrochemical experiments with 238 Pu doped UO 2 M. Stroess-Gascoyne (F. King, J.S. Betteridge, F. Garisto), doped UO 2 studies (V. Rondinella), Preliminary results of static and dynamic dissolution tests with α doped UO 2 in Boom clay conditions (K. Lemmens), Studies of the behavior of UO 2 / water interfaces under He 2+ beam (C. Corbel), Alpha and gamma radiolysis effects on UO 2 alteration in water (C. Jegou), Behavior of Pu-doped pellets in brines (M. Kelm), On the potential catalytic behavior of

Safety aspects of dry spent fuel storage and spent fuel management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Botsch, W.; Smalian, S.; Hinterding, P.; Voelzke, H.; Wolff, D.; Kasparek, E.

2014-01-01

The storage of spent nuclear fuel (SF) and high-level radioactive waste (HLW) must conform to safety requirements. Safety aspects like safe enclosure of radioactive materials, safe removal of decay heat, nuclear criticality safety and avoidance of unnecessary radiation exposure must be achieved throughout the storage period. The implementation of these safety requirements can be achieved by dry storage of SF and HLW in casks as well as in other systems such as dry vault storage systems or spent fuel pools, where the latter is neither a dry nor a passive system. In Germany dual purpose casks for SF or HLW are used for safe transportation and interim storage. TUV and BAM, who work as independent experts for the competent authorities, present the storage licensing process including sites and casks and inform about spent nuclear fuel management and issues concerning dry storage of spent nuclear fuel, based on their long experience in these fields (authors)

Final disposal of spent nuclear fuel in Finnish bedrock - Kivetty site report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anttila, P. [Fortum Engineering Oy, Vantaa (Finland); Ahokas, H.; Front, K. [Fintact Oy (Finland)] [and others

1999-06-01

Posiva Oy is studying the Finnish bedrock for the geological disposal of spent nuclear fuel. The study is based on the site selection research programme started originally in 1983. The programme is in accordance with the decision in principle by the Council of State in 1983 and aims at the selection of one site in 2000. Four sites, Haestholmen in Loviisa, Kivetty in Aeaenekoski, Olkiluoto in Eurajoki and Romuvaara in Kuhmo, have been studied in detail. This report summarises the results of the site investigations carried out at Kivetty. The bedrock of Kivetty belongs to the large Svecofennian granitoid complex of central Finland, about 1880 million years in age. The most common rock type is porphyritic granodiorite, which is cut by younger medium-grained granodiorite and porphyritic or even-grained granite. Minor bodies of gabbro, older than the porphyritic granodiorite, are also present. The granitoids show evidence of two deformation phases. Altogether 29 bedrock 'structures' (R-structures) have been modelled at the investigation site, most of them representing steeply dipping fracture zones. The rock mass between the fracture zones represents what is termed 'intact rock', which is typically hard, unweathered and sparsely fractured. The R-structures are generally hydraulically more conductive than the intact rock and their mean transmissivity is 1.3-10{sup -6} m{sup 2}/s. The corresponding mean of the hydraulic conductivity values for the intact rock, measured using a 2 m packer interval is 4*10{sup -11} m{sup 2}/s, if a lognormal distribution for all measured values is assumed. A clear decrease in hydraulic conductivity with depth has been found for the intact rock, and there seems to be a parallel decrease in the transmissivity of structures. In addition, the hydraulically conductive fractures seem to be more frequent and their transmissivities higher in the uppermost 100 - 200 m of the bedrock than at greater depths. The groundwater of

Regulatory supervision of sites for spent fuel and radioactive waste storage in the Russian northwest.

Science.gov (United States)

Shandala, N K; Sneve, M K; Smith, G M; Kiselev, M F; Kochetkov, O A; Savkin, M N; Simakov, A V; Novikova, N Ya; Titov, A V; Romanov, V V; Seregin, V A; Filonova, A V; Semenova, M P

2008-12-01

In the 1960s two technical bases for the Northern Fleet were created in the Russian northwest at Andreeva Bay in the Kola Peninsula and Gremikha village on the coast of the Barents Sea. They maintained nuclear submarines, receiving and storing radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel. No further waste was received after 1985, and the technical bases have since been re-categorised as temporary storage sites. The handling of these materials to put them into a safe condition is especially hazardous because of their degraded state. This paper describes regulatory activities which have been carried out to support the supervision of radiological protection during recovery of waste and spent fuel, and to support regulatory decisions on overall site remediation. The work described includes: an assessment of the radiation situation on-site; the development of necessary additional regulatory rules and standards for radiation protection assurance for workers and the public during remediation; and the completion of an initial threat assessment to identify regulatory priorities. Detailed consideration of measures for the control of radiation exposure of workers and radiation exposure of the public during and after operations and emergency preparedness and response are complete and provided in sister papers. The continuing requirements for regulatory activities relevant to the development and implementation of on-going and future remediation activities are also outlined. The Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority supports the work, as part of the Norwegian Government's plan of action to promote improvements in radiation protection and nuclear safety in northwest Russia.

Regulatory supervision of sites for spent fuel and radioactive waste storage in the Russian Northwest

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shandala, N K; Kochetkov, O A; Savkin, M N; Simakov, A V; Novikova, N Ya; Titov, A V; Seregin, V A; Filonova, A V; Semenova, M P [Burnasyan Federal Medical Biophysical Centre, Moscow (Russian Federation); Sneve, M K [Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority, Oslo (Norway); Smith, G M [GMS Abingdon Ltd (United Kingdom); Kiselev, M F; Romanov, V V [Federal Medical-Biological Agency, Moscow (Russian Federation)], E-mail: shandala@srcibph.ru

2008-12-15

In the 1960s two technical bases for the Northern Fleet were created in the Russian northwest at Andreeva Bay in the Kola Peninsula and Gremikha village on the coast of the Barents Sea. They maintained nuclear submarines, receiving and storing radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel. No further waste was received after 1985, and the technical bases have since been re-categorised as temporary storage sites. The handling of these materials to put them into a safe condition is especially hazardous because of their degraded state. This paper describes regulatory activities which have been carried out to support the supervision of radiological protection during recovery of waste and spent fuel, and to support regulatory decisions on overall site remediation. The work described includes: an assessment of the radiation situation on-site; the development of necessary additional regulatory rules and standards for radiation protection assurance for workers and the public during remediation; and the completion of an initial threat assessment to identify regulatory priorities. Detailed consideration of measures for the control of radiation exposure of workers and radiation exposure of the public during and after operations and emergency preparedness and response are complete and provided in sister papers. The continuing requirements for regulatory activities relevant to the development and implementation of on-going and future remediation activities are also outlined. The Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority supports the work, as part of the Norwegian Government's plan of action to promote improvements in radiation protection and nuclear safety in northwest Russia.

Characterization of stored defense production spent nulcear fuel and associated materials at Hanford Site, Richland Washington: Environmental assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-03-01

There are about 2,100 tonnes (2,300 tons) of defense production spent nuclear fuel stored in the 100-K Area Basins located along the south shore of the Columbia River in the northern part of the Hanford Site. Some of the fuel which has been in storage for a number of years is in poor condition and continues to deteriorate. The basins also contain fuel fragments and radioactively contaminated sludge. The DOE needs to characterize defense production spent nuclear fuel and associated materials stored on the Hanford Site. In order to satisfy that need, the Department of Energy (DOE) proposes to select, collect and transport samples of spent nuclear fuel and associated materials to the 327 Building for characterization. As a result of that characterization, modes of interim storage can be determined that would be compatible with the material in its present state and alternative treatment processes could be developed to permit a broader selection of storage modes. Environmental impacts of the proposed action were determined to be limited principally to radiation exposure of workers, which, however, were found to be small. No health effects among workers or the general public would be expected under routine operations. Implementation of the proposed action would not result in any impacts on cultural resources, threatened, endangered and candidate species, air or water quality, socioeconomic conditions, or waste management

Evolution of spent fuel dry storage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Standring, Paul Nicholas [International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (Austria). Div. of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology; Takats, Ferenc [TS ENERCON KFT, Budapest (Hungary)

2016-11-15

Around 10,000 tHM of spent fuel is discharged per year from the nuclear power plants in operation. Whilst the bulk of spent fuel is still held in at reactor pools, 24 countries have developed storage facilities; either on the reactor site or away from the reactor site. Of the 146 operational AFR storage facilities about 80 % employ dry storage; the majority being deployed over the last 20 years. This reflects both the development of dry storage technology as well as changes in politics and trading relationships that have affected spent fuel management policies. The paper describes the various approaches to the back-end of the nuclear fuel cycle for power reactor fuels and provides data on deployed storage technologies.

Storage of non-defense production reactor spent nuclear fuel at the Department of Energy's Hanford Site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carlson, A.B.

1998-01-01

In 1992, the US Department of Energy (DOE) established a program at the Hanford Site for management of DOE-owned spent nuclear fuel (SNF) until final disposition. Currently, the DOE-owned SNF Program is developing and implementing plans to assure existing storage, achieve interim storage, and prepare DOE-owned SNF for final disposition. Program requirements for management of the SNF are delineated in the DOE-owned SNF Program Plan.(DOE 1995a) and the DOE Spent Fuel Program's Requirements Document (DOE 1994a). Major program requirements are driven by the following: commitments established in the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) Recommendation 94-1 Implementation Plan (DOE 1995b); corrective action plans for resolving vulnerabilities identified in the DOE Spent Fuel Working Group's Report on Health, Safety, and Environmental Vulnerabilities for Reactor Irradiated Nuclear Materials (DOE 1993); the settlement agreement between the US Department of Navy, the US Department of Energy, and the State of Idaho on the record of decision (ROD) from the DOE Programmatic SNF Management and Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Programs Environmental Impact Statement (DOE Programmatic SNF EIS) (Idaho, 1995)

The Site Selected. The Local Decision-Making Regarding the Siting of the Spent Nuclear Fuel Repository in Olkiluoto

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kojo, Matti

2006-01-01

In May 1999 Posiva, the company responsible for the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel in Finland, suggested that the Finnish Government considers only Olkiluoto in Eurajoki in its application of a decision in principle to be a final disposal site. In January 2000 the municipal council of Eurajoki made a positive statement on the decision in principle. The Government made the decision in principle in Dec 2000, and the Parliament ratified the decision in May 2001. The paper is focused on the decision making of Eurajoki municipality regarding the siting of the spent nuclear fuel repository. The paper shows how the interaction between the representatives of the candidate municipality and the nuclear energy industry was the crucial factor in the decision-making. Eurajoki serves as an example, in where the parties reached an agreement of the compensations for the final disposal repository. The negotiations between the Eurajoki municipality and the nuclear energy industry in reaching a positive decision are analysed from the beginning of the 1980s. The main emphasis is however on the years 1996-99, when the nuclear energy industry negotiated with the municipality on the compensation for the final disposal repository. The loss of income was an important reason why some of the councillors of Eurajoki were interested in having the final disposal repository in Olkiluoto. The industry's problem on the other hand was to safeguard the final disposal site. From the TVO's angle Olkiluoto was a potential final disposal site for example for its limited need for transport and for the existing infrastructure. The company used the financial benefits of the project as its trump card. The attitude of Eurajoki municipality to the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel turned positive with the Olkiluoto vision in December 1998, when still five years earlier the municipal council was prepared to act and prevent the final disposal. The future image presented by the municipality now matched

The Site Selected. The Local Decision-Making Regarding the Siting of the Spent Nuclear Fuel Repository in Olkiluoto

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kojo, Matti [Univ. of Tampere (Finland). Dept. of Political Science and International Relations

2006-09-15

In May 1999 Posiva, the company responsible for the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel in Finland, suggested that the Finnish Government considers only Olkiluoto in Eurajoki in its application of a decision in principle to be a final disposal site. In January 2000 the municipal council of Eurajoki made a positive statement on the decision in principle. The Government made the decision in principle in Dec 2000, and the Parliament ratified the decision in May 2001. The paper is focused on the decision making of Eurajoki municipality regarding the siting of the spent nuclear fuel repository. The paper shows how the interaction between the representatives of the candidate municipality and the nuclear energy industry was the crucial factor in the decision-making. Eurajoki serves as an example, in where the parties reached an agreement of the compensations for the final disposal repository. The negotiations between the Eurajoki municipality and the nuclear energy industry in reaching a positive decision are analysed from the beginning of the 1980s. The main emphasis is however on the years 1996-99, when the nuclear energy industry negotiated with the municipality on the compensation for the final disposal repository. The loss of income was an important reason why some of the councillors of Eurajoki were interested in having the final disposal repository in Olkiluoto. The industry's problem on the other hand was to safeguard the final disposal site. From the TVO's angle Olkiluoto was a potential final disposal site for example for its limited need for transport and for the existing infrastructure. The company used the financial benefits of the project as its trump card. The attitude of Eurajoki municipality to the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel turned positive with the Olkiluoto vision in December 1998, when still five years earlier the municipal council was prepared to act and prevent the final disposal. The future image presented by the municipality

Uso indicado e uso referido de medicamentos durante a gravidez Prescribed and reported drug use during pregnancy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claudia Garcia Serpa Osorio-de-Castro

2004-01-01

Full Text Available Poucos estudos descrevem a utilização de medicamentos na gravidez com detalhamento de práticas prescritivas. A pesquisa integra grande inquérito sobre atenção perinatal em hospitais do Município do Rio de Janeiro. A natureza do hospital - se pública, contratada/conveniada ao SUS ou privada - determinou estratificação de 10.072 puérperas internadas. A coleta de dados se deu por entrevista e por consulta a prontuários, cobrindo medicamentos utilizados durante a gravidez e prescritos durante a internação hospitalar quando do parto. Medicamentos foram classificados pela ATC e outro sistema para casos especiais de uso referido. Houve média de 2,08 medicamentos prescritos no parto e 2,3 usados durante a gestação, sendo os mais prescritos anestésicos, antibióticos, ocitocina e analgésicos, com diferenças significativas entre estratos, e os mais referidos sulfato ferroso, vitaminas, escopolamina e paracetamol. Para interromper a gravidez, 49,7% relatam o uso de chás e 9,2% de misoprostol. O perfil de utilização é corroborado pela literatura. A pesquisa oferece oportunidade de conhecimento de padrões de prescrição ao parto e de uso referido durante a gestação nos setores público e privado.Few studies describe drug utilization in pregnancy focusing on prescribing practices. This study is part of a larger survey on perinatal care in the City of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The type of hospital (public, contracted out by the Unified National Health System, or private determined the stratification of 10,072 hospitalized post-partum women, who were asked about medication used during pregnancy. Hospital records supplied information on drugs prescribed during labor. Drugs were classified according to the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC system. Another system was used for specific cases of referred use. A mean of 2.08 drugs was prescribed during labor, and a mean of 2.3 was reported during pregnancy. Anesthetics, antibiotics

Final disposal of spent nuclear fuel-equipment for site characterization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Almen, K.; Hansson, K.; Johansson, B.E.; Nilsson, G.; Andersson, O.; Wikberg, P.; Aahagen, H.

1983-05-01

The suitability of a certain geological formation as a repository for the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel can be determined only after detailed investigation and analysis. The purpose of the investigations is to provide information on the geology and the hydrology and chemistry of the site concerned. The value of these data largely depends on the way in which they have been collected. The report of the findings should enable the investigating party to evaluate the function and the accuracy of the equipment with which field data have been collected for KBS 3. This report describes the geophysical equipment, the hydraulic testing equipment, the water chemistry sample extracting equipment and the core-logging equipment used. The objectives of the instrument development have been: - to obtain a high data quality. - to collect data automatically in logs and tape recorders for direct transfer to a central processing unit. - to provide back-up in order to counteract loss of data. - to make instrument more efficient. (author)

Current state and perspectives of spent fuel storage in Russia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kurnosov, V.A.; Tichonov, N.S.; Makarchuk, T.F.

1999-01-01

Twenty-nine power units at nine nuclear power plants, having a total installed capacity of 22 GW(e), are now in operation in the Russian Federation. They produce approximately 12% of the generated electricity in the country. The annual spent fuel arising is approximately 790 tU. The concept of the closed fuel cycle was adopted as the basis for nuclear power development in the Russian Federation, but until now this concept is only implemented for the fuel cycles of WWER-440 and BN-600 reactors. The WWER-1000 spent fuel is planned to be reprocessed at the reprocessing plant RT-2 which is under construction near Krasnoyarsk. The RBMK-1000 spent fuel is not reprocessed. It is meant to be stored in intermediate storage facilities at the NPP sites. The status of the spent fuel (SF) stored in the storage facilities is given in the paper. The principal characteristics of the fuel cycles of the Russian NPPs in the period up to 2015 is also given in the report. The key variant of the current spent fuel management at RBMK-1000 NPPs is storage in at-reactor and in away-from-reactor wet storage facilities at the power plant site with a capacity of 2,000 W. The storage capacity at the operating RBMKs (including the increase due to denser fuel assembly arrangement) will provide SF reception from the NPPs only up to 2005. For RBMK spent fuel, intermediate dry storage is foreseen at power plant sites in metallic concrete casks and thereafter transportation to the central storage facility at the RT-2 plant for long-term storage. The SF will be reprocessing after completion of the reprocessing plant at RT-2. In the Programme of Nuclear Power Development in the Russian Federation for the period 1998 to 2005 and for the period until 2010 year, provisions are made for the construction of a central dry storage facility before 2010. The facility will have a design capacity of 30,000 tU for WWER-1000 and RBMK-1000 spent fuel and is part of the reprocessing plant RT-2. The paper considers

Effects of prescribed fire and post-fire rainfall on mercury mobilization and subsequent contamination assessment in a legacy mine site in Victoria, Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Abraham, Joji; Dowling, Kim; Florentine, Singarayer

2018-01-01

Prescribed fire conducted in fire-prone areas is a cost-effective choice for forest management, but it also affects many of the physicochemical and bio-geological properties of the forest soil, in a similar manner to wild fires. The aim of this study is to investigate the nature of the mercury mobilization after a prescribed fire and the subsequent temporal changes in concentration. A prescribed fire was conducted in a legacy mine site in Central Victoria, Australia, in late August 2015 and soil sample collection and analyses were carried out two days before and two days after the fire, followed by collection at the end of each season and after an intense rainfall event in September 2016. Results revealed the occurrence of mercury volatilization (8.3-97%) during the fire, and the mercury concentration displayed a significant difference (p fire. Integrated assessment with number of pollution indices has shown that the study site is extremely contaminated with mercury during all the sampling events, and this poses a serious ecological risk due to the health impacts of mercury on human and ecosystems. In times of climate fluctuation with concomitant increase in forest fire (including prescribed fire), and subsequent precipitation and runoff, the potential for an increased amount of mercury being mobilized is of heighted significance. Therefore, it is recommended that prescribed fire should be cautiously considered as a forest management strategy in any mercury affected landscapes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Final disposal of spent fuel in the Finnish bedrock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-12-01

Teollisuuden Voima Oy (TVO) is preparing for the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel from the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant (TVO-I and TVO-II reactors). According to present estimates, a total of 1840 tU of spent fuel will be accumulated during the 40-year lifetime of the power plant. An interim storage facility for spent fuel (TVO-KPA Store) has operated at Olkiluoto since 1987. The spent fuel will be held in storage for several decades before it is shipped to the repository site. Both train and road transportation are possible. The spent fuel will be encapsulated in composite copper and steel canisters (ACP Canister) in a facility that will be build above the ground on the site where the repository is located. The repository will be constructed at the depth of several hundreds of meters in the bedrock. In 1987 five areas were selected for preliminary site investigations. The safety analysis (TVO-92) that was carried out shows that the proposed safety criteria would be met at each of the candidate sites. In future expected conditions there would never be significant releases of radioactive substances to the biosphere. The site investigations will be continued in the period 1993 to 2000. In parallel, a R and D programme will be devoted to the safety and technology of final disposal. The site for final disposal will be selected in the year 2000 with the aim of having the capability to start the disposal operations in 2020

Supporting biodiversity by prescribed burning in grasslands - A multi-taxa approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Valkó, Orsolya; Deák, Balázs; Magura, Tibor; Török, Péter; Kelemen, András; Tóth, Katalin; Horváth, Roland; Nagy, Dávid D; Debnár, Zsuzsanna; Zsigrai, György; Kapocsi, István; Tóthmérész, Béla

2016-12-01

There are contrasting opinions on the use of prescribed burning management in European grasslands. On the one hand, prescribed burning can be effectively used for the management of open landscapes, controlling dominant species, reducing accumulated litter or decreasing wildfire risk. On the other hand burning can have a detrimental impact on grassland biodiversity by supporting competitor grasses and by threatening several rare and endangered species, especially arthropods. We studied the effects of prescribed burning in alkaline grasslands of high conservation interest. Our aim was to test whether dormant-season prescribed burning can be an alternative conservation measure in these grasslands. We selected six sites in East-Hungary: in three sites, a prescribed fire was applied in November 2011, while three sites remained unburnt. We studied the effects of burning on soil characteristics, plant biomass and on the composition of vegetation and arthropod assemblages (isopods, spiders, ground beetles and rove beetles). Soil pH, organic matter, potassium and phosphorous did not change, but soluble salt content increased significantly in the burnt sites. Prescribed burning had several positive effects from the nature conservation viewpoint. Shannon diversity and the number of flowering shoots were higher, and the cover of the dominant grass Festuca pseudovina was lower in the burnt sites. Graminoid biomass was lower, while total, green and forb biomass were higher in the burnt plots compared to the control. The key finding of our study was that prescribed burning did not decrease the abundance and diversity of arthropod taxa. Species-level analyses showed that out of the most abundant invertebrate species, 10 were not affected, 1 was negatively and 1 was positively affected by burning. Moreover, our results suggest that prescribed burning leaving unburnt patches can be a viable management tool in open landscapes, because it supports plant diversity and does not threaten

Loads imposed on dual purpose casks in German on-site-storage facilities for long term intermediate storage of spent nuclear fuel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wetzel, N.; Rabe, O. [TUeV NORD EnSys Hannover GmbH und Co. KG, Hanover (Germany)

2004-07-01

In accordance with recent changes of the atomic energy act and in order to secure reliable removal of spent fuel from the nuclear power plants' fuel storage ponds the German utilities filed license applications for a total of 12 onsite- storage facilities for spent fuel assemblies. By the end of 2003 the last of these storage facilities were licensed and are currently under construction. The first on-site-storage facility of that line became operational in late 2002. There are several design lines of storage facilities with different handling procedures or possible accident conditions. Short term interim storage facilities for a few casks are characterized by individual concrete hoods shielding the casks in horizontal position whereas long term intermediate storage facilities currently erected for large numbers of casks typically feature a condensed pattern of casks stored in upright position and massive structures of reinforced concrete. TUeV Hannover/Sachsen-Anhalt e. V. (now TUeV NORD EnSys Hannover GmbH and Co. KG) has been contracted as a body of independent experts for the assessment of all related safety requirements on behalf of the national licensing authority, the federal office for radiation protection (BfS).

Loads imposed on dual purpose casks in German on-site-storage facilities for long term intermediate storage of spent nuclear fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wetzel, N.; Rabe, O.

2004-01-01

In accordance with recent changes of the atomic energy act and in order to secure reliable removal of spent fuel from the nuclear power plants' fuel storage ponds the German utilities filed license applications for a total of 12 onsite- storage facilities for spent fuel assemblies. By the end of 2003 the last of these storage facilities were licensed and are currently under construction. The first on-site-storage facility of that line became operational in late 2002. There are several design lines of storage facilities with different handling procedures or possible accident conditions. Short term interim storage facilities for a few casks are characterized by individual concrete hoods shielding the casks in horizontal position whereas long term intermediate storage facilities currently erected for large numbers of casks typically feature a condensed pattern of casks stored in upright position and massive structures of reinforced concrete. TUeV Hannover/Sachsen-Anhalt e. V. (now TUeV NORD EnSys Hannover GmbH and Co. KG) has been contracted as a body of independent experts for the assessment of all related safety requirements on behalf of the national licensing authority, the federal office for radiation protection (BfS)

Department of Energy Programmatic Spent Nuclear Fuel Management and Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Programs Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Volume 1, Appendix C, Savannah River Site Spent Nuclear Fuel Mangement Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1994-06-01

The US Department of Energy (DOE) is engaged in two related decision making processes concerning: (1) the transportation, receipt, processing, and storage of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) at the DOE Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) which will focus on the next 10 years; and (2) programmatic decisions on future spent nuclear fuel management which will emphasize the next 40 years. DOE is analyzing the environmental consequences of these spent nuclear fuel management actions in this two-volume Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Volume 1 supports broad programmatic decisions that will have applicability across the DOE complex and describes in detail the purpose and need for this DOE action. Volume 2 is specific to actions at the INEL. This document, which limits its discussion to the Savannah River Site (SRS) spent nuclear fuel management program, supports Volume 1 of the EIS. Following the introduction, Chapter 2 contains background information related to the SRS and the framework of environmental regulations pertinent to spent nuclear fuel management. Chapter 3 identifies spent nuclear fuel management alternatives that DOE could implement at the SRS, and summarizes their potential environmental consequences. Chapter 4 describes the existing environmental resources of the SRS that spent nuclear fuel activities could affect. Chapter 5 analyzes in detail the environmental consequences of each spent nuclear fuel management alternative and describes cumulative impacts. The chapter also contains information on unavoidable adverse impacts, commitment of resources, short-term use of the environment and mitigation measures.

Disposal of spent nuclear fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1979-12-01

This report addresses the topic of the mined geologic disposal of spent nuclear fuel from Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR) and Boiling Water Reactors (BWR). Although some fuel processing options are identified, most of the information in this report relates to the isolation of spent fuel in the form it is removed from the reactor. The characteristics of the waste management system and research which relate to spent fuel isolation are discussed. The differences between spent fuel and processed HLW which impact the waste isolation system are defined and evaluated for the nature and extent of that impact. What is known and what needs to be determined about spent fuel as a waste form to design a viable waste isolation system is presented. Other waste forms and programs such as geologic exploration, site characterization and licensing which are generic to all waste forms are also discussed. R and D is being carried out to establish the technical information to develop the methods used for disposal of spent fuel. All evidence to date indicates that there is no reason, based on safety considerations, that spent fuel should not be disposed of as a waste

Final disposal of spent nuclear fuel in Finnish bedrock. Olkiluoto site report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anttila, P. [Fortum Engineering Oy, Vantaa (Finland); Ahokas, H. [Fintact Oy, Helsinki (Finland); Front, K. [VTT Communication and Infrastructure, Espoo (Finland)] [and others

1999-06-01

Posiva Oy is studying the Finnish bedrock for the geological disposal of spent nuclear fuel. The study is based on the site selection research programme started originally in 1983. The programme is in accordance with the decision in principle by the Council of State in 1983 and aims at the selection of one site in 2000. Four sites, Haestholmen in Loviisa, Kivetty in Aeaenekoski, Olkiluoto in Eurajoki and Romuvaara in Kuhmo, have been studied in detail. This report summarises the results of the site investigations carried out at Olkiluoto. The bedrock of the Olkiluoto site consists of Svecofennian metasediments and platonic rocks, 1800-1900 million years in age. Migmatitic mica gneiss is the most abundant rock type, and is intruded by foliated tonalites and granodiorites and massive coarse-grained granites and pegmatites. Five successive plastic deformation phases have been defined. In total, 30 bedrock structures (R-structures) have been modelled at the site. Most of these represent steeply dipping fracture zones, but several sub-horizontal zones, gently dipping to the SE, have also been identified. The rock mass between the fracture zones represents what is termed `intact rock`, which is typically hard, unweathered and sparsely fractured. The R-structures are generally hydraulically more conductive than the intact rock and their mean transmissivity is 3 x 10{sup -7} m{sup 2}/s. The corresponding mean of the hydraulic conductivity values for the intact rock measured using a 2 m packer interval, is 8 x 10{sup -13} m/s, if a lognormal distribution for all measured values is assumed. A clear decrease in hydraulic conductivity with depth has been found for the intact rock, and there seems to be a parallel decrease in the transmissivity of structures. In addition, the hydraulically conductive fractures seem to be more frequent and their transmissivities higher in the uppermost 100 - 200 m of the bedrock than at greater depths. The groundwater chemistry reflects the

Final disposal of spent nuclear fuel in Finnish bedrock. Olkiluoto site report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anttila, P.; Ahokas, H.; Front, K.

1999-06-01

Posiva Oy is studying the Finnish bedrock for the geological disposal of spent nuclear fuel. The study is based on the site selection research programme started originally in 1983. The programme is in accordance with the decision in principle by the Council of State in 1983 and aims at the selection of one site in 2000. Four sites, Haestholmen in Loviisa, Kivetty in Aeaenekoski, Olkiluoto in Eurajoki and Romuvaara in Kuhmo, have been studied in detail. This report summarises the results of the site investigations carried out at Olkiluoto. The bedrock of the Olkiluoto site consists of Svecofennian metasediments and platonic rocks, 1800-1900 million years in age. Migmatitic mica gneiss is the most abundant rock type, and is intruded by foliated tonalites and granodiorites and massive coarse-grained granites and pegmatites. Five successive plastic deformation phases have been defined. In total, 30 bedrock structures (R-structures) have been modelled at the site. Most of these represent steeply dipping fracture zones, but several sub-horizontal zones, gently dipping to the SE, have also been identified. The rock mass between the fracture zones represents what is termed 'intact rock', which is typically hard, unweathered and sparsely fractured. The R-structures are generally hydraulically more conductive than the intact rock and their mean transmissivity is 3 x 10 -7 m 2 /s. The corresponding mean of the hydraulic conductivity values for the intact rock measured using a 2 m packer interval, is 8 x 10 -13 m/s, if a lognormal distribution for all measured values is assumed. A clear decrease in hydraulic conductivity with depth has been found for the intact rock, and there seems to be a parallel decrease in the transmissivity of structures. In addition, the hydraulically conductive fractures seem to be more frequent and their transmissivities higher in the uppermost 100 - 200 m of the bedrock than at greater depths. The groundwater chemistry reflects the postglacial

HFIR spent fuel management alternatives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Begovich, J.M.; Green, V.M.; Shappert, L.B.; Lotts, A.L.

1992-01-01

The High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) at Martin Marietta Energy Systems' Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has been unable to ship its spent fuel to Savannah River Site (SRS) for reprocessing since 1985. The HFIR storage pools are expected to fill up in the February 1994 to February 1995 time frame. If a management altemative to existing HFIR pool storage is not identified and implemented before the HFIR pools are full, the HFIR will be forced to shut down. This study investigated several alternatives for managing the HFIR spent fuel, attempting to identify options that could be implemented before the HFIR pools are full. The options investigated were: installing a dedicated dry cask storage facility at ORNL, increasing HFIR pool storage capacity by clearing the HFIR pools of debris and either close-packing or stacking the spent fuel elements, storing the spent fuel at another ORNL pool, storing the spent fuel in one or more hot cells at ORNL, and shipping the spent fuel offsite for reprocessing or storage elsewhere

Electronic prescribing in pediatrics: toward safer and more effective medication management.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Kevin B; Lehmann, Christoph U

2013-04-01

This technical report discusses recent advances in electronic prescribing (e-prescribing) systems, including the evidence base supporting their limitations and potential benefits. Specifically, this report acknowledges that there are limited but positive pediatric data supporting the role of e-prescribing in mitigating medication errors, improving communication with dispensing pharmacists, and improving medication adherence. On the basis of these data and on the basis of federal statutes that provide incentives for the use of e-prescribing systems, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the adoption of e-prescribing systems with pediatric functionality. This report supports the accompanying policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics recommending the adoption of e-prescribing by pediatric health care providers.

Intermodal transportation of spent fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elder, H.K.

1983-09-01

Concepts for transportation of spent fuel in rail casks from nuclear power plant sites with no rail service are under consideration by the US Department of Energy in the Commercial Spent Fuel Management program at the Pacific Northwest Laboratory. This report identifies and evaluates three alternative systems for intermodal transfer of spent fuel: heavy-haul truck to rail, barge to rail, and barge to heavy-haul truck. This report concludes that, with some modifications and provisions for new equipment, existing rail and marine systems can provide a transportation base for the intermodal transfer of spent fuel to federal interim storage facilities. Some needed land transportation support and loading and unloading equipment does not currently exist. There are insufficient shipping casks available at this time, but the industrial capability to meet projected needs appears adequate

Normal evolution of a spent fuel repository at the candidate sites in Finland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grawford, M.B.; Wilmot, R.D.

1998-12-01

The Finnish disposal concept for spent nuclear fuel envisages burial of the fuel in a repository excavated at a depth of around 500 m in crystalline bedrock. Since 1983, a programme has been underway in Finland to select a potential site for such a repository. The programme is now in the final stages of selecting one site for further detailed characterisation from a list of four candidate sites at Kivetty, Romuvaara, Olkiluoto, and Haestholmen. Each stage of the site selection process has been supported by a major performance assessment (PA) exercise. The aim of this report is to describe the normal evolution of a repository system at the four candidate Finnish sites as input to development of the next PA, known as TILA-99. The report summarises the disposal concept and the present-day characteristics of each candidate site, and considers the most likely future changes in both the natural environment and the engineered components of the disposal system. The description concentrates on the key features, events and processes (FEPs) controlling behaviour and evolution of the disposal system. It is assumed that all the canisters are intact following emplacement and repository closure. FEPs that occur but which do not significantly affect system behaviour and evolution are only briefly described. FEPs with a low probability of occurrence are mentioned as appropriate. The report provides a map to the key Finnish reports and other work that underlies and supports the description of normal evolution. Differences between the four candidate sites in terms of their expected normal evolution are summarised. None of the differences are sufficient to prevent each site from behaving as a 'normal' site, the evolution of which is summarised over time in the final section of the report. (author)

Normal evolution of a spent fuel repository at the candidate sites in Finland

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grawford, M.B.; Wilmot, R.D. [Galson Sciences Limited, Rutland (United Kingdom)

1998-12-01

The Finnish disposal concept for spent nuclear fuel envisages burial of the fuel in a repository excavated at a depth of around 500 m in crystalline bedrock. Since 1983, a programme has been underway in Finland to select a potential site for such a repository. The programme is now in the final stages of selecting one site for further detailed characterisation from a list of four candidate sites at Kivetty, Romuvaara, Olkiluoto, and Haestholmen. Each stage of the site selection process has been supported by a major performance assessment (PA) exercise. The aim of this report is to describe the normal evolution of a repository system at the four candidate Finnish sites as input to development of the next PA, known as TILA-99. The report summarises the disposal concept and the present-day characteristics of each candidate site, and considers the most likely future changes in both the natural environment and the engineered components of the disposal system. The description concentrates on the key features, events and processes (FEPs) controlling behaviour and evolution of the disposal system. It is assumed that all the canisters are intact following emplacement and repository closure. FEPs that occur but which do not significantly affect system behaviour and evolution are only briefly described. FEPs with a low probability of occurrence are mentioned as appropriate. The report provides a map to the key Finnish reports and other work that underlies and supports the description of normal evolution. Differences between the four candidate sites in terms of their expected normal evolution are summarised. None of the differences are sufficient to prevent each site from behaving as a `normal` site, the evolution of which is summarised over time in the final section of the report. (author) 155 refs.

General practitioners' attitudes and preparedness towards Clinical Decision Support in e-Prescribing (CDS-eP adoption in the West of Ireland: a cross sectional study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O'Brien Timothy

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Electronic clinical decision support (CDS is increasingly establishing its role in evidence-based clinical practice. Considerable evidence supports its enhancement of efficiency in e-Prescribing, but some controversy remains. This study evaluated the practicality and identified the perceived benefits of, and barriers to, its future adoption in the West of Ireland. Methods This cross sectional study was carried out by means of a 27-part questionnaire sent to 262 registered general practitioners in Counties Galway, Mayo and Roscommon. The survey domains encompassed general information of individual's practice, current use of CDS and the practitioner's attitudes towards adoption of CDS-eP. Descriptive and inferential analyses were performed to analyse the data collected. Results The overall response rate was 37%. Nearly 92% of respondents employed electronic medical records in their practice. The majority acknowledged the value of electronic CDS in improving prescribing quality (71% and reducing prescribing errors (84%. Despite a high degree of unfamiliarity (73%, the practitioners were open to the use of CDS-eP (94% and willing to invest greater resources for its implementation (62%. Lack of a strategic implementation plan (78% is the main perceived barrier to the incorporation of CDS-eP into clinical practice, followed by i lack of financial incentives (70%, ii lack of standardized product software (61%, iii high sensitivity of drug-drug interaction or medication allergy markers (46%, iv concern about overriding physicians' prescribing decisions(44% and v lack of convincing evidence on the systems' effectiveness (22%. Conclusions Despite favourable attitudes towards the adoption of CDS-eP, multiple perceived barriers impede its incorporation into clinical practice. These merit further exploration, taking into consideration the structure of the Irish primary health care system, before CDS-eP can be recommended for routine

Electronic prescribing: criteria for evaluating handheld prescribing systems and an evaluation of a new, handheld, wireless wide area network (WWAN) prescribing system.

Science.gov (United States)

Goldblum, O M

2001-02-01

The objectives of this study were: 1) to establish criteria for evaluating handheld computerized prescribing systems; and 2) to evaluate out-of-box performance and features of a new, Palm Operating System (OS)-based, handheld, wireless wide area network (WWAN) prescribing system. The system consisted of a Palm Vx handheld organizer, a Novatel Minstrel V wireless modem, OmniSky wireless internet access and ePhysician ePad 1.1, the Palm OS electronic prescribing software program. A dermatologist familiar with healthcare information technology conducted an evaluation of the performance and features of a new, handheld, WWAN electronic prescribing system in an office practice during a three-month period in 2000. System performance, defined as transmission success rate, was determined from data collected during the three-month trial. Evaluation criteria consisted of an analysis of features found in electronic prescribing systems. All prescriptions written for all patients seen during a three-month period (August - November, 2000) were eligible for inclusion. Prescriptions written for patients who intended to fill them at pharmacies without known facsimile receiving capabilities were excluded from the study. The performance of the system was evaluated using data collected during the study. Criteria for evaluating features of electronic prescribing systems were developed and used to analyze the system employed in this study. During this three-month trial, 200 electronic prescriptions were generated for 132 patients included in the study. Of these prescriptions, 92.5 percent were successfully transmitted to pharmacies. Transmission failures resulted from incorrect facsimile numbers and non-functioning facsimile machines. Criteria established for evaluation of electronic prescribing systems included System (Hardware & Software), Costs, System Features, Printing & Transmission, Formulary & Insurance, Customization, Drug Safety and Security. This study is the first effort to

Spent fuel workshop'2002

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Poinssot, Ch

2002-07-01

This document gathers the transparencies of the presentations given at the 2002 spent fuel workshop: Session 1 - Research Projects: Overview on the IN CAN PROCESSES European project (M. Cowper), Overview on the SPENT FUEL STABILITY European project (C. Poinssot), Overview on the French R and D project on spent fuel long term evolution, PRECCI (C. Poinssot); Session 2 - Spent Fuel Oxidation: Oxidation of uranium dioxide single crystals (F. Garrido), Experimental results on SF oxidation and new modeling approach (L. Desgranges), LWR spent fuel oxidation - effects of burn-up and humidity (B. Hanson), An approach to modeling CANDU fuel oxidation under dry storage conditions (P. Taylor); Session 3 - Spent Fuel Dissolution Experiments: Overview on high burnup spent fuel dissolution studies at FZK/INE (A. Loida), Results on the influence of hydrogen on spent fuel leaching (K. Spahiu), Leaching of spent UO{sub 2} fuel under inert and reducing conditions (Y. Albinsson), Fuel corrosion investigation by electrochemical techniques (D. Wegen), A reanalysis of LWR spent fuel flow through dissolution tests (B. Hanson), U-bearing secondary phases formed during fuel corrosion (R. Finch), The near-field chemical conditions and spent fuel leaching (D. Cui), The release of radionuclides from spent fuel in bentonite block (S.S. Kim), Trace actinide behavior in altered spent fuel (E. Buck, B. Hanson); Session 4 - Radiolysis Issues: The effect of radiolysis on UO{sub 2} dissolution determined from electrochemical experiments with {sup 238}Pu doped UO{sub 2} M. Stroess-Gascoyne (F. King, J.S. Betteridge, F. Garisto), doped UO{sub 2} studies (V. Rondinella), Preliminary results of static and dynamic dissolution tests with {alpha} doped UO{sub 2} in Boom clay conditions (K. Lemmens), Studies of the behavior of UO{sub 2} / water interfaces under He{sup 2+} beam (C. Corbel), Alpha and gamma radiolysis effects on UO{sub 2} alteration in water (C. Jegou), Behavior of Pu-doped pellets in brines

Inter-modal Transportation of Spent Nuclear Fuel from Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management Sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmid, St.; Thrower, A.; Best, R.E.

2009-01-01

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) plans to ship most commercial spent nuclear fuel (SNF) by rail in sealed transportation, aging and disposal (TAD) canisters. Based on current and projected dry SNF storage programs, DOE believes the majority of commercial nuclear sites would have the capacity to load and prepare large-capacity, canister-based dry storage canisters such as the proposed TAD systems. Thus, only a small fraction of SNF, such as odd lots and SNF not meeting TAD criteria, is projected for truck (highway) shipment. However, at some commercial facilities rail tracks do not extend to the site, or on-site rail does not extend to the site's proposed loading spot, and inter-modal transfers will be required. Advance coordination between DOE and commercial site operators, commercial carriers, specialized carriers and riggers, and state, tribal and local routing officials will be necessary to establish inter-modal transfer areas and obtain necessary permits to move heavy loads over highways. Although inter-modal transfers can involve a number of steps and several different entities acting in close coordination, such moves are commonly performed by industry and the system requirements are well-understood. (authors)

A safeguards approach for a closed geological repository for spent fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meer, K. van der; Carchon, R.

1999-01-01

After closure of a geological repository a diversion of fissile material can only take place by excavating spent fuel containers and bringing them to the surface. Therefore mining activities are required, either by reopening the original shaft, by creating a new shaft or by approaching the containers underground via a neighbouring mine The recovery time of the stored spent fuel plays an important role in the determination of the timeliness criterion and, therefore, the inspection frequency of the site. Obviously, this frequency can create a financial constraint due to the infinite character of the spent fuel storage in a geological repository. Anomalies for detection of a possible diversion are undeclared mining activities. The safeguards approach has to assure Continuity Of Knowledge (COK) of the fissile material. By consequence, a safeguards approach that is developed for a closed repository, is influenced by the safeguards approach applied to an open. repository and a conditioning facility. A closed repository is verified by DIV. To perform the DIV satellite monitoring could be performed for surface verification and e.g. seismic techniques could be used for verification that no undeclared mining activities underground take place. Visual inspections of the site by inspectors have to reveal concealment methods used by a potential diverter. These measures should guarantee that the disposed spent fuel remains untouched. (author)

Government--utility interaction on spent fuel disposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mills, L.E.

1978-01-01

The question of the needs of the electrical power industry for spent fuel storage in light of the moratorium on fuel reprocessing is addressed. The author feels that since the Federal government has assumed the responsibility for spent fuel storage, it is imperative that a firm plan, program, legislation, and funding be forthcoming immediately. Designation of an existing government site with existing nuclear activities in order to expedite the establishment of a storage facility is recommended. It is felt that the timing for such a site should be ''at the earliest possible date.'' Without storage facilities being provided by the government, utilities will be forced to build storage facilities at the reactor sites. This course of action is not considered cost effective but certainly preferable to shutting down the reactors. It is emphasized that spent fuel storage must be an interim solution and certainly not a final solution to the fuel reprocessing and waste disposal aspects of nuclear technology

Site Specific Analyses of a Spent Nuclear Fuel Transportation Accident

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Biwer, B. M.; Chen, S. Y.

2003-01-01

The number of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) shipments is expected to increase significantly during the time period that the United States' inventory of SNF is sent to a final disposal site. Prior work estimated that the highest accident risks of a SNF shipping campaign to the proposed geologic repository at Yucca Mountain were in the corridor states, such as Illinois. The largest potential human health impacts would be expected to occur in areas with high population densities such as urban settings. Thus, our current study examined the human health impacts from the most plausible severe SNF transportation accidents in the Chicago metropolitan area. The RISKIND 2.0 program was used to model site-specific data for an area where the largest impacts might occur. The results have shown that the radiological human health consequences of a severe SNF rail transportation accident on average might be similar to one year of exposure to natural background radiation for those persons living a nd working in the most affected areas downwind of the actual accident location. For maximally exposed individuals, an exposure similar to about two years of exposure to natural background radiation was estimated. In addition to the accident probabilities being very low (approximately 1 chance in 10,000 or less during the entire shipping campaign), the actual human health impacts are expected to be lower if any of the accidents considered did occur, because the results are dependent on the specific location and weather conditions, such as wind speed and direction, that were selected to maximize the results. Also, comparison of the results of longer duration accident scenarios against U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guidelines was made to demonstrate the usefulness of this site-specific analysis for emergency planning purposes

Spent fuel cask handling at an operating nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pal, A.C.

1988-01-01

The importance of spent fuel handling at operating nuclear power plants cannot be overstated. Because of its highly radioactive nature, however, spent fuel must be handled in thick, lead-lined containers or casks. Thus, all casks for spent fuel handling are heavy loads by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission's definition, and any load-drop must be evaluated for its potential to damage safety-related equipment. Nuclear Regulatory Guide NUREG-0612 prescribes the regulatory requirements of alternative heavy-load-handling methodologies such as (a) by providing cranes that meet the requirements of NUREG-0554, which shall be called the soft path, or (b) by providing protective devices at all postulated load-drop areas to prevent any damage to safety-related equipment, which shall be called the hard path. The work reported in this paper relates to cask handling at New York Power Authority's James A. FitzPatrick (JAF) plant

Control of invasive weeds with prescribed burning

Science.gov (United States)

DiTomaso, Joseph M.; Brooks, Matthew L.; Allen, Edith B.; Minnich, Ralph; Rice, Peter M.; Kyser, Guy B.

2006-01-01

Prescribed burning has primarily been used as a tool for the control of invasive late-season annual broadleaf and grass species, particularly yellow starthistle, medusahead, barb goatgrass, and several bromes. However, timely burning of a few invasive biennial broadleaves (e.g., sweetclover and garlic mustard), perennial grasses (e.g., bluegrasses and smooth brome), and woody species (e.g., brooms and Chinese tallow tree) also has been successful. In many cases, the effectiveness of prescribed burning can be enhanced when incorporated into an integrated vegetation management program. Although there are some excellent examples of successful use of prescribed burning for the control of invasive species, a limited number of species have been evaluated. In addition, few studies have measured the impact of prescribed burning on the long-term changes in plant communities, impacts to endangered plant species, effects on wildlife and insect populations, and alterations in soil biology, including nutrition, mycorrhizae, and hydrology. In this review, we evaluate the current state of knowledge on prescribed burning as a tool for invasive weed management.

West Valley facility spent fuel handling, storage, and shipping experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bailey, W.J.

1990-11-01

The result of a study on handling and shipping experience with spent fuel are described in this report. The study was performed by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) and was jointly sponsored by the US Department of Energy (DOE) and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). The purpose of the study was to document the experience with handling and shipping of relatively old light-water reactor (LWR) fuel that has been in pool storage at the West Valley facility, which is at the Western New York Nuclear Service Center at West Valley, New York and operated by DOE. A subject of particular interest in the study was the behavior of corrosion product deposits (i.e., crud) deposits on spent LWR fuel after long-term pool storage; some evidence of crud loosening has been observed with fuel that was stored for extended periods at the West Valley facility and at other sites. Conclusions associated with the experience to date with old spent fuel that has been stored at the West Valley facility are presented. The conclusions are drawn from these subject areas: a general overview of the West Valley experience, handling of spent fuel, storing of spent fuel, rod consolidation, shipping of spent fuel, crud loosening, and visual inspection. A list of recommendations is provided. 61 refs., 4 figs., 5 tabs

Coordinated site characterization and performance assessment - an iterative approach for the site evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Papp, T.; Ericsson, L.O.; Thegerstroem, C.; Almen, K.E.

1995-01-01

SKB planning for siting a deep repository involves feasibility studies in 5-10 municipalities surface based characterization and drilling on two candidate sites and detailed characterization of one site including a shaft to proposed repository depth. The selection of a site or the detailed layout of the repository defines characteristics that might influence safety in a broad sense. There is a strong ling between the safety, technical (engineering) and functional aspects. The site selection will be based on general geoscientific information, i.e. mechanical stability, ground-water chemistry, slow ground-water movements and complicating factors like high potential for mineralization. The general layout of the repository in the actual geological structure of the site must be done with regard to a number of guidelines, e.g. to hydraulically separate the parts of the repository containing the spent nuclear fuel from those for other types of long lived waste and to separate the two stages of the spent fuel repository so they can be handled separately in the licensing process. When the various parts of the repository have been tentatively located the consequence of the multiple barrier principle is that the layout of the various parts should be made with the aim to utilize the available natural barrier system at the site as well as possible. (authors). 2 refs., 3 figs., 2 tabs

Final environmental statement: US Spent Fuel Policy. Storage of foreign spent power reactor fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1980-05-01

In October 1977, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced a Spent Fuel Storage Policy for nuclear power reactors. Under this policy, as approved by the President, US utilities will be given the opportunity to deliver spent fuel to US Government custody in exchange for payment of a fee. The US Government will also be prepared to accept a limited amount of spent fuel from foreign sources when such action would contribute to meeting nonproliferation goals. Under the new policy, spent fuel transferred to the US Government will be delivered - at user expense - to a US Government-approved site. Foreign spent fuel would be stored in Interim Spent Fuel Storage (ISFS) facilities with domestic fuel. This volume of the environmental impact statement includes effects associated with implementing or not implementing the Spent Fuel Storage Policy for the foreign fuels. The analyses show that there are no substantial radiological health impacts whether the policy is implemented or not. In no case considered does the population dose commitment exceed 0.000006% of the world population dose commitment from natural radiation sources over the period analyzed. Full implementation of the US offer to accept a limited amount of foreign spent fuel for storage provides the greatest benefits for US nonproliferation policy. Acceptance of lesser quantities of foreign spent fuel in the US or less US support of foreign spent fuel storage abroad provides some nonproliferation benefits, but at a significantly lower level than full implementation of the offer. Not implementing the policy in regard to foreign spent fuel will be least productive in the context of US nonproliferation objectives. The remainder of the summary provides a brief description of the options that are evaluated, the facilities involved in these options, and the environmental impacts, including nonproliferation considerations, associated with each option

Impact of generic substitution decision support on electronic prescribing behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Stenner, Shane P; Chen, Qingxia; Johnson, Kevin B

2010-01-01

To evaluate the impact of generic substitution decision support on electronic (e-) prescribing of generic medications. The authors analyzed retrospective outpatient e-prescribing data from an academic medical center and affiliated network for July 1, 2005-September 30, 2008 using an interrupted time-series design to assess the rate of generic prescribing before and after implementing generic substitution decision support. To assess background secular trends, e-prescribing was compared with a concurrent random sample of hand-generated prescriptions. Proportion of generic medications prescribed before and after the intervention, evaluated over time, and compared with a sample of prescriptions generated without e-prescribing. The proportion of generic medication prescriptions increased from 32.1% to 54.2% after the intervention (22.1% increase, 95% CI 21.9% to 22.3%), with no diminution in magnitude of improvement post-intervention. In the concurrent control group, increases in proportion of generic prescriptions (29.3% to 31.4% to 37.4% in the pre-intervention, post-intervention, and end-of-study periods, respectively) were not commensurate with the intervention. There was a larger change in generic prescribing rates among authorized prescribers (24.6%) than nurses (18.5%; adjusted OR 1.38, 95% CI 1.17 to 1.63). Two years after the intervention, the proportion of generic prescribing remained significantly higher for e-prescriptions (58.1%; 95% CI 57.5% to 58.7%) than for hand-generated prescriptions ordered at the same time (37.4%; 95% CI 34.9% to 39.9%) (p<0.0001). Generic prescribing increased significantly in every specialty. Implementation of generic substitution decision support was associated with dramatic and sustained improvements in the rate of outpatient generic e-prescribing across all specialties.

Electronic prescribing reduces prescribing error in public hospitals.

Science.gov (United States)

Shawahna, Ramzi; Rahman, Nisar-Ur; Ahmad, Mahmood; Debray, Marcel; Yliperttula, Marjo; Declèves, Xavier

2011-11-01

To examine the incidence of prescribing errors in a main public hospital in Pakistan and to assess the impact of introducing electronic prescribing system on the reduction of their incidence. Medication errors are persistent in today's healthcare system. The impact of electronic prescribing on reducing errors has not been tested in developing world. Prospective review of medication and discharge medication charts before and after the introduction of an electronic inpatient record and prescribing system. Inpatient records (n = 3300) and 1100 discharge medication sheets were reviewed for prescribing errors before and after the installation of electronic prescribing system in 11 wards. Medications (13,328 and 14,064) were prescribed for inpatients, among which 3008 and 1147 prescribing errors were identified, giving an overall error rate of 22·6% and 8·2% throughout paper-based and electronic prescribing, respectively. Medications (2480 and 2790) were prescribed for discharge patients, among which 418 and 123 errors were detected, giving an overall error rate of 16·9% and 4·4% during paper-based and electronic prescribing, respectively. Electronic prescribing has a significant effect on the reduction of prescribing errors. Prescribing errors are commonplace in Pakistan public hospitals. The study evaluated the impact of introducing electronic inpatient records and electronic prescribing in the reduction of prescribing errors in a public hospital in Pakistan. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

SKI's and SSI's experiences from their participation in the siting of a final repository for spent nuclear fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Westerlind, M.; Hedberg, B.

2000-01-01

This paper summarises some experiences gained by the SKI and SSI during the ongoing process for siting a final repository for spent nuclear fuel. The focus is on activities in the municipalities involved in the siting process. In order to give the proper context some basic elements in the legislation, which are important for public participation and confidence in the siting process, are outlined. The importance of clearly defined responsibilities and early participation of the regulators in the siting process are emphasised. It should be pointed out that this paper is not a comprehensive review of the Swedish situation but only contains a few selected issues and personal remarks from the authors. Thus, the views and opinions do not necessarily coincide with those of SKI and SSI. (authors)

Interim spent-fuel storage options at commercial nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thakkar, A.R.; Hylko, J.M.

1991-01-01

Although spent fuel can be stored safely in waterfilled pools at reactor sites, some utilities may not possess sufficient space for life-of-plant storage capability. In-pool storage capability may be increased by reracking assemblies, rod consolidation, double tiering spent-fuel racks, and by shipping spent fuel to other utility-owned facilities. Long-term on-site storage capability for spent fuel may be provided by installing (dry-type) metal casks, storage and transportation casks, concrete casks, horizontal concrete modules, modular concrete vaults, or by constructing additional (pool-type) storage installations. Experience to date has provided valuable information regarding dry-type or pool-type installations, cask handling and staffing requirements, security features, decommissioning activities, and radiological issues

Status of spent nuclear fuel management in the United States of America

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, J.R.

1998-01-01

The United States produces approximately 20% of its electricity in nuclear power reactors, currently generating, approximately 2,000 metric tons of uranium (tU) of spent nuclear fuel annually. Over the past half century, the country has amassed 33,000 tU of commercial spent nuclear fuel that is being stored at 119 operating and shutdown reactors located on 73 sites around the nation. The cumulative discharge of the spent fuel from reactors is estimated to total approximately 87,000 tU by 2035. Many sites have reracked the spent fuel in their storage pool to maximize pool capacity, and a number of reactor sites have been forced to add dry storage to accommodate the growing inventory of fuel in storage. In addition, research and defense programme reactors have produced spent fuel that is being stored in pools at Federal sites. Much of this fuel will be transferred to dry storage in the coming years. Under current plans, the commercial and federally owned fuel will remain in storage at the existing sites until the United States Department of Energy (DOE) begins receipt at a federal receiving facility. (author)

Modeling the highway transportation of spent fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harrison, I.G.

1986-01-01

There will be a substantial increase in the number of spent fuel shipments on the nation's highway system in the next thirty years. Most of the spent fuel will be moving from reactors to a spent fuel repository. This study develops two models that evaluate the risk and cost of moving the spent fuel. The Minimum Total Transport Risk Model (MTTRM) seeks an efficient solution for this problem by finding the minimum risk path through the network and sending all the spent fuel shipments over this one path. The Equilibrium Transport Risk Model (ETRM) finds an equitable solution by distributing the shipments over a number of paths in the network. This model decreases the risk along individual paths, but increases society's risk because the spent fuel shipments are traveling over more links in the network. The study finds that there is a trade off between path risk and societal risk. As path risk declines, societal risk rises. The cost of shipping also increases as the number of paths expand. The cost and risk of shipping spent fuel from ten reactors to four potential repository sites are evaluated using the MTTRM. The temporary monitored retrievable storage (MRS) facility in Tennessee is found to be the minimum cost and minimum risk solution. When direct shipment to the permanent sites is considered, Deaf Smith, Texas is the least cost and least incident free transport risk location. Yucca Mountain, Nevada is the least risk location when the focus is placed on the potential consequences of an accident

Existing and near future practices of spent fuel storage in Slovak Republic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mizov, J.

1999-01-01

In this paper existing and near future practices of spent fuel storage in Slovak Republic are discussed: (1) Reactor operation and spent fuel production; (2) Past policy in spent fuel storage; (3) Away-from-reactor (AFR) storage facility at Bohunice NPP site; (4) Present policy in spent fuel storage; (5) Final disposal of spent fuel

An unhealthy public-private tension: pharmacy ownership, prescribing, and spending in the Philippines.

Science.gov (United States)

James, Chris D; Peabody, John; Solon, Orville; Quimbo, Stella; Hanson, Kara

2009-01-01

Physicians' links with pharmacies may create perverse financial incentives to overprescribe, prescribe products with higher profit margins, and direct patients to their pharmacy. Interviews with pharmacy customers in the Philippines show that those who use pharmacies linked to public-sector physicians had 5.4 greater odds of having a prescription from such physicians and spent 49.3 percent more than customers using other pharmacies. For customers purchasing brand-name medicines, switching to generics would reduce drug spending by 58 percent. Controlling out-of-pocket spending on drugs requires policies to control financial links between doctors and pharmacies, as well as tighter regulation of nongeneric prescribing.

Impacts of prescribed fire on Pinus rigida Mill

Science.gov (United States)

Nicholas J. Carlo; Heidi J. Renninger; Kenneth L. Clark; Karina V.R. Schäfer

2016-01-01

A comparative analysis of the impacts of prescribed fire on three upland forest stands in the Northeastern Atlantic Plain, NJ, USA, was conducted. Effects of prescribed fire on water use and gas exchange of overstory pines were estimated via sap-flux rates and photosynthetic measurements on Pinus rigida Mill. Each study site had two sap-flux plots...

Spent fuel management in Canada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khan, A.; Pattantyus, P.

1999-01-01

The current status of the Canadian spent fuel storage is presented. This includes wet and dry interim storage. Extension of wet interim storage facilities is nor planned, as dry technologies have found wide acceptance. The Canadian nuclear program is sustained by commercial Ontario Hydro CANDU type reactors, since 1971, representing 13600 MW(e) of installed capacity, able to produce 9200 spent fuel bundles (1800 tU) every year, and Hydro Quebec and New Brunswick CANDU reactors each producing 685 MW(e) and about 100 tU of spent fuel annually. The implementation of various interim (wt and dry) storage technologies resulted in simple, dense and low cost systems. Economical factors determined that the open cycle option be adopted for the CANDU type reactors rather that recycling the spent fuel. Research and development activities for immobilization and final disposal of nuclear waste are being undertaken in the Canadian Nuclear Fuel Waste Management Program

Investigating and learning lessons from early experiences of implementing ePrescribing systems into NHS hospitals: a questionnaire study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kathrin Cresswell

Full Text Available ePrescribing systems have significant potential to improve the safety and efficiency of healthcare, but they need to be carefully selected and implemented to maximise benefits. Implementations in English hospitals are in the early stages and there is a lack of standards guiding the procurement, functional specifications, and expected benefits. We sought to provide an updated overview of the current picture in relation to implementation of ePrescribing systems, explore existing strategies, and identify early lessons learned.A descriptive questionnaire-based study, which included closed and free text questions and involved both quantitative and qualitative analysis of the data generated.We obtained responses from 85 of 108 NHS staff (78.7% response rate. At least 6% (n = 10 of the 168 English NHS Trusts have already implemented ePrescribing systems, 2% (n = 4 have no plans of implementing, and 34% (n = 55 are planning to implement with intended rapid implementation timelines driven by high expectations surrounding improved safety and efficiency of care. The majority are unclear as to which system to choose, but integration with existing systems and sophisticated decision support functionality are important decisive factors. Participants highlighted the need for increased guidance in relation to implementation strategy, system choice and standards, as well as the need for top-level management support to adequately resource the project. Although some early benefits were reported by hospitals that had already implemented, the hoped for benefits relating to improved efficiency and cost-savings remain elusive due to a lack of system maturity.Whilst few have begun implementation, there is considerable interest in ePrescribing systems with ambitious timelines amongst those hospitals that are planning implementations. In order to ensure maximum chances of realising benefits, there is a need for increased guidance in relation to implementation strategy

Spent nuclear fuel storage - Basic concept

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krempel, Ascanio; Santos, Cicero D. Pacifici dos; Sato, Heitor Hitoshi; Magalhaes, Leonardo de

2009-01-01

According to the procedures adopted in others countries in the world, the spent nuclear fuel elements burned to produce electrical energy in the Brazilian Nuclear Power Plant of Angra do Reis, Central Nuclear Almirante Alvaro Alberto - CNAAA will be stored for a long time. Such procedure will allow the next generation to decide how they will handle those materials. In the future, the reprocessing of the nuclear fuel assemblies could be a good solution in order to have additional energy resource and also to decrease the volume of discarded materials. This decision will be done in the future according to the new studies and investigations that are being studied around the world. The present proposal to handle the nuclear spent fuel is to storage it for a long period of time, under institutional control. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to introduce a proposal of a basic concept of spent fuel storage, which involves the construction of a new storage building at site, in order to increase the present storage capacity of spent fuel assemblies in CNAAA installation; the concept of the spent fuel transportation casks that will transfer the spent fuel assemblies from the power plants to the Spent Fuel Complementary Storage Building and later on from this building to the Long Term Intermediate Storage of Spent Fuel; the concept of the spent fuel canister and finally the basic concept of the spent fuel long term storage. (author)

Feasibility study on utilization of radiation from spent fuel in storage facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wataru, Masumi; Sakamoto, Kazuaki; Saegusa, Toshiari; Sakaya, Tadatsugu; Fujiwara, Hiroaki.

1997-01-01

Spent fuels of nuclear power plant are stored safely until reprocessing because they are radioactive in addition to energy resources. It is foreseen that the amount of the stored spent fuel increases in the long term. Therefore, in the government, discussion on the storage away from reactor is in progress as well as one at reactor. Spent fuel emits a radioactive ray for a long time. In the storage facility, radiation is shielded not to have a detrimental influence upon the health and environment. If radioactive ray is incorrectly handled, it is hazardous for the health and the environment. But, it is very useful if it is properly utilized under a careful management. In the industry, radioactive ray by isotopes (e.g. Co-60) is used widely. In a view of the effective utilization of energy, the promotion of the siting, the regional development and the creation of employment opportunities of local inhabitants, it is preferable to make use of radiation from the spent fuel. In this study, feasibility of utilization of radiation energy from the spent fuel in a storage facility was evaluated. (author)

Siting of a deep repository for spent fuel - how are we communicating the risks?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hammarstroem, Monika

2000-01-01

During 1998 the strategy of the Swedish Nuclear Waste Management Company for the siting process was refined in order to strengthen the possibilities for implementing deep geological disposal of spent nuclear fuel. Our new organisation was formed to meet the demands of the strategy. The strategy implies focused activities in municipalities where we are performing so called feasibility studies. An important milestone for us is to be able to choose two sites for site investigations in 2001. The problem of waste exists and has to be taken care of in Sweden. The work is performed in steps to ensure dialogue and changes and modifications if needed. The method for solution is robust, a repository can be constructed in a reasonable time and ensure safety in a long-term perspective Our attitude shall be characterised by high quality and competence in all aspects.Honesty and openness are key words. The fear that people feels regarding radioactive waste shall be taken seriously. We are proud to be able to show one already existing waste management system and of our knowledge and experiences. The results so far from the various communication activities show that we are going in the right direction. The support we are gaining from various sectors in society together with our own motivation and clear objectives will, I'm sure, lead us to at least two sites for site investigations for a deep repository in Sweden by the end of 2001

Uncomplicated E Coli Urinary Tract Infection in College Women: A Follow-Up Study of E Coli Sensitivities to Commonly Prescribed Antibiotics

Science.gov (United States)

Ansbach, Robert K.; Dybus, Karen; Bergeson, Rachel

2005-01-01

Treatment of uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) has changed in the past few years with researchers advocating empiric treatment for shorter periods of time without the use of cultures. Researchers report that antibiotic resistance of Escherichia coli (E coli) to commonly prescribed antibiotics in uncomplicated UTIs has been increasing.…

Surveillance instrumentation for spent-fuel safeguards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McKenzie, J.M.; Holmes, J.P.; Gillman, L.K.; Schmitz, J.A.; McDaniel, P.J.

1978-01-01

The movement, in a facility, of spent reactor fuel may be tracked using simple instrumentation together with a real time unfolding algorithm. Experimental measurements, from multiple radiation monitors and crane weight and position monitors, were obtained during spent fuel movements at the G.E. Morris Spent-Fuel Storage Facility. These data and a preliminary version of an unfolding algorithm were used to estimate the position of the centroid and the magnitude of the spent fuel radiation source. Spatial location was estimated to +-1.5 m and source magnitude to +-10% of their true values. Application of this surveillance instrumentation to spent-fuel safeguards is discussed

WHite paper on the proposed design, development, and implementation of a monitored retrievable storage module and the siting criteria for spent nuclear fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Villarreal, B.; Knobeloch, D.

1996-01-01

Congress enacted the Nuclear Waste Policy (NWP) Act in 1982 as comprehensive legislation for the DOE to locate, build, and operate repositories to permanently dispose of spent nuclear fuel and other high-level wastes. In 1987, Congress amended the NWP Act and authorized the DOE to site, construct, and operate one Monitored Retrievable Storage (MRS) facility. The MRS facility was planned as a means to enhance the flexibility and reliability of the overall waste management system. This white paper presents a broad prospectus of the scientific and regulatory capabilities at Los Alamos National Laboratory and outlines the methodology to design and implement an MRS test module. This proposed module will incorporate the flexibility to store all types of spent nuclear fuel above or below ground level and will be fully monitored for the residence time of the spent fuel in the MRS module. The purpose of this test module is to define the parameters necessary to build a simple and economical MRS system. Demonstration of the proposed MRS test module will be important because it will form the basis for an integrated MRS site model

Corrosion of Spent Nuclear Fuel: The Long-Term Assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ewing, Rodney C.

2003-01-01

The successful disposal of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) is one of the most serious challenges to the successful completion of the nuclear fuel cycle and the future of nuclear power generation. In the United States, 21 percent of the electricity is generated by 107 commercial nuclear power plants (NPP), each of which generates 20 metric tons of spent nuclear fuel annually. In 1996, the total accumulation of spent nuclear fuel was 33,700 metric tons of heavy metal (MTHM) stored at 70 sites around the country. The end-of-life projection for current nuclear power plants (NPP) is approximately 86,000 MTHM. In the proposed nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain over 95% of the radioactivity originates from spent nuclear fuel. World-wide in 1998, approximately 130,000 MTHM of SNF have accumulated, most of it located at 236 NPP in 36 countries. Annual production of SNF is approximately 10,000 MTHM, containing about 100 tons of ''reactor grade'' plutonium. Any reasonable increase in the proportion of energy production by NPP, i.e., as a substitute for hydrocarbon-based sources of energy, will significantly increase spent nuclear fuel production. Spent nuclear fuel is essentially UO 2 with approximately 4-5 atomic percent actinides and fission product elements. A number of these elements have long half-lives hence, the long-term behavior of the UO 2 is an essential concern in the evaluation of the safety and risk of a repository for spent nuclear fuel. One of the unique and scientifically most difficult aspects of the successful disposal of spent nuclear fuel is the extrapolation of short-term laboratory data (hours to years) to the long time periods (10 3 to 10 5 years) as required by the performance objectives set in regulations, i.e. 10 CFR 60. The direct verification of these extrapolations or interpolations is not possible, but methods must be developed to demonstrate compliance with government regulations and to satisfy the public that there is a reasonable basis for

Medication reconciliation and prescribing reviews by pharmacy technicians in a geriatric ward

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Buck, Thomas Croft; Gronkjaer, Louise Smed; Duckert, Marie-Louise

2013-01-01

OBJECTIVE: Incomplete medication histories obtained on hospital admission are responsible for more than 25% of prescribing errors. This study aimed to evaluate whether pharmacy technicians can assist hospital physicians' in obtaining medication histories by performing medication reconciliation an...... reconciliation and focused medication reviews. Further randomized, controlled studies including a larger number of patients are required to elucidate whether these observations are of significance and of importance for securing patient safety....... and prescribing reviews. A secondary aim was to evaluate whether the interventions made by pharmacy technicians could reduce the time spent by the nurses on administration of medications to the patients. METHODS: This observational study was conducted over a 7 week period in the geriatric ward at Odense...... University Hospital, Denmark. Two pharmacy technicians conducted medication reconciliation and prescribing reviews at the time of patients' admission to the ward. The reviews were conducted according to standard operating procedures developed by a clinical pharmacist and approved by the Head of the Geriatric...

Information handbook on independent spent fuel storage installations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raddatz, M.G.; Waters, M.D.

1996-12-01

In this information handbook, the staff of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission describes (1) background information regarding the licensing and history of independent spent fuel storage installations (ISFSIs), (2) a discussion of the licensing process, (3) a description of all currently approved or certified models of dry cask storage systems (DCSSs), and (4) a description of sites currently storing spent fuel in an ISFSI. Storage of spent fuel at ISFSIs must be in accordance with the provisions of 10 CFR Part 72. The staff has provided this handbook for information purposes only. The accuracy of any information herein is not guaranteed. For verification or for more details, the reader should refer to the respective docket files for each DCSS and ISFSI site. The information in this handbook is current as of September 1, 1996

Presentation of safety after closure of the repository for spent nuclear fuel. Main report of the project SR-Site. Part I; Redovisning av saekerhet efter foerslutning av slutfoervaret foer anvaent kaernbraensle. Huvudrapport fraan projekt SR-Site. Del I

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2011-07-01

The purpose of the safety assessment SR-Site is to investigate whether a safe repository for spent nuclear fuel by KBS-3 type can be constructed at Forsmark in Oesthammar in Sweden. The location of the Forsmark has been selected based on results of several surveys from surface conditions at depth in Forsmark and in Laxemar in Oskarshamn. The choice of location is not justified in SR-Site Report, but in other attachments to SKB's permit applications. SR-Site Report is an important part of SKB's permit applications to construct and operate a repository for spent nuclear fuel at Forsmark in Oesthammar. The purpose of the report in the applications is to show that a repository at Forsmark is safe after closure

Presentation of safety after closure of the repository for spent nuclear fuel. Main report of the project SR-Site. Part II; Redovisning av saekerhet efter foerslutning av slutfoervaret foer anvaent kaernbraensle. Huvudrapport fraan projekt SR-Site. Del II

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2011-07-01

The purpose of the safety assessment SR-Site is to investigate whether a safe repository for spent nuclear fuel by KBS-3 type can be constructed at Forsmark in Oesthammar in Sweden. The location of the Forsmark has been selected based on results of several surveys from surface conditions at depth in Forsmark and in Laxemar in Oskarshamn. The choice of location is not justified in SR-Site Report, but in other attachments to SKB's permit applications. SR-Site Report is an important part of SKB's permit applications to construct and operate a repository for spent nuclear fuel at Forsmark in Oesthammar. The purpose of the report in the applications is to show that a repository at Forsmark is safe after closure

Presentation of safety after closure of the repository for spent nuclear fuel. Main report of the project SR-Site. Part III; Redovisning av saekerhet efter foerslutning av slutfoervaret foer anvaent kaernbraensle. Huvudrapport fraan projekt SR-Site. Del III

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2011-07-01

The purpose of the safety assessment SR-Site is to investigate whether a safe repository for spent nuclear fuel by KBS-3 type can be constructed at Forsmark in Oesthammar in Sweden. The location of the Forsmark has been selected based on results of several surveys from surface conditions at depth in Forsmark and in Laxemar in Oskarshamn. The choice of location is not justified in SR-Site Report, but in other attachments to SKB's permit applications. SR-Site Report is an important part of SKB's permit applications to construct and operate a repository for spent nuclear fuel at Forsmark in Oesthammar. The purpose of the report in the applications is to show that a repository at Forsmark is safe after closure

At-reactor storage of spent fuel for life-of-plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuierer, A.A.

1990-01-01

The management of commercial spent fuel is a fairly broad topic beginning with the discharge from a reactor, its storage on-site, its transport from the reactor site to a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) facility, and its ultimate disposal in a geologic repository. This paper discusses spent-fuel management in the at-reactor phase. There are two basic methods for at-reactor storage of spent fuel. The first is wet storage in a pool, and the second is dry storage external to the plant in some form of cask or vault. Spent-fuel consolidation will impact the utility and the DOE waste system. Some of these impacts have a positive effect and some have a negative effect, and each will vary somewhat for each utility. Spent-fuel consolidation and life-of-plant storage will be an increased burden to utilities but will likely result in significant cost savings to the overall waste management system and by proper integration can result in significant institutional benefits

Strategies and solutions in the temporary management of spent fuel in Spain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martinez Abad, J. E.; Rivera, M. I.

2009-01-01

The basic strategy for the spent fuel and HLW management contemplated in the Sixth General Radioactive Waste Plan focused on the centralised interim storage of spent fuel, based on proved dry storage system technologies, over the time periods required until their definitive or very long term management. Specially, the solution proposed as the most suitable for the Spanish case is the construction of a centralised interim spent fuel and HLW storage facility (ATC) for which as site is being searched. Until it becomes in operation, the interim spent fuel storage will be safety performed in the NPP reracked spent fuel pools or individual ISFSI constructed in the NPP site, in those cases additional storage capacity is required. (Author) 22 refs

Safety analysis of spent fuel transport and storage casks under extreme impact conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wolff, D.; Wieser, G.; Ballheimer, V.; Voelzke, H.; Droste, B.

2005-01-01

Full text: Worldwide the security of transport and storage of spent fuel with respect to terrorism threats is a matter of concern. In Germany a spent nuclear fuel management program was developed by the government including a new concept of dry on-site interim storage instead of centralized interim storage. In order to minimize transports of spent fuel casks between nuclear power plants, reprocessing plants and central storage facilities, the operators of NPPs have to erect and to use interim storage facilities for spent nuclear fuel on the site or in the vicinity of nuclear power plants. Up to now, 11 on-site interim storage buildings, one storage tunnel and 4 on-site interim storage areas (preliminary cask storage till the on-site interim storage building is completed) have been licensed at 12 nuclear power plant sites. Inside the interim storage buildings the casks are kept in upright position, whereas at the preliminary interim storage areas horizontal storage of the casks on concrete slabs is used and each cask is covered by concrete elements. Storage buildings and concrete elements are designed only for gamma and neutron radiation shielding reasons and as weather protection. Therefore the security of spent fuel inside a dual purpose transport and storage cask depends on the inherent safety of the cask itself. For nearly three decades BAM has been investigating cask safety under severe accident conditions like drop tests from more than 9 m onto different targets and without impact limiters as well as artificially damaged prototype casks. Since the terror attacks of 11 September 2001 the determination of casks' inherent safety also under extreme impact conditions due to terrorist attacks has been of our increasing interest. With respect to spent fuel storage one of the most critical scenarios of a terrorist attack for a cask is the centric impact of a dynamic load onto the lid-seal-system caused e.g. by direct aircraft crash or its engine as well as by a

A summary of INSITE activities in tracking SKB's spent fuel repository site investigations from 2002-2009 and of advice provided to the regulatory authorities on the status of site understanding at the end of the surface-based investigations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chapman, Neil; Bath, Adrian; Geier, Joel; Ove Stephansson; Tiren, Sven; Tsang, Chin-Fu

2010-11-01

SSM and its predecessor SKI employed a team of earth scientists who followed and reviewed SKB's investigations of the potential spent nuclear fuel repository sites at Forsmark and Laxemar. This group was named INSITE (INdependent Site Investigation Tracking and Evaluation) and began its work in 2002 and completed its task with the review of the final versions SKB's site descriptive models, SDM-Site, in 2009. This report is a summary of INSITE's work over the eight-and-a-half year period of the site investigations and the lead-in and the wind-down to the work. It is intended to provide an outline and a record of how INSITE has worked and how its advice was generated and provided to SKI and, latterly, to SSM. Together with all the other documentation generated by INSITE, this report is intended to support the regulatory review of SKB's licence application for a spent nuclear fuel repository

Integrated risk assessment for spent fuel transportation using developed software

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yun, Mi Rae; Christian, Robby; Kim, Bo Gyung; Almomani, Belal; Ham, Jae Hyun; Kang, Gook Hyun; Lee, Sang hoon

2016-01-01

As on-site spent fuel storage meets limitation of their capacity, spent fuel need to be transported to other place. In this research, risk of two ways of transportation method, maritime transportation and on-site transportation, and interim storage facility were analyzed. Easier and integrated risk assessment for spent fuel transportation will be possible by applying this software. Risk assessment for spent fuel transportation has not been researched and this work showed a case for analysis. By using this analysis method and developed software, regulators can get some insights for spent fuel transportation. For example, they can restrict specific region for preventing ocean accident and also they can arrange spend fuel in interim storage facility avoiding most risky region which have high risk from aircraft engine shaft. Finally, they can apply soft material on the floor for specific stage for on-site transportation. In this software, because we targeted Korea, we need to use Korean reference data. However, there were few Korean reference data. Especially, there was no food chain data for Korean ocean. In MARINRAD, they used steady state food chain model, but it is far from reality. Therefore, to get Korean realistic reference data, dynamic food chain model for Korean ocean need to be developed

Integrated risk assessment for spent fuel transportation using developed software

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yun, Mi Rae; Christian, Robby; Kim, Bo Gyung; Almomani, Belal; Ham, Jae Hyun; Kang, Gook Hyun [KAIST, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Sang hoon [Keimyung University, Daegu (Korea, Republic of)

2016-05-15

As on-site spent fuel storage meets limitation of their capacity, spent fuel need to be transported to other place. In this research, risk of two ways of transportation method, maritime transportation and on-site transportation, and interim storage facility were analyzed. Easier and integrated risk assessment for spent fuel transportation will be possible by applying this software. Risk assessment for spent fuel transportation has not been researched and this work showed a case for analysis. By using this analysis method and developed software, regulators can get some insights for spent fuel transportation. For example, they can restrict specific region for preventing ocean accident and also they can arrange spend fuel in interim storage facility avoiding most risky region which have high risk from aircraft engine shaft. Finally, they can apply soft material on the floor for specific stage for on-site transportation. In this software, because we targeted Korea, we need to use Korean reference data. However, there were few Korean reference data. Especially, there was no food chain data for Korean ocean. In MARINRAD, they used steady state food chain model, but it is far from reality. Therefore, to get Korean realistic reference data, dynamic food chain model for Korean ocean need to be developed.

An overview on the nuclear spent fuel management in Romania

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Radu, M.

2001-01-01

The sources of radioactive waste in Romania are users of radiation and radioactive materials in industry (including nuclear electricity generation), medicine, agriculture and research and also the processing of materials that are naturally radioactive, such as uranium ores. The different types of radioactive waste are classified into four categories of waste: excepted waste, low level waste, medium level waste and high level waste. A spent fuel management sub-programme as a part of the Radioactive Waste Management programme was initiated by the former Romanian Electricity Company (RENEL) in 1992. Within the frame of R and D of the Radioactive Waste and Spent Fuel Management Programme, the topics cover investigations, studies and research to identify the sites and the conceptual designs for a Spent Fuel Interim Storage Facility (SFISF) and also a Spent Fuel Disposal Facility (SFDF). Changes in the organization of the nuclear activities of RENEL, involving both responsibilities and financing aspects, led to interruption of the programme. The programme includes study of the main methods and the existing technologies for the design, operation and safety of an interim storage facility (including transport aspects). It also includes analysis of details on the site selection for this facility and for a spent fuel final disposal facility. The achievement of the spent fuel interim storage facility is proceeding. The results from the studies performed in the last years will permit us to prepare the feasibility study next year and the documentation required by our regulatory body for starting the process to obtain a license for a SFISF at Cernavoda. A second phase is the assessment of a long term strategy to select and adopt a proven disposal technology for spent fuel, corresponding with a selected site. The status of the work performed in the frame of this programme and also the situation of the spent fuel from research reactors are presented. (author)

The operational and logistic experience on transportation of Brazilian spent fuel to USA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maiorino, Jose Rubens; Frajndlich, Roberto; Mandlae, Martin; Bensberg, Werner; Renger, August; Grabow, Karsten

2000-01-01

A shipment of 127 spent MTR fuel assemblies was made from IEA-R1 Research Reactor located at the Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN-CNEN/SP), Sao Paulo, Brazil to Savannah River Site Laboratory in the United States. This paper describes the operational and logistic experience on this transportation made by IPEN staff and the Consortium NCS/GNS. (author)

Determination of prerequisites for the estimation of transportation cost of spent fuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Heui Joo; Lee, Jong Youl; Kim, Seong Ki; Cha, Jeong Hoon; Choi, Jong Won

2007-10-01

The cost for the spent fuel management includes the costs for the interim storage, the transportation, and the permanent disposal of the spent fuels. The scope of this report is limited to the cost for the spent fuel transportation. KAERI is developing a cost estimation method for the spent fuel transportation through a joint study with the French AREVA TN. Several prerequisites should be fixed in order to estimate the cost for the spent fuel transportation properly. In this report we produced them considering the Korean current status on the management of spent fuels. The representative characteristics of a spent fuel generated from the six nuclear reactors at the YG site were determined. Total 7,200 tons of spent fuels are projected with the lifespan of 60 years. As the transportation mode, sea transportation and road transportation is recommended considering the location of the YG site and the hypothetical Centralized Interim Storage Facility (CISF) and Final Repository (FR). The sea route and transportation time were analyzed by using a sea distance analysis program which the NORI (National Oceanographic Research Institute) supplies on a web. Based on the results of the analysis, the shipping rates were determined. The regulations related to the spent fuel transportation were reviewed. The characteristics of the transportation vessel and a trailer were suggested. The handling and transportation systems at the YG site, Centralized Interim Storage Facility, and the Final Repository were described in detail for the purpose of the cost estimation of the spent fuel transportation. From the detail description the major components of the transportation system were determined for the conceptual design. It is believed that the conceptual design of the transportation system developed in this report will be used for the analysis of transportation logistics and the cost estimation of spent fuels

Spent nuclear fuel storage. (Latest citations from the NTIS bibliographic database). Published Search

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-07-01

The bibliography contains citations concerning spent nuclear fuel storage technologies, facilities, sites, and assessment. References review wet and dry storage, spent fuel casks and pools, underground storage, monitored and retrievable storage systems, and aluminum-clad spent fuels. Environmental impact, siting criteria, regulations, and risk assessment are also discussed. Computer codes and models for storage safety are covered. (Contains 50-250 citations and includes a subject term index and title list.) (Copyright NERAC, Inc. 1995)

Final disposal of spent fuel in the Finnish bedrock. Scope and requirements for site-specific safety analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-12-01

The report is a summary of the research conducted in the period 1993 to 1996 into safety of spent fuel final disposal. The principal goal of the research in this period, as set in 1993, was to develop a strategy for site-specific safety analysis. At the same time efforts were to be continued to gather data and validate the technical approach for the analysis. The work aimed at having the data needed for the analysis available at the end of year 1998. A safety assessment update, TILA-96, prepared by VTT Energy, is published as a separate report. The assessment is based on the TVO-92 safety analysis, but takes into account the knowledge acquired after 1992 on safety aspects of the disposal system and the data gathered from the site investigations made by TVO and from the beginning of 1996, by Posiva. Since the site investigations are still ongoing and much of the data gathered still pending interpretation, only limited amount of new site-specific information has been available for the present assessment. (172 refs.)

Integrated account of method, site selection and programme prior to the site investigation phase[Planning for a Swedish repository for spent nuclear fuels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2000-12-01

In order to dispose of the spent nuclear fuel in a safe manner, SKB plans to site a deep repository and an encapsulation plant with associated canister fabrication and transportation system. After an integrated evaluation of feasibility studies and other material, SKB will proceed with investigations of the rock and studies regarding establishment of the deep disposal system in the municipality of Oskarshamn or in Northern Uppland. The plans also include further study of the prospects for a deep repository in the municipality of Nykoeping. In the municipality of Oskarshamn, SKB plans further studies of a siting of the deep repository at Simpevarp. There SKB wants to initiate site investigations with test drilling. For the encapsulation plant, SKB wants to continue studying a siting at CLAB. In Northern Uppland, SKB plans to study two siting alternatives for the deep repository. One is Forsmark in the municipality of Oesthammar, where SKB wants to initiate a site investigation with test drilling. The other is Tierp north of Skutskaer, where SKB intends to start test drilling in an area north of Tierp. First, however, a suitable drilling area with possible transport solutions needs to be defined. This alternative requires the participation of the municipalities of both Tierp and Aelvkarleby. A siting of the encapsulation plant in Northern Uppland will also be studied. For the municipality of Nykoeping, SKB plans to conduct a new safety assessment for the Fjaellveden area, based on data from previous investigations as well as additional studies of how a deep repository could be arranged. SKB will thereby gather data from yet another geographic and geological region beyond those that are prioritized. No test drilling is planned in Nykoeping. The goal of the site investigation phase is to obtain all permits needed to build the planned facilities. It will take an estimated 7 - 8 years to assemble the requisite supporting material, carry out consultations, compile siting

Dealing with the current permissibility application for constructing a spent fuel DGR in Sweden. SKB's license applications for a spent fuel repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olsson, Olle

2014-01-01

The nuclear power utilities in Sweden were in 1976 obliged to demonstrate a safe method for final disposal of spent fuel in order to start operation of new reactors. This initiated a comprehensive research, development and demonstration programme and the development of the KBS-method for final disposal. A new Nuclear Activities Act in 1984 gave the reactor owners full technical and financial responsibility for the waste. They gave in turn SKB the responsibility for all nuclear waste management. Reprocessing was no longer required and direct disposal of the spent fuel has, since then, been the main alternative. Alternative methods for final disposal have been evaluated and compared to the KBS-3-method but it has remained the preferred alternative. A comprehensive research, development and demonstration programme to strengthen the scientific basis and to refine the KBS-3-method has been operated by SKB since then. The site selection process for the final repository for spent nuclear fuel was initiated in 1992. The work included general siting studies at the national and the municipal level and in 2002, SKB initiated site investigations for siting of a final repository on two sites: the Simpevarp and Laxemar areas and the Forsmark area. At the same time, the work on preparing license applications to construct and operate an encapsulation plant and a final repository for spent fuel was started. In June 2009, SKB announced Forsmark as the selected site for the final repository. This paper reviews the applicable legislation and describes the license application, the licensing review and the preparations for implementation

Management of spent fuel in Republic of Korea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pak, Hyun-Soo; Seo, In-Seok; Pak, Sang-Ki.

1989-01-01

At present in Republic of Korea, 8 PWR and 1 CANDU power plants are in operation or under construction, and the total capacity of power generation facilities has become 7.6 GWe. In addition, two PWRs of more than 900 MWe each are expected to be constructed by mid 1990s. More than 50 % of the electric power demand was supplied by nuclear power generation since 1987, but the spent fuel generated in nuclear power plants is stored in storage water tanks in respective reactor sites. The total capacity of spent fuel to be stored in the AR facilities of 9 nuclear power plants is about 2730 MTU, and the spent fuel released from these reactors since 1980 is about 810 MTU. The present capacity of AR storage pools seems to be used up by mid 1990s. According to the revised Atomic Energy Acts in May, 1986, the government is to take the responsibility of spent fuel management, and the policy of constructing the storage facilities outside reactor sites by the end of 1997 was established by the Atomic Energy Commission. The responsibility of the management of spent fuel that exceeds the present capacity of AR pools is to be taken by KEPCO, therefore the preliminary analysis of the feasible option on the extension of AR facilities and the comprehensive management plan for spent fuel placing emphasis on the research and development of away-from-reactor storage were decided. (Kako, I.)

Modelling Carbon Emissions in Calluna vulgaris–Dominated Ecosystems when Prescribed Burning and Wildfires Interact

Science.gov (United States)

Santana, Victor M.; Alday, Josu G.; Lee, HyoHyeMi; Allen, Katherine A.; Marrs, Rob H.

2016-01-01

A present challenge in fire ecology is to optimize management techniques so that ecological services are maximized and C emissions minimized. Here, we modeled the effects of different prescribed-burning rotation intervals and wildfires on carbon emissions (present and future) in British moorlands. Biomass-accumulation curves from four Calluna-dominated ecosystems along a north-south gradient in Great Britain were calculated and used within a matrix-model based on Markov Chains to calculate above-ground biomass-loads and annual C emissions under different prescribed-burning rotation intervals. Additionally, we assessed the interaction of these parameters with a decreasing wildfire return intervals. We observed that litter accumulation patterns varied between sites. Northern sites (colder and wetter) accumulated lower amounts of litter with time than southern sites (hotter and drier). The accumulation patterns of the living vegetation dominated by Calluna were determined by site-specific conditions. The optimal prescribed-burning rotation interval for minimizing annual carbon emissions also differed between sites: the optimal rotation interval for northern sites was between 30 and 50 years, whereas for southern sites a hump-backed relationship was found with the optimal interval either between 8 to 10 years or between 30 to 50 years. Increasing wildfire frequency interacted with prescribed-burning rotation intervals by both increasing C emissions and modifying the optimum prescribed-burning interval for minimum C emission. This highlights the importance of studying site-specific biomass accumulation patterns with respect to environmental conditions for identifying suitable fire-rotation intervals to minimize C emissions. PMID:27880840

Modelling Carbon Emissions in Calluna vulgaris-Dominated Ecosystems when Prescribed Burning and Wildfires Interact.

Science.gov (United States)

Santana, Victor M; Alday, Josu G; Lee, HyoHyeMi; Allen, Katherine A; Marrs, Rob H

2016-01-01

A present challenge in fire ecology is to optimize management techniques so that ecological services are maximized and C emissions minimized. Here, we modeled the effects of different prescribed-burning rotation intervals and wildfires on carbon emissions (present and future) in British moorlands. Biomass-accumulation curves from four Calluna-dominated ecosystems along a north-south gradient in Great Britain were calculated and used within a matrix-model based on Markov Chains to calculate above-ground biomass-loads and annual C emissions under different prescribed-burning rotation intervals. Additionally, we assessed the interaction of these parameters with a decreasing wildfire return intervals. We observed that litter accumulation patterns varied between sites. Northern sites (colder and wetter) accumulated lower amounts of litter with time than southern sites (hotter and drier). The accumulation patterns of the living vegetation dominated by Calluna were determined by site-specific conditions. The optimal prescribed-burning rotation interval for minimizing annual carbon emissions also differed between sites: the optimal rotation interval for northern sites was between 30 and 50 years, whereas for southern sites a hump-backed relationship was found with the optimal interval either between 8 to 10 years or between 30 to 50 years. Increasing wildfire frequency interacted with prescribed-burning rotation intervals by both increasing C emissions and modifying the optimum prescribed-burning interval for minimum C emission. This highlights the importance of studying site-specific biomass accumulation patterns with respect to environmental conditions for identifying suitable fire-rotation intervals to minimize C emissions.

Risk analysis methodology for spent fuel repositories in bedded salt: methodlogy summary and differences between spent fuel and high level wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pepping, R.E.; Chu, M.S.

1981-06-01

In the absence of spent fuel reprocessing plans, unreprocessed spent fuel has become a candidate waste form for geologic disposal. In order to understand the public health risks from such disposal and to gain insights into the factors that influence them, a methodology is needed to combine the effects of site geology and hydrology, physical and chemical properties of the waste form, and the details of the engineering design. This report outlines such a methodology which the authors currently are applying to the analysis of unreprocessed spent fuel disposal. The methodology is the same methodology as was developed to describe the risks from geologic disposal of wastes from reprocessed spent fuel. The difference between spent fuel wastes and wastes from reprocessing that may affect the applicability of the methodology are highlighted

Radiological criteria for the remediation of sites for spent fuel and radioactive waste storage in the Russian Northwest.

Science.gov (United States)

Shandala, N K; Sneve, M K; Titov, A V; Smith, G M; Novikova, N Ya; Romanov, V V; Seregin, V A

2008-12-01

In the 1960s, two technical bases of the Northern Fleet were created in Northwest Russia, at Andreeva Bay in the Kola Peninsula and Gremikha village on the coast of the Barents Sea. They maintained nuclear submarines, performing receipt and storage of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel, and are now designated sites of temporary storage (STSs). An analysis of the radiation situation at these sites demonstrates that substantial long-term remediation work will be required after the removal of the waste and spent nuclear fuel. Regulatory guidance is under development to support this work. Having in mind modern approaches to guaranteeing radiation safety, the primary regulatory focus is on a justification of dose constraints for determining acceptable residual contamination which might lead to exposure to workers and the public. For these sites, four principal options for remediation have been considered-renovation, conversion, conservation and liquidation. This paper describes a system of recommended dose constraints and derived control levels formulated for each option. The unconditional guarantee of long-term radioecological protection provides the basis for criteria development. Non-exceedance of these dose constraints and control levels implies compliance with radiological protection objectives related to the residual contamination. Dose reduction below proposed dose constraint values must also be carried out according to the optimisation principle. The developed criteria relate to the condition of the facilities and the STS areas after the termination of remediation activities. The proposed criteria for renovation, conversion, conservation and liquidation are entirely within the dose limits adopted in Russia for the management of man-made radiation sources, and are consistent with ICRP recommendations and national practice in other countries. The proposed criteria for STS remediation and new industrial (non-radiation-hazardous) facilities and buildings on

Impact of prescribed burning on a heathland inhabiting spider community

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Krause, Rolf Harald

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Heathlands can provide refuge for many stenotopic and endangered arthropods, if habitat management practices are applied. A management measure that is rarely being used today, but which has the potential to support diversity of arthropod communities, is prescribed burning. In this study we investigated the effects of prescribed burning on spider assemblages on a burned site with Calluna vulgaris in the nature reserve Lueneburg Heath, northwest Germany. We used pitfall trapping with a sampling design of 39 traps over a period of one year and 17 sampling intervals on a burned and a control site. We compared overall species richness, activity abundance patterns and community composition of the two sites, with a particular focus on stenotopic and endangered species. We collected 5116 adult spiders and 99 species altogether in a relatively small sampling area. This number of species represents nearly one third of the regional species pool of heathland spider species. Twelve species occurred exclusively on the burned site in contrast to 28 species exclusively found on the unburned site. Although we found more than twice as many spider individuals and higher mean species richness on the control site than on the burned site, the species richness of red-listed spiders was higher on the burned site. Especially the fact that we found 24 endangered species on the burned site and only 20 on the control site indicates that the applied measure of prescribed burning can foster certain endangered spider species and contribute to preserving the overall biodiversity of heathland ecosystems.

Preliminary concepts: safeguards for spent light-water reactor fuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cobb, D.D.; Dayem, H.A.; Dietz, R.J.

1979-06-01

The technology available for safeguarding spent nuclear fuels from light-water power reactors is reviewed, and preliminary concepts for a spent-fuel safeguards system are presented. Essential elements of a spent-fuel safeguards system are infrequent on-site inspections, containment and surveillance systems to assure the integrity of stored fuel between inspections, and nondestructive measurements of the fuel assemblies. Key safeguards research and development activities necessary to implement such a system are identified. These activities include the development of tamper-indicating fuel-assembly identification systems and the design and development of nondestructive spent-fuel measurement systems

Dry spent fuel storage in the 1990's

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roberts, J.P.

1991-01-01

In the US, for the decade of the 1990's, at-reactor-site dry spent fuel storage has become the predominant option outside of reactor spent fuel pools. This development has resulted from failure, in the 1980's, of a viable reprocessing option for commercial power reactors, and delay in geologic repository development to an operational date at or beyond the year 2010. Concurrently, throughout the 1980's, aggressive technical and regulatory efforts by the Federal Government, coordinated with nuclear industry, have led to successful evolution of dry spent fuel storage as a utility option

Safe prescribing: a titanic challenge

Science.gov (United States)

Routledge, Philip A

2012-01-01

The challenge to achieve safe prescribing merits the adjective ‘titanic’. The organisational and human errors leading to poor prescribing (e.g. underprescribing, overprescribing, misprescribing or medication errors) have parallels in the organisational and human errors that led to the loss of the Titanic 100 years ago this year. Prescribing can be adversely affected by communication failures, critical conditions, complacency, corner cutting, callowness and a lack of courage of conviction, all of which were also factors leading to the Titanic tragedy. These issues need to be addressed by a commitment to excellence, the final component of the ‘Seven C's’. Optimal prescribing is dependent upon close communication and collaborative working between highly trained health professionals, whose role is to ensure maximum clinical effectiveness, whilst also protecting their patients from avoidable harm. Since humans are prone to error, and the environments in which they work are imperfect, it is not surprising that medication errors are common, occurring more often during the prescribing stage than during dispensing or administration. A commitment to excellence in prescribing includes a continued focus on lifelong learning (including interprofessional learning) in pharmacology and therapeutics. This should be accompanied by improvements in the clinical working environment of prescribers, and the encouragement of a strong safety culture (including reporting of adverse incidents as well as suspected adverse drug reactions whenever appropriate). Finally, members of the clinical team must be prepared to challenge each other, when necessary, to ensure that prescribing combines the highest likelihood of benefit with the lowest potential for harm. PMID:22738396

Simplified risk assessment for transporting ATR spent fuel within the INEL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Franklin, E.M.; Courtney, J.C.

1994-01-01

Interest in characterizing the condition of stored spent fuels has generated the need to move spent fuels to hot cell facilities within the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL). A simplified probabilistic risk assessment (SPRA) and an evaluation of the radiological consequences in the event of an accident are discussed and applied to on-site Advanced Test Reactor (AYR) spent fuel shipments. Reported accident probabilities between 10 -4 and 10 -6 and low radiological consequences, affords this, and other spent fuel characterization efforts, an additional option to move spent fuels within the INEL

Research reactor spent fuel management in Argentina

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Audero, M.A.; Bevilacqua, A.M.; Mehlich, A.M.; Novara, O.

2002-01-01

The research reactor spent fuel (RRSF) management strategy will be presented as well as the interim storage experience. Currently, low-enriched uranium RRSF is in wet interim storage either at reactor site or away from reactor site in a centralized storage facility. High-enriched uranium RRSF from the centralized storage facility has been sent to the USA in the framework of the Foreign Research Reactor Spent Nuclear Fuel Acceptance Program. The strategy for the management of the RRSF could implement the encapsulation for interim dry storage. As an alternative to encapsulation for dry storage some conditioning processes are being studied which include decladding, isotopic dilution, oxidation and immobilization. The immobilized material will be suitable for final disposal. (author)

E-learning to improve the drug prescribing in the hospitalized elderly patients: the ELICADHE feasibility pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Franchi, C; Mari, D; Tettamanti, M; Pasina, L; Djade, C D; Mannucci, P M; Onder, G; Bernabei, R; Gussoni, G; Bonassi, S; Nobili, A

2014-08-01

E-learning is an efficient and cost-effective educational method. This study aimed at evaluating the feasibility of an educational e-learning intervention, focused on teaching geriatric pharmacology and notions of comprehensive geriatric assessment, to improve drug prescribing to hospitalized elderly patients. Eight geriatric and internal medicine wards were randomized to intervention (e-learning educational program) or control. Clinicians of the two groups had to complete a specific per group e-learning program in 30 days. Then, ten patients (aged ≥75 years) had to be consecutively enrolled collecting clinical data at hospital admission, discharge, and 3 months later. The quality of prescription was evaluated comparing the prevalence of potentially inappropriate medications through Beer's criteria and of potential drug-drug interactions through a specific computerized database. The study feasibility was confirmed by the high percentage (90 %) of clinicians who completed the e-learning program, the recruitment, and follow-up of all planned patients. The intervention was well accepted by all participating clinicians who judged positively (a mean score of >3 points on a scale of 5 points: 0 = useless; 5 = most useful) the specific contents, the methodology applied, the clinical relevance and utility of e-learning contents and tools for the evaluation of the appropriateness of drug prescribing. The pilot study met all the requested goals. The main study is currently ongoing and is planned to finish on July 2015.

Preliminary assessment of costs and risks of transporting spent fuel by barge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tobin, R.L.; Meshkov, N.K.; Jones, R.H.

1985-12-01

The purpose of this study is to analyze the costs and risks associated with transporting spent fuel by barge. The barge movements would be made in combination with rail movements to transport spent fuel from plants to a repository. For the purpose of this analysis, three candidate repository sites are analyzed: Yucca Mountain, Nevada, Deaf Smith, Texas, and Hanford, Washington. This report complements a report prepared by Sandia National Laboratories in 1984 that analyzes the costs and risks of transporting spent fuel by rail and by truck to nine candidate repository sites

Prescribed Burning and Erosion Potential in Mixed Hardwood Forests of Southern Illinois

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gurbir Singh

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Prescribed fire has several benefits for managing forest ecosystems including reduction of fuel loading and invasive species and enhanced regeneration of desirable tree species. Along with these benefits there are some limitations like nutrient and sediment loss which have not been studied extensively in mixed hardwood forests. The objective of our research was to quantify the amount of sediment movement occurring on a watershed scale due to prescribed fire in a southern Illinois mixed hardwood ecosystem. The research site was located at Trail of Tears State Forest in western Union county, IL, USA and included five watershed pairs. One watershed in each pair was randomly assigned the prescribed burn treatment and the other remained as control (i.e., unburned. The prescribed burn treatment significantly reduced the litter depth with 12.6%–31.5% litter remaining in the prescribed burn treatment watersheds. When data were combined across all watersheds, no significant differences were obtained between burn treatment and control watershed for total suspended solids and sediment concentrations or loads. The annual sediment losses varied from 1.41 to 90.54 kg·ha−1·year−1 in the four prescribed burn watersheds and 0.81 to 2.54 kg·ha−1·year−1 in the four control watersheds. Prescribed burn watershed 7 showed an average soil sediment loss of 4.2 mm, whereas control watershed 8 showed an average accumulation of sediments (9.9 mm, possibly due to steeper slopes. Prescribed burning did not cause a significant increase in soil erosion and sediment loss and can be considered acceptable in managing mixed hardwood forests of Ozark uplands and the Shawnee Hills physiographic regions of southern Illinois.

Deployment evaluation methodology for the electrometallurgical treatment of DOE-EM spent nuclear fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dahl, C.A.; Adams, J.P.; Ramer, R.J.

1998-07-01

Part of the Department of Energy (DOE) spent nuclear fuel (SNF) inventory may require some type of treatment to meet acceptance criteria at various disposition sites. The current focus for much of this spent nuclear fuel is the electrometallurgical treatment process under development at Argonne National Laboratory. Potential flowsheets for this treatment process are presented. Deployment of the process for the treatment of the spent nuclear fuel requires evaluation to determine the spent nuclear fuel program need for treatment and compatibility of the spent nuclear fuel with the process. The evaluation of need includes considerations of cost, technical feasibility, process material disposition, and schedule to treat a proposed fuel. A siting evaluation methodology has been developed to account for these variables. A work breakdown structure is proposed to gather life-cycle cost information to allow evaluation of alternative siting strategies on a similar basis. The evaluation methodology, while created specifically for the electrometallurgical evaluation, has been written such that it could be applied to any potential treatment process that is a disposition option for spent nuclear fuel. Future work to complete the evaluation of the process for electrometallurgical treatment is discussed

The risks of the Taiwan research reactor spent fuel project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-06-01

The proposed action is to transport up to 118 spent fuel rods, to include canned spent fuel rod particulates immobilized on filters, from a research reactor in Taiwan by sea to Hampton Roads, Virginia, and then overland by truck to the Receiving Basin for Offsite Fuels at the Savannah River Site (SRS). At SRS, the spent fuel will be reprocessed to recover uranium and plutonium. 55 refs., 8 tabs

A summary of INSITE activities in tracking SKB's spent fuel repository site investigations from 2002-2009 and of advice provided to the regulatory authorities on the status of site understanding at the end of the surface-based investigations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chapman, Neil (Chapman Consulting (Switzerland)); Bath, Adrian (Intellisci Ltd, (United Kingdom)); Geier, Joel (Clearwater Hardrock Consulting (United States)); Ove Stephansson (Steph Rock Consulting AB (Sweden)); Tiren, Sven (Geosigma (Sweden)); Tsang, Chin-Fu (Berkeley Geohydrophysics SP (United States))

2010-11-15

SSM and its predecessor SKI employed a team of earth scientists who followed and reviewed SKB's investigations of the potential spent nuclear fuel repository sites at Forsmark and Laxemar. This group was named INSITE (INdependent Site Investigation Tracking and Evaluation) and began its work in 2002 and completed its task with the review of the final versions SKB's site descriptive models, SDM-Site, in 2009. This report is a summary of INSITE's work over the eight-and-a-half year period of the site investigations and the lead-in and the wind-down to the work. It is intended to provide an outline and a record of how INSITE has worked and how its advice was generated and provided to SKI and, latterly, to SSM. Together with all the other documentation generated by INSITE, this report is intended to support the regulatory review of SKB's licence application for a spent nuclear fuel repository

Savannah River Site, spent nuclear fuel management, draft environmental impact statement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-12-01

The management of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) has been an integral part of the mission of the Savannah River Site (SRS) for more than 40 years. Until the early 1990s, SNF management consisted primarily of short-term onsite storage and reprocessing in the SRS chemical separation facilities to produce strategic nuclear materials. With the end of the Cold War, the US Department of Energy (DOE) decided to phase out reprocessing of SNF for the production of nuclear weapons materials. Therefore, the management strategy for this fuel has shifted from short-term storage and reprocessing for the recovery of highly-enriched uranium and transuranic isotopes to stabilization, when necessary, and interim storage pending final disposition that includes preparing aluminum-based SNF for placement in a geologic repository. In addition to the fuel already onsite, the SRS will receive SNF from foreign research reactors until 2009 and from domestic research reactors until, potentially, 2035. As a result, the safe and efficient management of SNF will continue to be an important SRS mission. This EIS evaluates the potential environmental impacts of DOE's proposed plans for management SNF assigned to SRS

Ecosystem description of a drainage area - a strategy in biosphere descriptions during site investigations for a repository of spent nuclear fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lindborg, T.; Lofgren, A.

2004-01-01

During the next few years the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co. (SKB) performs site investigations at two sites in Sweden for a future repository of spent nuclear fuel. Novel methods based on systems and landscape ecology are developed to understand and model the radionuclide flow in the biosphere using site specific data for a safety assessment. This work describes the strategy for development of a descriptive ecosystem model for the surface ecosystem. The site description is needed to: a) perform a safety assessment that describes and analyzes different scenarios for radionuclide releases into the ecosystem and possible pathways for dispersal or accumulation radionuclides in the ecosystem, b) detect changes caused by the construction of a repository, c) establish a baseline for detecting long-term effects of the repository. The description adopts a site-specific approach focusing on the quantification of the properties that will constitute the descriptive model. The aim is also to present the methodology for determining the properties, to describe the development of the framework for the descriptive ecosystem models by integrating use of different properties, and finally, to present vital data from other site descriptive models such as those for geology or hydrogeology. The safety assessment will use an approach, among other methods, where transport and accumulation of radionuclides will be modelled by quantifying biogeochemical pathways of matter. The descriptive ecosystem model applied to the site was therefore built to describe and quantify processes affecting i.e. turnover of matter in a drainage area. The conclusions from applying this approach was that by have estimating the flow of matter the ecological and physical constrains on the system reduces the potential variations in outcome of future states of the ecosystem and thus also reduces the uncertainties in estimating radionuclide flow and consequences to humans and the environment. (author)

Spent fuel heatup following loss of water during storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benjamin, A.S.; McCloskey, D.J.

1978-01-01

Spent fuel assemblies from light water reactors are typically stored for one year or more in the reactor spent fuel pool and then transported for long-term storage at an off-site location. Because of the design, construction, and operation features of spent fuel storage pools, an accident that might drain most of the water from a pool is assessed as being extremely improbable. As a limiting case, however, a hypothetical incident involving instantaneous draining of all the water from a storage pool has been postulated, and the subsequent heatup of the spent fuel elements has been evaluated. The model is analyzed, and results are summarized

Spent fuel dry storage technology development: thermal evaluation of three adjacent drywells (each containing a 0.6 kW PWR spent fuel assembly)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Unterzuber, R.; Hanson, J.P.

1981-09-01

A spent fuel Adjacent Drywell Test was conducted at the Engine-Maintenance, Assembly and Disassembly (E-MAD) facility on the Nevada Test Site utilizing three nearly identical pressurized water reactor spent fuel assemblies each having a decay heat level of approximately 0.6 kW. Each fuel assembly was encapsulated inside the E-MAD Hot Bay and placed in an instrumented near-surface drywell storage cell for thermal testing. Each fuel assembly was sealed inside a 14-in. diam, 168-in.-long stainless steel canister and attached to a concrete-filled, 20-in.-diam, 34-in.-long, shield plug. The canister assembly was then placed in a carbon steel drywell liner which had been grouted into a hole drilled in the soil adjacent to E-MAD. The three drywells were located 25 feet apart in a linear array. Thermocouples, provided to measure canister, liner and soil temperatures, were inserted into tubes on the outside of the canister and drywell liner and were attached to plastic pipes which were grouted into holes in the soil. Temperatures from the three drywells and the adjacent soil were recorded throughout the Adjacent Drywell Test. Drywell thermal data showed virtually no thermal interaction between adjacent drywells. However, peak temperatures reached by the three drywells did show a fairly significant difference. Peak canister and drywell liner temperatures were reached in August 1981 for all three drywells. The two previously unused drywells responded similarly with peak canister and liner temperatures reaching 199 0 F and 158 0 F, respectively. Comparable peak temperatures for the third drywell which had previously contained spent fuel for nearly 21 months prior to the Adjacent Drywell Test reached 210 0 F for the canister and 169 0 F for the drywell liner. This difference is attributed to a decrease in soil thermal conductivity caused by the dryout of soil around the drywell used for previous spent fuel testing

Corrosion of Spent Nuclear Fuel: The Long-Term Assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ewing, Rodney C.

2003-09-14

The successful disposal of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) is one of the most serious challenges to the successful completion of the nuclear fuel cycle and the future of nuclear power generation. In the United States, 21 percent of the electricity is generated by 107 commercial nuclear power plants (NPP), each of which generates 20 metric tons of spent nuclear fuel annually. In 1996, the total accumulation of spent nuclear fuel was 33,700 metric tons of heavy metal (MTHM) stored at 70 sites around the country. The end-of-life projection for current nuclear power plants (NPP) is approximately 86,000 MTHM. In the proposed nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain over 95% of the radioactivity originates from spent nuclear fuel. World-wide in 1998, approximately 130,000 MTHM of SNF have accumulated, most of it located at 236 NPP in 36 countries. Annual production of SNF is approximately 10,000 MTHM, containing about 100 tons of ''reactor grade'' plutonium. Any reasonable increase in the proportion of energy production by NPP, i.e., as a substitute for hydrocarbon-based sources of energy, will significantly increase spent nuclear fuel production. Spent nuclear fuel is essentially UO{sub 2} with approximately 4-5 atomic percent actinides and fission product elements. A number of these elements have long half-lives hence, the long-term behavior of the UO{sub 2} is an essential concern in the evaluation of the safety and risk of a repository for spent nuclear fuel. One of the unique and scientifically most difficult aspects of the successful disposal of spent nuclear fuel is the extrapolation of short-term laboratory data (hours to years) to the long time periods (10{sup 3} to 10{sup 5} years) as required by the performance objectives set in regulations, i.e. 10 CFR 60. The direct verification of these extrapolations or interpolations is not possible, but methods must be developed to demonstrate compliance with government regulations and to satisfy the

Safe prescribing: a titanic challenge.

Science.gov (United States)

Routledge, Philip A

2012-10-01

The challenge to achieve safe prescribing merits the adjective 'titanic'. The organisational and human errors leading to poor prescribing (e.g. underprescribing, overprescribing, misprescribing or medication errors) have parallels in the organisational and human errors that led to the loss of the Titanic 100 years ago this year. Prescribing can be adversely affected by communication failures, critical conditions, complacency, corner cutting, callowness and a lack of courage of conviction, all of which were also factors leading to the Titanic tragedy. These issues need to be addressed by a commitment to excellence, the final component of the 'Seven C's'. Optimal prescribing is dependent upon close communication and collaborative working between highly trained health professionals, whose role is to ensure maximum clinical effectiveness, whilst also protecting their patients from avoidable harm. Since humans are prone to error, and the environments in which they work are imperfect, it is not surprising that medication errors are common, occurring more often during the prescribing stage than during dispensing or administration. A commitment to excellence in prescribing includes a continued focus on lifelong learning (including interprofessional learning) in pharmacology and therapeutics. This should be accompanied by improvements in the clinical working environment of prescribers, and the encouragement of a strong safety culture (including reporting of adverse incidents as well as suspected adverse drug reactions whenever appropriate). Finally, members of the clinical team must be prepared to challenge each other, when necessary, to ensure that prescribing combines the highest likelihood of benefit with the lowest potential for harm. © 2012 The Author. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology © 2012 The British Pharmacological Society.

Deciding Where to Burn: Stakeholder Priorities for Prescribed Burning of a Fire-Dependent Ecosystem

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jennifer K. Costanza

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Multiagency partnerships increasingly work cooperatively to plan and implement fire management. The stakeholders that comprise such partnerships differ in their perceptions of the benefits and risks of fire use or nonuse. These differences inform how different stakeholders prioritize sites for burning, constrain prescribed burning, and how they rationalize these priorities and constraints. Using a survey of individuals involved in the planning and implementation of prescribed fire in the Onslow Bight region of North Carolina, we examined how the constraints and priorities for burning in the longleaf pine (Pinus palustris ecosystem differed among three stakeholder groups: prescribed burn practitioners from agencies, practitioners from private companies, and nonpractitioners. Stakeholder groups did not differ in their perceptions of constraints to burning, and development near potentially burned sites was the most important constraint identified. The top criteria used by stakeholders to decide where to burn were the time since a site was last burned, and a site's ecosystem health, with preference given to recently burned sites in good health. Differences among stakeholder groups almost always pertained to perceptions of the nonecological impacts of burning. Prescribed burning priorities of the two groups of practitioners, and particularly practitioners from private companies, tended to be most influenced by nonecological impacts, especially through deprioritization of sites that have not been burned recently or are in the wildland-urban interface (WUI. Our results highlight the difficulty of burning these sites, despite widespread laws in the southeast U.S. that limit liability of prescribed burn practitioners. To avoid ecosystem degradation on sites that are challenging to burn, particularly those in the WUI, conservation partnerships can facilitate demonstration projects involving public and private burn practitioners on those sites. In summary

Rethinking the economics of centralized spent fuel storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wood, T.W.; Short, S.M.; Dippold, D.G.; Rod, S.R.; Williams, J.W.

1991-04-01

The technology for extended storage of spent nuclear fuel (SNF), either at-reactor or in a centralized facility such as a monitored retrievable storage (MRS) facility, is well-developed and proven from an engineering and safety perspective. The question of whether spent fuel should await its final geologic disposal while at a reactor site or in an MRS facility is essentially an economic one. While intuition and previous results suggest that centralized storage will be more economical than at-reactor storage beyond some break-even quantity of SNF, the incremental costs of pool storage at-reactor are close to zero as long as pool capacity is generally available. Thus, if economics is the prime motivator, the quantity of spent fuel required to warrant centralized storage could be quite large. The economics of centralizing the storage of spent fuel at a single site, as opposed to continued storage at over 100 reactor sites, has been the subject of several recent analyses. Most of these analyses involved calculating the benefits of an MRS facility with a pre-defined MRS operating scenario. This paper reverses this approach to economic analysis of the MRS by seeking the optimal MRS operating scenario (in terms of the parameters listed above) implied by the economic incentives arising from the relative costs of at-reactor storage and centralized storage. This approach treats an MRS as a possible storage location that will be used according to its economic value in system operation. 5 refs., 5 figs

Spent fuel management in Hungary: Current status and prospects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferenczi, G.

1996-01-01

The Paks Nuclear Power Plant Ltd. operates the only NPP of Hungary, consisting of a 4 WWER-440 type units. Since 1989, approximately 40-50 % of the total yearly electricity generation of the country has been supplied by this plant. The fresh fuel is imported from Russia (previously from the Soviet Union) and the spent fuel assemblies are shipped back to Russia for later reprocessing after 5 years of decay storage in the spent fuel pools of the plant. Seeing the political and economical changes that started in Russia, the Paks NPP's management made a decision in 1990 to study the implementation of an independent spent fuel storage facility (ISFSF) at the Paks site and in 1992 to choose the GEC-ALSTHOM's MVDS. On the basis of the Construction License issued by the HAEC, the construction of the ISFSF was started in March 1995. The paper gives general information on the spent fuel arisings, the storage at the site, the shipment to Russia and on the implementation of the ISFSF. (author). 3 refs

Spent fuel dry storage experience at Gentilly 2 NGS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Macici, N.

1997-01-01

In order to provide the needed interim storage facility for the spent fuel, Hydro-Quebec chose the dry storage CANSTOR module developed by the Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd (AECL). The decision was made based upon the technical feasibility, public and environmental protection criteria, operational flexibility, economic and space saving advantages. Before the commissioning of the spent fuel dry storage facility, the project received all the required approvals. A joint provincial - federal public hearings was held in summer of 1994 in order to assess the project in term of its impact on the environment. In September 1995 took place the first transfer of spent fuel from the station bay to the dry storage facility and since then 21000 bundles of spent fuel were transferred in the two CANSTOR modules built on the station site located within the protected area of the Gentilly-2 station. To date, the expected performance of the dry storage units and equipment have been met. A third CANSTOR module is to be built in summer of 1997 on the station site. (author)

A present status for dry storage of spent nuclear fuel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bang, K. S.; Lee, J. C.; Park, H. Y.; Seo, K. S

2003-04-01

National policy for management of a spent nuclear fuel does not establish in Korea yet. A storage capacity of a storage pool that is to store the spent nuclear fuel will be exceeded an amount of accumulation from the first Woljin nuclear power plant in 2007. Therefore it is necessary that dry storage facility is secured to store safely the spent nuclear fuel on site of the nuclear power plant until national policy for a back-end spent nuclear fuel cycle is established. In order to store safely spent nuclear fuel, it is important that the present status and technology on dry storage of spent nuclear fuel is looked over. Therefore, the present status on dry storage of spent nuclear fuel was analyzed so as to develop dry storage system and choose a proper dry storage method domestic.

Overview of the spent nuclear fuel project at Hanford

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Daily, J.L.

1995-02-01

The Spent Nuclear Fuel Project's mission at Hanford is to open-quotes Provide safe, economic and environmentally sound management of Hanford spent nuclear fuel in a manner which stages it to final disposition.close quotes The inventory of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) at the Hanford Site covers a wide variety of fuel types (production reactor to space reactor) in many facilities (reactor fuel basins to hot cells) at locations all over the Site. The 2,129 metric tons of Hanford SNF represents about 80% of the total US Department of Energy (DOE) inventory. About 98.5% of the Hanford SNF is 2,100 metric tons of metallic uranium production reactor fuel currently stored in the 1950s vintage K Basins in the 100 Area. This fuel has been slowly corroding, generating sludge and contaminating the basin water. This condition, coupled with aging facilities with seismic vulnerabilities, has been identified by several groups, including stakeholders, as being one of the most urgent safety and environmental concerns at the Hanford Site. As a direct result of these concerns, the Spent Nuclear Fuel Project was recently formed to address spent fuel issues at Hanford. The Project has developed the K Basins Path Forward to remove fuel from the basins and place it in dry interim storage. Alternatives that addressed the requirements were developed and analyzed. The result is a two-phased approach allowing the early removal of fuel from the K Basins followed by its stabilization and interim storage consistent with the national program

Overview of the US spent nuclear fuel program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hurt, W.L.

1999-01-01

This report, Overview of the United States Spent Nuclear Fuel Program, December, 1997, summarizes the U.S. strategy for interim management and ultimate disposition of spent nuclear fuel from research and test reactors. The key elements of this strategy include consolidation of this spent nuclear fuel at three sites, preparation of the fuel for geologic disposal in road-ready packages, and low-cost dry interim storage until the planned geologic repository is opened. The U.S. has a number of research programs in place that are intended to Provide data and technologies to support both characterization and disposition of the fuel. (author)

AP1000{sup R} nuclear power plant safety overview for spent fuel cooling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gorgemans, J.; Mulhollem, L.; Glavin, J.; Pfister, A.; Conway, L.; Schulz, T.; Oriani, L.; Cummins, E.; Winters, J. [Westinghouse Electric Company LLC, 1000 Westinghouse Drive, Cranberry Township, PA 16066 (United States)

2012-07-01

The AP1000{sup R} plant is an 1100-MWe class pressurized water reactor with passive safety features and extensive plant simplifications that enhance construction, operation, maintenance, safety and costs. The AP1000 design uses passive features to mitigate design basis accidents. The passive safety systems are designed to function without safety-grade support systems such as AC power, component cooling water, service water or HVAC. Furthermore, these passive features 'fail safe' during a non-LOCA event such that DC power and instrumentation are not required. The AP1000 also has simple, active, defense-in-depth systems to support normal plant operations. These active systems provide the first level of defense against more probable events and they provide investment protection, reduce the demands on the passive features and support the probabilistic risk assessment. The AP1000 passive safety approach allows the plant to achieve and maintain safe shutdown in case of an accident for 72 hours without operator action, meeting the expectations provided in the U.S. Utility Requirement Document and the European Utility Requirements for passive plants. Limited operator actions are required to maintain safe conditions in the spent fuel pool via passive means. In line with the AP1000 approach to safety described above, the AP1000 plant design features multiple, diverse lines of defense to ensure spent fuel cooling can be maintained for design-basis events and beyond design-basis accidents. During normal and abnormal conditions, defense-in-depth and other systems provide highly reliable spent fuel pool cooling. They rely on off-site AC power or the on-site standby diesel generators. For unlikely design basis events with an extended loss of AC power (i.e., station blackout) or loss of heat sink or both, spent fuel cooling can still be provided indefinitely: - Passive systems, requiring minimal or no operator actions, are sufficient for at least 72 hours under all

DOE not planning to accept spent nuclear fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1995-01-01

Samuel K. Skinner, president of Commonwealth Edison Co. (ComEd), said open-quotes The federal government has a clear responsibility to begin accepting spent nuclear fuel in 1988,close quotes citing the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Based in Chicago, ComEd operates 12 nuclear units, making it the nation's largest nuclear utility. open-quotes Since 1983, the consumers who use electricity produced at all nuclear power plants have been paying to fund federal management of spent nuclear fuel. Consumer payments and obligations, with interest, now total more than $10 billion. Electricity consumers have held up their side of the deal. The federal government must do the same,close quotes Skinner added. Skinner represented the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) before the committee. NEI is the Washington-based trade association of the nuclear energy industries. For more than 12 years, utility customers have been paying one-tenth of a cent per kWhr to fund a federal spent fuel management program under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982. Under this act, the federal government assumed responsibility for management of spent fuel from the nation's nuclear power plants. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) was assigned to manage the storage and disposal program. DOE committed to begin accepting spent fuel from nuclear power plants by January 31, 1988. DOE has spent almost $5 million studying a site in Nevada, but is about 12 years behind schedule and does not plan to accept spent fuel beginning in 1998. DOE has said a permanent storage site will not be ready until 2010. This poses a major problem for many of the nation's nuclear power plants which supply about 20% of the electricity in the US

Spent Nuclear Fuel Alternative Technology Decision Analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shedrow, C.B.

1999-01-01

The Westinghouse Savannah River Company (WSRC) made a FY98 commitment to the Department of Energy (DOE) to recommend a technology for the disposal of aluminum-based spent nuclear fuel (SNF) at the Savannah River Site (SRS). The two technologies being considered, direct co-disposal and melt and dilute, had been previously selected from a group of eleven potential SNF management technologies by the Research Reactor Spent Nuclear Fuel Task Team chartered by the DOE''s Office of Spent Fuel Management. To meet this commitment, WSRC organized the SNF Alternative Technology Program to further develop the direct co-disposal and melt and dilute technologies and ultimately provide a WSRC recommendation to DOE on a preferred SNF alternative management technology

Centralized disassembly and packaging of spent fuel in the DOE spent fuel management system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, E.R.

1986-01-01

In October 1984, E.R. Johnson Associates, Inc. (JAI) initiated a study of the prospective use of a centralized facility for the disassembly and packaging of spent fuel to support the various elements of the US Dept. of Energy (DOE) spent fuel management system, including facilities for monitored retrievable storage (MRS) and repositories. It was DOE's original plan to receive spent fuel at each repository where it would be disassembled and packaged (overpacked) for disposal purposes. Subsequently, DOE considered the prospective use of MRS of spent fuel as an option for providing safe and reliable management of spent fuel. This study was designed to consider possible advantages of the use of centralized facilities for disassembly and packaging of spent fuel at whose location storage facilities could be added as required. The study was divided into three principal technical tasks that covered: (a) development of requirements and criteria for the central disassembly and packaging facility and associated systems. (2) Development of conceptual designs for the central disassembly and packaging facility and associated systems. (3) Estimation of capital and operating costs involved for all system facilities and determination of life cycle costs for various scenarios of operation - for comparison with the reference system

Current status of the first interim spent fuel storage facility in Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shinbo, Hitoshi; Kondo, Mitsuru

2008-01-01

In Japan, storage of spent fuels outside nuclear power plants was enabled as a result of partial amendments to the Nuclear Reactor Regulation Law in June 2000. Five months later, Mutsu City in Aomori Prefecture asked the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) to conduct technical surveys on siting of the interim spent fuel storage facility (we call it 'Recyclable-Fuel Storage Center'). In April 2003, TEPCO submitted the report on siting feasibility examination, concluded that no improper engineering data for siting, construction of the facility will be possible from engineering viewpoint. Siting Activities for publicity and public acceptance have been continued since then. After these activities, Aomori Prefecture and Mutsu City approved siting of the Recyclable Fuel Storage Center in October 2005. Aomori Prefecture, Mutsu City, TEPCO and Japan Atomic Power Company (JAPC) signed an agreement on the interim spent fuel storage Facility. A month later, TEPCO and JAPC established Recyclable-Fuel Storage Company (RFS) in Mutsu City through joint capital investment, specialized in the first interim spent fuel storage Facility in Japan. In May 2007, we made an application for establishment permit, following safety review by regulatory authorities. In March 2008, we started the preparatory construction. RFS will safely store of spent fuels of TEPCO and JAPC until they will be reprocessed. Final storage capacity will be 5,000 ton-U. First we will construct the storage building of 3,000 ton-U to be followed by second building. We aim to start operation by 2010. (author)

Assessment of spent WWER-440 fuel performance under long-term storage conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kupca, L [VUJE Inc. (Slovakia)

2012-07-01

In the Slovak Republic are under operation 6 units (4 in the Jaslovske Bohunice site, and 2 in the Mochovce), 2 units are under construction in Mochovce site. All units are WWER-440 type. The fresh fuel is imported from the Russian Federation. The spent fuel assemblies are stored in wet conditions in Bohunice Interim Storage Spent Fuel Facility (SFIS). By 15 July 2008, there were 8413 assemblies in SFIS. The objectives are: 1) Wet AR storage of spent fuel from the NPP Bohunice and Mochovce: Surveillance of conditions for spent fuel storage in the at-reactor (AR) storage pools of both NPP's (characteristics of pool water, corrosion product data); Visual control of storage pool components; Evaluation of storage conditions with respect to long-term stability (corrosion of fuel cladding, structural materials); 2) Wet SFIS storage at Bohunice: Measurement of spent fuel conditions during the long-term wet storage, activity data in the storage casks and amount of crud; Surveillance program for SFIS structural materials.

A geographic information system and multi criteria analysis method for site selection of spent nuclear fuel disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martins, Vivian Borges

2009-01-01

This thesis aims to develop a site selection methodology for the construction of final repository for the spent nuclear fuel disposal, by using geographic information systems (GIS) and multi-criteria decision analysis. Decision making processes of this kind are often complex, given the great number of space parameters to consider and also the typically conflicting opinions of the diverse stake holders. By using GIS, data from different space parameters can be quickly and reliably stored, treated and analyzed. Multi-criteria techniques allow for the incorporation of different stake holders' opinions. These tools, when jointly used, allow for the decision process to be more transparent, quick and reliable. The method developed was applied to the particular case of the state of Rio de Janeiro. Weights obtained from an expert panel and also by using the Hierarchical Analysis Method and cartographic data were combined in the GIS. The application showed that it is possible not only to select and classify areas as to their aptness for the proposed objective, but also to exclude those clearly inadequate areas, thus optimizing the selection process by reducing the search space and consequently minimizing costs and the time spent in the search. (author)

Status of the spent fuel dry storage programme for Cernavoda NPP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Radu, M.

1999-01-01

The Cernavoda NPP Unit 1 (600 MWe Standard type) is in operation since December 1996. Within the framework of the R and D Radioactive Waste and Spent Fuel Management Programme, investigations, studies and research are carried out on site identification and conceptual designs for both a Spent Fuel Interim Storage Facility and a Spent Fuel Disposal Facility. The status of the work performed in the framework of this programme as well as the situation of the spent fuel resulting from the Research Institutes will be presented in the paper. (author)

Spent Nuclear Fuel Alternative Technology Decision Analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shedrow, C.B.

1999-11-29

The Westinghouse Savannah River Company (WSRC) made a FY98 commitment to the Department of Energy (DOE) to recommend a technology for the disposal of aluminum-based spent nuclear fuel (SNF) at the Savannah River Site (SRS). The two technologies being considered, direct co-disposal and melt and dilute, had been previously selected from a group of eleven potential SNF management technologies by the Research Reactor Spent Nuclear Fuel Task Team chartered by the DOE''s Office of Spent Fuel Management. To meet this commitment, WSRC organized the SNF Alternative Technology Program to further develop the direct co-disposal and melt and dilute technologies and ultimately provide a WSRC recommendation to DOE on a preferred SNF alternative management technology.

Transport and storage of spent nuclear fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lung, M.; Lenail, B.

1987-01-01

From a safety standpoint, spent fuel is clearly not ideal for permanent disposal and reprocessing is the best method of preparing wastes for long-term storage in a repository. Furthermore, the future may demonstrate that some fission products recovered in reprocessing have economic applications. Many countries have in fact reached the point at which the recycling of plutonium and uranium from spent fuel is economical in LWR's. Even in countries where this is not yet evident, (i.e., the United States), the French example shows that the day will come when spent fuel will be retrieved for reprocessing and recycle. It is highly questionable whether spent fuel will ever be considered and treated as waste in the same sense as fission products and processed as such, i.e., packaged in a waste form for permanent disposal. Even when recycled fuel material can no longer be reused in LWR's because of poor reactivity, it will be usable in FBR's. Based on the considerable experience gained by SGN and Cogema, this paper has provided practical discussion and illustrations of spent fuel transport and storage of a very important step in the nuclear fuel management process. The best of spent fuel storage depends on technical, economic and policy considerations. Each design has a role to play and we hope that the above discussion will help clarify certain issues

Spent fuel pool spray cooling system for the AP1000 {sup registered}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vujic, Zoran; Sassen, Felix; Tietsch, Wolfgang [Westinghouse Electric Germany GmbH, Mannheim (Germany)

2013-07-01

The AP1000 {sup registered} plant design features multiple, diverse lines of defense to ensure spent fuel cooling can be maintained for Design Basis Events and Beyond Design Basis Accidents (BDBA). The AP1000 {sup registered} plant lines of defense with respect to Spent Fuel Pool (SFP) cooling are as follows: 1. During normal and abnormal conditions, defense-in-depth and duty systems provide highly reliable SFP cooling, supplied by offsite AC power or the onsite Standby Diesel Generators. 2. For unlikely events with extended loss of AC power (i.e. station black-out) and/or loss of heat sink, spent fuel cooling can be still provided indefinitely by: 2a. Passive systems, requiring minimal or no operator actions, sufficient for at least 72 hours under all possible loading conditions. 2b. After 3 days, several different means are provided to continue SFP cooling using installed plant equipment as well as off-site equipment with built-in connections. 3. Even for BDBA with postulated SFP damage and multiple failures in the passive safety-related systems and in the defense-in-depth active systems, the AP1000 {sup registered} SFP Spray System provides an additional line of defense to prevent spent fuel damage. (orig.)

A software tool integrated risk assessment of spent fuel transpotation and storage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yun, Mi Rae; Almomani, Belal; Ham, Jae Hyun; Kang, Hyun Gook [Dept. of Nuclear and Quantum Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Christian, Robby [Dept. of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Bo Gyung [Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Sang Hoon [Dept. of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, Keimyung University, Daegu (Korea, Republic of)

2017-06-15

When temporary spent fuel storage pools at nuclear power plants reach their capacity limit, the spent fuel must be moved to an alternative storage facility. However, radioactive materials must be handled and stored carefully to avoid severe consequences to the environment. In this study, the risks of three potential accident scenarios (i.e., maritime transportation, an aircraft crashing into an interim storage facility, and on-site transportation) associated with the spent fuel transportation process were analyzed using a probabilistic approach. For each scenario, the probabilities and the consequences were calculated separately to assess the risks: the probabilities were calculated using existing data and statistical models, and the consequences were calculated using computation models. Risk assessment software was developed to conveniently integrate the three scenarios. The risks were analyzed using the developed software according to the shipment route, building characteristics, and spent fuel handling environment. As a result of the risk analysis with varying accident conditions, transportation and storage strategies with relatively low risk were developed for regulators and licensees. The focus of this study was the risk assessment methodology; however, the applied model and input data have some uncertainties. Further research to reduce these uncertainties will improve the accuracy of this mode.

A software tool integrated risk assessment of spent fuel transpotation and storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yun, Mi Rae; Almomani, Belal; Ham, Jae Hyun; Kang, Hyun Gook; Christian, Robby; Kim, Bo Gyung; Lee, Sang Hoon

2017-01-01

When temporary spent fuel storage pools at nuclear power plants reach their capacity limit, the spent fuel must be moved to an alternative storage facility. However, radioactive materials must be handled and stored carefully to avoid severe consequences to the environment. In this study, the risks of three potential accident scenarios (i.e., maritime transportation, an aircraft crashing into an interim storage facility, and on-site transportation) associated with the spent fuel transportation process were analyzed using a probabilistic approach. For each scenario, the probabilities and the consequences were calculated separately to assess the risks: the probabilities were calculated using existing data and statistical models, and the consequences were calculated using computation models. Risk assessment software was developed to conveniently integrate the three scenarios. The risks were analyzed using the developed software according to the shipment route, building characteristics, and spent fuel handling environment. As a result of the risk analysis with varying accident conditions, transportation and storage strategies with relatively low risk were developed for regulators and licensees. The focus of this study was the risk assessment methodology; however, the applied model and input data have some uncertainties. Further research to reduce these uncertainties will improve the accuracy of this mode

Expedited action recommended for spent nuclear fuel at Hanford

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Illman, D.

1994-01-01

After six months of study, Westinghouse Hanford Co. has proposed an expedited strategy to deal with spent nuclear fuel stored in rapidly deteriorating basins at the Hanford site in southeastern Washington. The two-phase approach calls for radioactive fuel to be removed from the basins and placed in special canisters, transported by rail to a new vault to be constructed at Hanford,and held there until a processing facility is built. Then the fuel would be stabilized and returned to the vault for interim storage of up to 40 years. The plan calls for waste fuel and sludge to be removed by 2000. More than 2,100 metric tons of spent fuel--nearly 80% of DOE's total spent-fuel inventory nationwide--is housed at the Hanford site in the two obsolete concrete water basins, called K East and K West. A specific location for the storage and processing facilities has not yet been identified, and rounds of environmental impact statements remain to be completed. While a recommended path seems to have been identified, there are miles to go before this spent fuel finally sleeps

Social determinants of prescribed and non-prescribed medicine use

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

García-Altés Anna

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The aim of the present study was to describe the use of prescribed and non prescribed medicines in a non-institutionalised population older than 15 years of an urban area during the year 2000, in terms of age and gender, social class, employment status and type of Primary Health Care. Methods Cross-sectional study. Information came from the 2000 Barcelona Health Interview Survey. The indicators used were the prevalence of use of prescribed and non-prescribed medicines in the two weeks prior to the interview. Descriptive analyses, bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were carried out. Results More women than men took medicines (75.8% vs. 60% respectively. The prevalence of use of prescribed medicines increased with age while the prevalence of non-prescribed use decreased. These age differences are smaller among those with poor perceived health. In terms of social class, a higher percentage of men with good health in the more advantaged classes took non-prescribed medicines compared with disadvantaged classes (38.7% vs 31.8%. In contrast, among the group with poor health, more people from the more advantaged classes took prescribed medicines, compared with disadvantaged classes (51.4% vs 33.3%. A higher proportion of people who were either retired, unemployed or students, with good health, used prescribed medicines. Conclusion This study shows that beside health needs, there are social determinants affecting medicine consumption in the city of Barcelona.

An Indian perspective for transportation and storage of spent fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dey, P.K.

2005-01-01

The spent fuel discharged from the reactors are temporarily stored at the reactor pool. After a certain cooling time, the spent fuel is moved to the storage locations either on or off reactor site depending on the spent fuel management strategy. As India has opted for a closed fuel cycle for its nuclear energy development, reprocessing of the spent fuel, recycling of the reprocessed plutonium and uranium and disposal of the wastes from the reprocessing operations forms the spent fuel management strategy. Since the reprocessing operations are planned to match the nuclear energy programme, storage of the spent fuel in ponds are adopted prior to reprocessing. Transport of the spent fuel to the storage locations are carried out adhering to international and national guide lines. India is having 14 operating power reactors and three research reactors. The spent fuel from the two safeguarded BWRs are stored at-reactor (AR) storage pond. A separate wet storage facility away-from-reactor (AFR) has been designed, constructed and made operational since 1991 for additional fuel storage. Storage facilities are provided in ARs at other reactor locations to cater to 10 reactor-years of operation. A much lower capacity spent fuel storage is provided in reprocessing plants on the same lines of AR fuel storage design. Since the reprocessing operations are carried out on a need basis, to cater to the increased storage needs two new spent fuel storage facilities (SFSF) are being designed and constructed near the existing nuclear plant sites. India has mastered the technology for design, construction and operation of wet spent fuel storage facility meeting all the international standards Wet storage of the spent fuel is the most commonly adopted mode all over the world. Recently an alternate mode viz. dry storage has also been considered. India has designed, constructed and operated lead shielded dry storage casks and is operational at one site. A dry storage cask made of concrete

Diagnosis of aged prescribed burning plumes impacting an urban area.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Sangil; Kim, Hyeon K; Yan, Bo; Cobb, Charles E; Hennigan, Chris; Nichols, Sara; Chamber, Michael; Edgerton, Eric S; Jansen, John J; Hu, Yongtao; Zheng, Mei; Weber, Rodney J; Russell, Armistead G

2008-03-01

An unanticipated wind shift led to the advection of plumes from two prescribed burning sites that impacted Atlanta, GA, producing a heavy smoke event late in the afternoon on February 28, 2007. Observed PM2.5 concentrations increased to over 140 microg/m3 and O3 concentrations up to 30 ppb in a couple of hours, despite the late hour in February when photochemistry is less vigorous. A detailed investigation of PM2.5 chemical composition and source apportionment analysis showed that the increase in PM2.5 mass was driven mainly by organic carbon (OC). However, both results from source apportionment and an observed nonlinear relationship between OC and PM2.5 potassium (K) indicate that the increased OC was not due solely to primary emissions. Most of the OC was water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) and was dominated by hydrophobic compounds. The data are consistent with large enhancements in isoprenoid (isoprene and monoterpenes) and other volatile organic compounds emitted from prescribed burning that led to both significant O3 and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) production. Formation of oligomers from oxidation products of isoprenoid compounds or condensation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) with multiple functional groups emitted during prescribed burning appears to be a major component of the secondary organic contributor of the SOA. The results from this study imply that enhanced emissions due to the fire itself and elevated temperature in the burning region should be considered in air quality models (e.g., receptor and emission-based models) to assess impacts of prescribed burning emissions on ambient air quality.

A Non-Proliferating Fuel Cycle: No Enrichment, Reprocessing or Accessible Spent Fuel - 12375

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Parker, Frank L. [Vanderbilt University (United States)

2012-07-01

Current fuel cycles offer a number of opportunities for access to plutonium, opportunities to create highly enriched uranium and access highly radioactive wastes to create nuclear weapons and 'dirty' bombs. The non-proliferating fuel cycle however eliminates or reduces such opportunities and access by eliminating the mining, milling and enrichment of uranium. The non-proliferating fuel cycle also reduces the production of plutonium per unit of energy created, eliminates reprocessing and the separation of plutonium from the spent fuel and the creation of a stream of high-level waste. It further simplifies the search for land based deep geologic repositories and interim storage sites for spent fuel in the USA by disposing of the spent fuel in deep sub-seabed sediments after storing the spent fuel at U.S. Navy Nuclear Shipyards that have the space and all of the necessary equipment and security already in place. The non-proliferating fuel cycle also reduces transportation risks by utilizing barges for the collection of spent fuel and transport to the Navy shipyards and specially designed ships to take the spent fuel to designated disposal sites at sea and to dispose of them there in deep sub-seabed sediments. Disposal in the sub-seabed sediments practically eliminates human intrusion. Potential disposal sites include Great Meteor East and Southern Nares Abyssal Plain. Such sites then could easily become international disposal sites since they occur in the open ocean. It also reduces the level of human exposure in case of failure because of the large physical and chemical dilution and the elimination of a major pathway to man-seawater is not potable. Of course, the recovery of uranium from sea water and the disposal of spent fuel in sub-seabed sediments must be proven on an industrial scale. All other technologies are already operating on an industrial scale. If externalities, such as reduced terrorist threats, environmental damage (including embedded

The Analytical Repository Source-Term (AREST) model: Analysis of spent fuel as a nuclear waste form

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Apted, M.J.; Liebetrau, A.M.; Engel, D.W.

1989-02-01

The purpose of this report is to assess the performance of spent fuel as a final waste form. The release of radionuclides from spent nuclear fuel has been simulated for the three repository sites that were nominated for site characterization in accordance with the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982. The simulation is based on waste package designs that were presented in the environmental assessments prepared for each site. Five distinct distributions for containment failure have been considered, and the release for nuclides from the UO 2 matrix, gap (including grain boundary), crud/surface layer, and cladding has been calculated with the Analytic Repository Source-Term (AREST) code. Separate scenarios involving incongruent and congruent release from the UO 2 matrix have also been examined using the AREST code. Congruent release is defined here as the condition in which the relative mass release rates of a given nuclide and uranium from the UO 2 matrix are equal to their mass ratios in the matrix. Incongruent release refers to release of a given nuclide from the UO 2 matrix controlled by its own solubility-limiting solid phase. Release of nuclides from other sources within the spent fuel (e.g., cladding, fuel/cladding gap) is evaluated separately from either incongruent or congruent matrix release. 51 refs., 200 figs., 9 tabs

Storage of spent fuel from power reactors in India management and experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Changrani, R.D.; Bajpai, D.D.; Kodilkar, S.S.

1999-01-01

The spent fuel management programme in India is based on closing the nuclear fuel cycle with reprocessing option. This will enable the country to enhance energy security through maximizing utilization of available limited uranium resources while pursuing its Three Stage Nuclear Power Programme. Storage of spent fuel in water pools remains as prevailing mode in the near term. In view of inventory build up of spent fuel, an Away-From-Reactor (AFR) On-Site (OS) spent fuel storage facility has been made operational at Tarapur. Dry storage casks also have been developed as 'add on' system for additional storage of spent fuels. The paper describes the status and experience pertaining to spent fuel storage practices in India. (author)

TVO-92 safety analysis of spent fuel disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vieno, T.; Hautojaervi, A.; Koskinen, L.; Nordman, H.

1993-08-01

The spent fuel from the TVO I and TVO II reactors at the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant is planned to be disposed in a repository constructed at a depth of about 500 meters in crystalline bedrock. Teollisuuden Voima Oy (TVO) has carried out preliminary site investigations for spent fuel disposal between 1987 and 1992 at five areas in Finland (Olkiluoto, Kivetty, Romuvaara, Syyry and Veitsivaara). The Safety analysis of the disposal system is presented in the report. Spent fuel will be encapsulated in composite copper-steel canisters. The canister design (ACP canister) consists of an inner container of steel as a load-bearing element and an outer container of oxygen-free copper to provide a shield against corrosion. In the repository the canisters will be emplaced in vertical holes drilled in the floors of horizontal deposition tunnels. The annulus between the canister and the rock is filled with compacted bentonite. The results of the safety analysis attest that the planned disposal system fulfils the safety requirements. Suitable places for the repository can be found at each of the five investigation sites

Automatic spent fuel ID number reader (I)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanabe, S.; Kawamoto, H.; Fujimaki, K.; Kobe, A.

1991-01-01

An effective and efficient technique has been developed for facilitating identification works of LWR spent fuel stored in large scale spent fuel storage pools of such as processing plants. Experience shows that there are often difficulties in the implementation of operator's nuclear material accountancy and control works as well as safeguards inspections conducted on spent fuel assemblies stored in deep water pool. This paper reports that the technique is realized as an automatic spent fuel ID number reader system installed on fuel handling machine. The ID number reader system consists of an optical sub-system and an image processing sub-system. Thousands of spent fuel assemblies stored in under water open racks in each storage pool could be identified within relatively short time (e.g. within several hours) by using this combination. Various performance tests were carried out on image processing sub-system in 1990 using TV images obtained from different types of spent fuel assemblies stored in various storage pools of PWR and BWR power stations

Effects of AFR storage location on spent fuel transportation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Joy, D.S.; Shappert, L.B.

1979-01-01

In order to assess the impact of Away-From-Reactor (AFR) siting on the spent fuel transportation system, five different sites were studied: Argonne, Oak Ridge, Savannah River, Idaho Falls, and Richland. Transportation costs, cask fleet sizes, and radiation exposures received by transportation workers and the general public were calculated for each site. Results show that the eastern three sites are best. 5 figures, 5 tables

Management and disposal of spent nuclear fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-05-01

The National Board for Spent Nuclear Fuel, in submitting its statement of comment to the Government on the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company's (Svensk Kaernbraenslehantering AB, SKB) research programme, R and D Programme 86, has also put forward recommendations on the decision-making procedure and on the question of public information during the site selection process. In summary the Board proposes: * that the Government instruct the National Board for Spent Nuclear Fuel to issue certain directives concerning additions to and changes in R and D Programme 86, * that the Board's views on the decision-making procedure in the site selection process be taken into account in the Government's review of the so-called municipal veto in accordance with Chapter 4, Section 3 of the Act (1987:12) on the conservation of natural resources etc., NRL, * that the Board's views on the decision-making procedure and information questions during the site selection process serve as a basis for the continued work. Three appendices are added to the report: 1. Swedish review statements (SV), 2. International Reviews, 3. Report from the site selection group (SV)

Inappropriate prescribing in the elderly.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Gallagher, P

2012-02-03

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Drug therapy is necessary to treat acute illness, maintain current health and prevent further decline. However, optimizing drug therapy for older patients is challenging and sometimes, drug therapy can do more harm than good. Drug utilization review tools can highlight instances of potentially inappropriate prescribing to those involved in elderly pharmacotherapy, i.e. doctors, nurses and pharmacists. We aim to provide a review of the literature on potentially inappropriate prescribing in the elderly and also to review the explicit criteria that have been designed to detect potentially inappropriate prescribing in the elderly. METHODS: We performed an electronic search of the PUBMED database for articles published between 1991 and 2006 and a manual search through major journals for articles referenced in those located through PUBMED. Search terms were elderly, inappropriate prescribing, prescriptions, prevalence, Beers criteria, health outcomes and Europe. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Prescription of potentially inappropriate medications to older people is highly prevalent in the United States and Europe, ranging from 12% in community-dwelling elderly to 40% in nursing home residents. Inappropriate prescribing is associated with adverse drug events. Limited data exists on health outcomes from use of inappropriate medications. There are no prospective randomized controlled studies that test the tangible clinical benefit to patients of using drug utilization review tools. Existing drug utilization review tools have been designed on the basis of North American and Canadian drug formularies and may not be appropriate for use in European countries because of the differences in national drug formularies and prescribing attitudes. CONCLUSION: Given the high prevalence of inappropriate prescribing despite the widespread use of drug-utilization review tools, prospective randomized controlled trials are necessary to identify useful interventions. Drug

Refinishing contamination floors in Spent Nuclear Fuels storage basins

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, F.F.; Moore, F.W.

1997-01-01

The floors of the K Basins at the Hanford Site are refinished to make decontamination easier if spills occur as the spent nuclear fuel (SNF) is being unloaded from the basins for shipment to dry storage. Without removing the contaminated existing coating, the basin floors are to be coated with an epoxy coating material selected on the basis of the results of field tests of several paint products. The floor refinishing activities must be reviewed by a management review board to ensure that work can be performed in a controlled manner. Major documents prepared for management board review include a report on maintaining radiation exposure as low as reasonably achievable, a waste management plan, and reports on hazard classification and unreviewed safety questions. To protect personnel working in the radiation zone, Operational Health Physics prescribed the required minimum protective methods and devices in the radiological work permit. Also, industrial hygiene safety must be analyzed to establish respirator requirements for persons working in the basins. The procedure and requirements for the refinishing work are detailed in a work package approved by all safety engineers. After the refinishing work is completed, waste materials generated from the refinishing work must be disposed of according to the waste management plan

Status of spent fuel shipping cask development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hall, I.K.; Hinschberger, S.T.

1989-01-01

This paper discusses how several new-generation shopping cask systems are being developed for safe and economical transport of commercial spent nuclear fuel and other radioactive wastes for the generating sites to a federal geologic repository or monitored retrievable storage (MRS) facility. Primary objectives of the from-reactor spent fuel cask development work are: to increase cask payloads by taking advantage of the increased at-reactor storage time under the current spent fuel management scenario, to facilitate more efficient cask handling operations with reduced occupational radiation exposure, and to promote standardization of the physical interfaces between casks and the shipping and receiving facilities. Increased cask payloads will significantly reduce the numbers of shipments, with corresponding reductions in transportation costs and risks to transportation workers, cask handling personnel, and the general public

A Technological Innovation to Reduce Prescribing Errors Based on Implementation Intentions: The Acceptability and Feasibility of MyPrescribe.

Science.gov (United States)

Keyworth, Chris; Hart, Jo; Thoong, Hong; Ferguson, Jane; Tully, Mary

2017-08-01

Although prescribing of medication in hospitals is rarely an error-free process, prescribers receive little feedback on their mistakes and ways to change future practices. Audit and feedback interventions may be an effective approach to modifying the clinical practice of health professionals, but these may pose logistical challenges when used in hospitals. Moreover, such interventions are often labor intensive. Consequently, there is a need to develop effective and innovative interventions to overcome these challenges and to improve the delivery of feedback on prescribing. Implementation intentions, which have been shown to be effective in changing behavior, link critical situations with an appropriate response; however, these have rarely been used in the context of improving prescribing practices. Semistructured qualitative interviews were conducted to evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of providing feedback on prescribing errors via MyPrescribe, a mobile-compatible website informed by implementation intentions. Data relating to 200 prescribing errors made by 52 junior doctors were collected by 11 hospital pharmacists. These errors were populated into MyPrescribe, where prescribers were able to construct their own personalized action plans. Qualitative interviews with a subsample of 15 junior doctors were used to explore issues regarding feasibility and acceptability of MyPrescribe and their experiences of using implementation intentions to construct prescribing action plans. Framework analysis was used to identify prominent themes, with findings mapped to the behavioral components of the COM-B model (capability, opportunity, motivation, and behavior) to inform the development of future interventions. MyPrescribe was perceived to be effective in providing opportunities for critical reflection on prescribing errors and to complement existing training (such as junior doctors' e-portfolio). The participants were able to provide examples of how they would use

Radiological pathways analysis for spent solvents from the boiler chemical cleaning at the Pickering Nuclear Site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garisto, N.C.; Eslami, Z.; Hodgins, S.; Beaman, T.; Von Svoboda, S.; Marczak, J.

2006-01-01

Spent solvents are generated as a result of Boiler Chemical Cleanings (BCC) at CANDU reactor sites. These solutions contain small amount of radioactivity from a number of different sources including: Cut tubes - short sections of boiler tubes are infrequently removed from the boilers for a detailed characterization. These tubes are typically only plugged at the tubesheet allowing the primary side deposits to be exposed to BCC solvents. Tube leaks - primary to secondary side leaks also occur infrequently as a result of tube degradation. Radioactivity from the leaking fluid can consequently be deposited in the sludge on the secondary side of the tubes. Diffusion of tritium - during normal operation of the reactor units, tritium slowly diffuses from the heavy water in the primary heat-transfer system to the light-water coolant on the secondary side. Some of this tritium is retained in the secondary side deposits. The Pickering Nuclear Generating Station (PNGS) would like the flexibility to have several options for handling the spent solvent waste and associated rinse water from BCC. To this end, a radiological pathways analysis was undertaken to determine dose consequences associated with each option. Sample results from this study are included in this paper. The pathways analysis is used in this study to calculate dose to hypothetical receptors including individuals such as truck drivers, incinerator workers, residue (ash) handlers, residents who live near the landfill, inadvertent intruders into the landfill after closure and residents who live near the outfall. This dose is compared to a de minimis dose. A de minimis dose or dose rate represents a level of risk, which is generally accepted as being of no significance. Shipments of spent solvents and rinse water with corresponding doses below de minimis can be sent to conventional (i.e., non-radioactive) landfills for incineration and disposal as the radioactive dose associated with them is much less than natural

Fine scale vegetation classification and fuel load mapping for prescribed burning

Science.gov (United States)

Andrew D. Bailey; Robert Mickler

2007-01-01

Fire managers in the Coastal Plain of the Southeastern United States use prescribed burning as a tool to reduce fuel loads in a variety of vegetation types, many of which have elevated fuel loads due to a history of fire suppression. While standardized fuel models are useful in prescribed burn planning, those models do not quantify site-specific fuel loads that reflect...

NEPA implementation: The Department of Energy's program to manage spent nuclear fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shipler, D.B.

1994-05-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) is implementing the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) in its management of spent nuclear fuel. The DOE strategy is to address the short-term safety concerns about existing spent nuclear fuel, to study alternatives for interim storage, and to develop a long-range program to manage spent nuclear fuel. This paper discusses the NEPA process, the environmental impact statements for specific sites as well as the overall program, the inventory of DOE spent nuclear fuel, the alternatives for managing the fuel, and the schedule for implementing the program

Conditioning and storage of spent sealed radium sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cholerzynski, A.; Tomczak, W.

2001-01-01

In Poland sealed radioactive sources (SRS) are extensively used in medicine and in industry. There are mainly Co-60, Cs-137, lr-192 and also historical sources contain in Ra-226. The Radioactive Waste Management Department (ZDUOP) of the Institute of Atomic Energy at Swierk is the only organization licensed for the management, storage and disposal of radioactive waste in Poland. ZDUOP deals with all radioactive waste in the country. Storage and disposal of SRS is one of the most important part of its activity. Every year ZDUOP collects about 1000 spent SRS which total activity is near 600 GBq. Spent Ra-226 sources are a special case and therefore are required suitable procedures. Due to their production according to earlier standards and their undesirable characteristics, leakage of these sources is highly possible and practically observed. For this reason conditioning of radium sources needs strict requirements and quality assurance procedure to guarantee their safe storage for an extended period of time (e.g. 40-70 years). The National Radioactive Waste Repository is superficial type repository and considered as temporary storage site for long-lived waste. A storage facility for spent SRS has been properly prepared and licensed by the regulatory body. This facility consist of several concrete chambers which floor is lined stainless steel. The existing regulatory framework for sealed radioactive sources entered into force with issue of the Atomic Law in 1986

Disposal of spent fuel from German nuclear power plants - paper work or technology?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Graf, R.; Filbert, W.

2006-01-01

The reference concept 'direct disposal of spent fuel' was developed as an alternative to spent fuel reprocessing and vitrified HLW disposal. The technical facilities necessary for the implementation of this reference concept - the so called POLLUX-concept, e.g. interim storages for casks containing spent fuel, a pilot conditioning facility, and a special cask 'POLLUX' for final disposal have been built. With view to a geological salt formation all handling procedures for the repository were tested aboveground in a test facility at a 1:1 scale. To optimise the concept all operational steps are reviewed for possible improvement. Most promising are a concept using canisters (BSK 3) instead of POLLUX casks, and the direct disposal of transport and storage casks (DIREGT-concept) which is the most recent one and has been designed for the direct disposal of large transport and storage casks. The final exploration of the pre-selected repository site is still pending, from the industries point of view due to political reasons only. The present paper describes the main concepts and their status as of today. (author)

Implementation of hearings in the Swedish process for siting a spent nuclear fuel repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Westerlind, Magnus; Wiklund, Aasa

2001-01-01

The problem of bringing all stakeholders on the scene to penetrate an issue of great complexity is not unique for nuclear waste management. There are an increasing number of site selection processes for disposal of nuclear waste around the world. During the 90's many of these siting processes have gone into a more decisive phase where public participation and transparency get more and more attention. Municipalities, NGOs and the public do no longer accept ready-made solutions but have legitimate claims to be part of the decision making and siting processes at an early stage. The attempts to increase the level of transparency and public involvement differ from country to country and depend e.g. on culture, history and societal conditions as well as on the precise phase in the siting process. However, many processes include public hearings as one tool to enhance transparency. In general, Sweden has not a long history of using hearings in decision making. In the area of nuclear waste management and disposal hearings have so far been rarely used. In 1997 and 1998 two public hearings were arranged by the Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate, SKI, in conjunction with the licensing of the enlargement of the Central Interim Storage for Spent Nuclear Fuel, CLAB. These hearings showed that hearings could improve the decision making process. SKI and SSI strongly believe the effort was worthwhile and that hearings will continue to be used in the nuclear waste programme. The hearings provided a forum for local stakeholders to pose questions and stretch both the implementer and to some extent also the authorities. The hearings managed to focus on relevant issues at this stage of the siting process and gave the audience a chance to evaluate and challenge the trustworthiness of the implementer and authorities. In this respect the hearings contributed to transparent and democratic decision making. Some of the keys to the success were: Unbiased and skilled moderators with capacity to

IEA-R1 reactor - Spent fuel management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mattos, J.R.L. De

1996-01-01

Brazil currently has one Swimming Pool Research Reactor (IEA-R1) at the Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares - Sao Paulo. The spent fuel produced is stored both at the Reactor Pool Storage Compartment and at the Dry Well System. The present situation and future plans for spent fuel storage are described. (author). 3 refs, 2 figs, 2 tabs

Neuropharmacology and mental health nurse prescribers.

Science.gov (United States)

Skingsley, David; Bradley, Eleanor J; Nolan, Peter

2006-08-01

prescribe coupled with the information they provide to service users can be improved as a result of specific educational support. It would appear that adopting a prescribing dimension to one's role requires nurses to revisit a number of skills that are integral to the work of the mental health nurse, e.g. good communication, establishing empathy, listening to what clients say, responding to what is required and involving clients in their own care. Mental health nurses from one particular Trust in the West Midlands were provided with a 'top-up' course in neuropharmacology and, although they found this challenging, ultimately they found this to be helpful. As nurse prescribing is 'rolled out' to other nursing specialities it is important that local Trusts and Workforce Development Directorates maintain a dialogue about nurse prescriber training to ensure that nurse prescribers receive the appropriate time and support for their ongoing Continued Professional Development. As increasing numbers of nurses from different specialities qualify as nurse prescribers it is vital that they are supported by their employing organizations and given the opportunity to maintain their competency and confidence in their prescribing practice.

Handling of spent nuclear fuel and final storage of vitrified high level reprocessing waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1978-01-01

The report gives a general summary of the Swedish KBS-project on management and disposal of vitrified reprocessed waste. Its final aim is to demostrate that the means of processing and managing power reactor waste in an absolutely safe way, as stipulated in the Swedish so called Conditions Act, already exist. Chapters on Storage facility for spent fuel, Intermidiate storage of reprocessed waste, Geology, Final repository, Transportation, Protection, and Siting. (L.E.)

Spent-fuel transportation - a success story

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gertz, C.P.; Schoonen, D.H.; Wakeman, B.H.

1986-01-01

Spent nuclear fuel research and development (R and D) demonstrations and associated transportation activities are being performed as a part of the storage cask performance testing programs at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL). These spent-fuel programs support the Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA) and US Department of Energy (DOE) objectives for cooperative demonstrations with the utilities, testing at federal sites, and alternatives for viable transportation systems. A cooperative demonstration program with the private sector to develop dry storage technologies that the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) can generically approve is in place as well as cost-shared dry storage R and D program at a federal facility to collect the necessary licensing data. In addition to the accomplishments in the cask performance and testing demonstrations, the long-distance transportation of a large number of spent-fuel assemblies is considered a success story. The evaluation and implementation of applicable requirements, industry perspective, and extensive planning all contributed to this achievement

A design concept of underground facilities for the deep geologic disposal of spent fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Jong Youl; Choi, Heui Joo; Choi, Jong Won; Hahn, Pil Soo

2005-01-01

Spent nuclear fuel from nuclear power plants can be disposed in the underground repository. In this paper, a concept of Korean Reference HLW disposal System (KRS-1) design is presented. Though no site for the underground repository has been specified in Korea, but a generic site with granitic rock is considered for reference spent fuel repository design. To implement the concept, design requirements such as spent fuel characteristics and capacity of the repository and design principles were established. Then, based on these requirements and principles, a concept of the disposal process, the facilities and the layout of the repository was developed

Commercial spent nuclear fuel shipments in the United States, 1964--1987

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-12-01

This report provides an overview of US commercial light-water reactor spent-fuel shipments that have occurred from January, 1964 through December, 1987. A summary analysis was performed on these historical shipments, showing the amount of fuel that has been shipped to research facilities, reprocessing plants, away-from-reactor (AFR) storage sites, and other reactors. Also presented in this report is a listing of potential spent-fuel shipments to and/or from commercial nuclear plants. Table 1 provides the detailed listing of historical spent-fuel shipments. Table 2 is a summary of these shipments grouped by destination. Section IV discusses utility plans for future spent-fuel shipments. 2 tabs

Plan for safety case of spent fuel repository at Olkiluoto

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vieno, T.; Ikonen, A.T.K.

2005-02-01

analyse the evolution of the disposal system from the emplacement of the first canisters in the repository over the various transient phases into the far future. Radiation safety and fulfilment of regulatory requirements will mainly be dealt with in the Biosphere assessment, Radionuclide transport (safety assessment) and Complementary evaluations of safety (e.g. natural analogues) reports. The Summary report draws together the key findings and arguments. According to the outlined overall schedule, new reports on Site, Characteristics of spent fuel, Canister design, Repository design, and Evolution of site and repository should be available by 2006. The central contents for the Safety Case interim reporting will then be provided by the Process report (published in 2004) and the Evolution report. By 2009, a first or second version of each main report of the Safety Case should already be available. The central contents for the outline and preliminary assessments of the Safety Case will then be provided by the Site, Process, Radionuclide transport and Complementary evaluations reports compiled between 2007 and 2009. The final reports for the Safety Case supporting the construction license application will be compiled in 2010-2012. The Safety Case Plan will be updated along the progress of the Safety Case, for example, in association with the interim reporting of 2006 and 2009. (orig.)

Spent fuel storage requirements for nuclear utilities and OCRWM [Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wood, T.W.

1990-03-01

Projected spent fuel generation at US power reactors exceeds estimated aggregate pool storage capacity by approximately 30,000 metric tons of uranium (MTU). Based on the current repository schedule, little of the spent fuel inventory will be disposed of prior to shutdown of existing reactors, and a large additional capacity for surface storage of spent fuel will be required, either at reactors or at a centralized DOE storage site. Allocation of this storage requirement across the utility-DOE interface, and the resulting implications for reactor sites and the performance of the federal waste management system, were studied during the DOE MRS System Study and again subsequent to the reassessment of the repository schedule. Spent fuel logistics and cost results from these analyses will be used in definition of spent fuel storage capacity requirements for the federal system. 9 refs., 8 figs., 1 tab

Department of Energy Programmatic Spent Nuclear Fuel Management and Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Programs, Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Volume 1, Appendix D: Part A, Naval Spent Nuclear Fuel Management

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1994-06-01

Volume 1 to the Department of Energy`s Programmatic Spent Nuclear Fuel Management and Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Environmental Management Programs Environmental Impact Statement evaluates a range of alternatives for managing naval spent nuclear fuel expected to be removed from US Navy nuclear-powered vessels and prototype reactors through the year 2035. The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) considers a range of alternatives for examining and storing naval spent nuclear fuel, including alternatives that terminate examination and involve storage close to the refueling or defueling site. The EIS covers the potential environmental impacts of each alternative, as well as cost impacts and impacts to the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program mission. This Appendix covers aspects of the alternatives that involve managing naval spent nuclear fuel at four naval shipyards and the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program Kesselring Site in West Milton, New York. This Appendix also covers the impacts of alternatives that involve examining naval spent nuclear fuel at the Expended Core Facility in Idaho and the potential impacts of constructing and operating an inspection facility at any of the Department of Energy (DOE) facilities considered in the EIS. This Appendix also considers the impacts of the alternative involving limited spent nuclear fuel examinations at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. This Appendix does not address the impacts associated with storing naval spent nuclear fuel after it has been inspected and transferred to DOE facilities. These impacts are addressed in separate appendices for each DOE site.

How much time does it take to prescribe a new medication?

Science.gov (United States)

Tarn, Derjung M; Paterniti, Debora A; Kravitz, Richard L; Heritage, John; Liu, Honghu; Kim, Sue; Wenger, Neil S

2008-08-01

To measure the length of time spent discussing all aspects of new prescriptions and guideline-recommended aspects of counseling, and to evaluate factors associated with duration of discussion. We analyzed tape recordings in which 181 patients received 234 new medication prescriptions from 16 family physicians, 18 internists, and 11 cardiologists in 2 healthcare systems in Sacramento, California between January and November 1999. Of the mean total visit time of 15.9min (S.D.=434s), a mean of 26s (S.D.=28s) was allocated to guideline-recommended components and a mean of 23s (S.D.=25s) was allocated to discussion of all other aspects of new prescription medications. The majority of time spent discussing individual new prescriptions was dedicated to: medication purpose or justification, directions and duration of use, and side effects. On average, more complete discussion of these components was associated with more time. More time was spent talking about guideline-recommended information if patients were in better health, if there was a third party in the room, and if the medication belonged to a psychiatric, compared to an ear, nose, throat medication class. Less time was spent discussing over-the-counter (OTC) medications and those prescribed to patients with a previous visit to the physician. Higher quality information transmission between physicians and patients about new medications requires more time, and may be difficult to achieve in short office visits. Time-compressed office visits may need to be redesigned to promote improved provider-patient communication about new medications.

Spent fuel storage at the Rancho Seco Nuclear Generation Station

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miller, K.R.; Field, J.J.

1995-01-01

The Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) has developed a strategy for the storage and transport of spent nuclear fuel and is now in the process of licensing and manufacturing a Transportable Storage System (TSS). Staff has also engaged in impact limiter testing, non-fuel bearing component reinsertion, storage and disposal of GTCC waste, and site specific upgrades in support of spent fuel dry storage

Spent nuclear fuel integrity during dry storage - performance tests and demonstrations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McKinnon, M.A.; Doherty, A.L.

1997-06-01

This report summarizes the results of fuel integrity surveillance determined from gas sampling during and after performance tests and demonstrations conducted from 1983 through 1996 by or in cooperation with the US DOE Office of Commercial Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM). The cask performance tests were conducted at Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) between 1984 and 1991 and included visual observation and ultrasonic examination of the condition of the cladding, fuel rods, and fuel assembly hardware before dry storage and consolidation of fuel, and a qualitative determination of the effects of dry storage and fuel consolidation on fission gas release from the spent fuel rods. The performance tests consisted of 6 to 14 runs involving one or two loading, usually three backfill environments (helium, nitrogen, and vacuum backfills), and one or two storage system orientations. The nitrogen and helium backfills were sampled and analyzed to detect leaking spent fuel rods. At the end of each performance test, periodic gas sampling was conducted on each cask. A spent fuel behavior project (i.e., enhanced surveillance, monitoring, and gas sampling activities) was initiated by DOE in 1994 for intact fuel in a CASTOR V/21 cask and for consolidated fuel in a VSC-17 cask. The results of the gas sampling activities are included in this report. Information on spent fuel integrity is of interest in evaluating the impact of long-term dry storage on the behavior of spent fuel rods. Spent fuel used during cask performance tests at INEL offers significant opportunities for confirmation of the benign nature of long-term dry storage. Supporting cask demonstration included licensing and operation of an independent spent fuel storage installation (ISFSI) at the Virginia Power (VP) Surry reactor site. A CASTOR V/21, an MC-10, and a Nuclear Assurance NAC-I28 have been loaded and placed at the VP ISFSI as part of the demonstration program. 13 refs., 14 figs., 9 tabs

Situation of test and research reactors' spent fuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimizu, Kenichi; Uchiyama, Junzo; Sato, Hiroshi

1996-01-01

The U.S. DOE decided a renewal Off-Site Fuel Policy for stopping to spread a highly enriched uranium which was originally enriched at the U.S., the policy declared that to receive all HEU spent fuels from Test and Research reactors in all the world. In Japan, under bilateral agreement of cooperation between the government of the United States and the government of Japan concerning peaceful uses of nuclear energy, the highly enriched uranium of Test and Research Reactors' fuels was purchased from the U.S. and the fuels had been manufactured in Japan, America, Germany and France. On the other hand, a former president of the U.S. J. Carter proposed that to convert the fuels from HEU to LEU concerning a nonproliferation of nuclear materials in 1978, and Japan absolutely supported this policy. Under this condition, the U.S. stopped to receive the spent fuels from the other countries concerning legal action to the Off-Site Fuels Policy. As a result, the spent fuels are increasing, and to cross to each reactor's storage capacity, and if this policy start, a faced crisis of Test and Research Reactors will be avoided. (author)

Development of a Computer Program for the Analysis Logistics of PWR Spent Fuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Heui Joo; Choi, Jong Won; Cha, Jeong Hun

2008-01-01

It is expected that the temporary storage facilities at the nuclear power plants will be full of the spent fuels within 10 years. Provided that a centralized interim storage facility is constructed along the coast of the Korean peninsula to solve this problem, a substantial amount of spent fuels should be transported by sea or by land every year. In this paper we developed a computer program for the analysis of transportation logistics of the spent fuels from 4 different nuclear power plant sites to the hypothetical centralized interim storage facility and the final repository. Mass balance equations were used to analyze the logistics between the nuclear power plants and the interim storage facility. To this end a computer program, CASK, was developed by using the VISUAL BASIC language. The annual transportation rates of spent fuels from the four nuclear power plant sites were determined by using the CASK program. The parameter study with the program illustrated the easiness of logistics analysis. The program could be used for the cost analysis of the spent fuel transportation as well.

Preliminary plan for decommissioning - repository for spent nuclear fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hallberg, Bengt; Tiberg, Liselotte

2010-06-01

The final disposal facility for spent nuclear fuel is part of the KBS-3 system, which also consists of a central facility for interim storage and encapsulation of the spent nuclear fuel and a transport system. The nuclear fuel repository will be a nuclear facility. Regulation SSMFS 2008:1 (Swedish Radiation Safety Authority's regulations on safety of nuclear facilities) requires that the licensee must have a current decommissioning plan throughout the facility lifecycle. Before the facility is constructed, a preliminary decommissioning plan should be reported to the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority. This document is a preliminary decommissioning plan, and submitted as an attachment to SKB's application for a license under the Nuclear Activities Act to construct, own and operate the facility. The final disposal facility for spent nuclear fuel consists of an above ground part and a below ground part and will be built near Forsmark and the final repository for radioactive operational waste, SFR. The parts above and below ground are connected by a ramp and several shafts, e.g. for ventilation. The below ground part consists of a central area, and several landfill sites. The latter form the repository area. The sealed below ground part constitutes the final repository. The decommissioning is taking place after the main operation has ended, that is, when all spent nuclear fuel has been deposited and the deposition tunnels have been backfilled and plugged. The decommissioning involves sealing of the remaining parts of the below ground part and demolition of above ground part. When decommissioning begins, there will be no contamination in the facility. The demolition is therefore performed as for a conventional plant. Demolition waste is sorted and recycled whenever possible or placed in landfill. Hazardous waste is managed in accordance with current regulations. A ground investigation is performed and is the basis for after-treatment of the site. The timetable for the

Towards a Swedish repository for spent fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahlstroem, P.-E.

1997-01-01

Nuclear power is producing electricity for the benefit of society but is also leaving radioactive residues behind. It is our responsibility to handle these residues in a safe and proper manner. The development of a system for handling spent fuel from nuclear power plants has proceeded in steps. The same is true for the actual construction of facilities and will continue to be the case for the final repository for spent fuel and other types of long-lived wastes. The primary objective in constructing the repository will be to isolate and contain the radioactive waste. In case the isolation fails for some reason the multibarrier system should retain and retard the radionuclides that might come into contact with the groundwater. A repository is now planned to be built in two steps where the first step will include deposition of about 400 canisters with spent fuel. This first step should be finished in about 20 years from now and be followed by an extensive evaluation of the results from not only this particular step but also from the development of alternative routes before deciding on how to proceed. A special facility to encapsulate the spent fuel is also required. Such an encapsulation plant is proposed to be constructed as an extension of the existing interim storage CLAB. Finding a site for the repository is a critical issue in the implementation of any repository. The siting process started a few years ago and made some progress but is by no means yet completed. It will go on at least into the early part of the next decade. When the present nuclear power plants begin to be due for retirement there should also be some facilities in place to take permanent care of the long-lived radioactive residues. Progress in siting will be a prerequisite for success in our responsibility to make progress towards a safe permanent solution of the waste issue. (orig.)

Partial Defect Verification of Spent Fuel Assemblies by PDET: Principle and Field Testing in Interim Spent Fuel Storage Facility (CLAB) in Sweden

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ham, Y.S.; Kerr, P.; Sitaraman, S.; Swan, R. [Global Security Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550 (United States); Rossa, R. [SCK-CEN, Mol (Belgium); Liljenfeldt, H. [SKB in Oskarshamn (Sweden)

2015-07-01

The need for the development of a credible method and instrument for partial defect verification of spent fuel has been emphasized over a few decades in the safeguards communities as the diverted spent fuel pins can be the source of nuclear terrorism or devices. The need is increasingly more important and even urgent as many countries have started to transfer spent fuel to so called 'difficult-to-access' areas such as dry storage casks, reprocessing or geological repositories. Partial defect verification is required by IAEA before spent fuel is placed into 'difficult-to-access' areas. Earlier, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has reported the successful development of a new, credible partial defect verification method for pressurized water reactor (PWR) spent fuel assemblies without use of operator data, and further reported the validation experiments using commercial spent fuel assemblies with some missing fuel pins. The method was found to be robust as the method is relatively invariant to the characteristic variations of spent fuel assemblies such as initial fuel enrichment, cooling time, and burn-up. Since then, the PDET system has been designed and prototyped for 17x17 PWR spent fuel assemblies, complete with data acquisition software and acquisition electronics. In this paper, a summary description of the PDET development followed by results of the first successful field testing using the integrated PDET system and actual spent fuel assemblies performed in a commercial spent fuel storage site, known as Central Interim Spent fuel Storage Facility (CLAB) in Sweden will be presented. In addition to partial defect detection initial studies have determined that the tool can be used to verify the operator declared average burnup of the assembly as well as intra-assembly burnup levels. (authors)

Management and disposal of spent nuclear fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-05-01

The programme consists of the long-term and short-term programme, the continued bedrock investigations, the underground research laboratory, the decision-making procedure in the site selection process and information questions during the site selection process. The National Board for Spent Nuclear Fuel hereby subunits both the SKB's R and D Programme 86 and the Board's statement concerning the programme. Decisions in the matter have been made by the Board's executive committee. (DG)

Assessment of the requirements for placing and maintaining Savannah River Site spent fuel storage basins under International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amacker, O.P. Jr.; Curtis, M.M.; Delegard, C.H.; Hsue, S.T.; Whitesel, R.N.

1997-03-01

The United States is considering the offer of irradiated research reactor spent fuel (RRSF) for international safeguards applied by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The offer would be to add one or more spent fuel storage basins to the list of facilities eligible for IAEA safeguards. The fuel to be safeguarded would be stored in basins on the Savannah River Site (SRS). This RRSF potentially can include returns of Material Test Reactor (MTR) VAX fuel from Argentina, Brazil, and Chile (ABC); returns from other foreign research reactors; and fuel from domestic research reactors. Basins on the SRS being considered for this fuel storage are the Receiving Basin for Offsite Fuel (RBOF) and the L-Area Disassembly Basin (L-Basin). A working group of SRS, U.S. Department of Energy International Safeguards Division (NN-44), and National Laboratory personnel with experience in IAEA safeguards was convened to consider the requirements for applying the safeguards to this material. The working group projected the safeguards requirements and described alternatives

Storage of water reactor spent fuel in water pools. Survey of world experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-01-01

Following discharge from a nuclear reactor, spent fuel has to be stored in water pools at the reactor site to allow for radioactive decay and cooling. After this initial storage period, the future treatment of spent fuel depends on the fuel cycle concept chosen. Spent fuel can either be treated by chemical processing or conditioning for final disposal at the relevant fuel cycle facilities, or be held in interim storage - at the reactor site or at a central storage facility. Recent forecasts predict that, by the year 2000, more than 150,000 tonnes of heavy metal from spent LWR fuel will have been accumulated. Because of postponed commitments regarding spent fuel treatment, a significant amount of spent fuel will still be held in storage at that time. Although very positive experience with wet storage has been gained over the past 40 years, making wet storage a proven technology, it appears desirable to summarize all available data for the benefit of designers, storage pool operators, licensing agenices and the general public. Such data will be essential for assessing the viability of extended water pool storage of spent nuclear fuel. In 1979, the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Nuclear Energy Agency of the OECD jointly issued a questionnaire dealing with all aspects of water pool storage. This report summarizes the information received from storage pool operators

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Characterization of Spent Nuclear Fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nichols, D.M.

1998-01-01

As a result of the end of the Cold War and the Nonproliferation treaty, the United States is left with quantifies of spent nuclear fuel. The final disposition of the spent nuclear fuel is yet to be determined. However, one issue that plagues the holders of this material is 'if this material is no longer required and must be disposed, how will it be classified under current U.S. environmental laws and regulations?' This paper provides one site's position on the characterization of the spent nuclear fuel as a non-hazardous solid waste

Spent nuclear fuel discharges from US reactors 1993

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-02-01

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) administers the Nuclear Fuel Data Survey, Form RW-859. This form is used to collect data on fuel assemblies irradiated at commercial nuclear reactors operating in the United States, and the current inventories and storage capacities of those reactors. These data are important to the design and operation of the equipment and facilities that DOE will use for the future acceptance, transportation, and disposal of spent fuels. The data collected and presented identifies trends in burnup, enrichment, and spent nuclear fuel discharged form commercial light-water reactor as of December 31, 1993. The document covers not only spent nuclear fuel discharges; but also site capacities and inventories; canisters and nonfuel components; and assembly type characteristics

Spent nuclear fuel characterization for a bounding reference assembly for the receiving basin for off-site fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kahook, S.D.; Garrett, R.L.; Canas, L.R.

1995-01-01

A basis for interim operation 1 (BIO) for the receiving basin for off-site fuel (RBOF) facility at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Savannah River site nuclear materials production complex has been developed in accordance to draft DOE-STD-0019-93 (Ref. 2). The latter document requires a hazard categorization per DOE-STD-1027-92 (Ref. 3) for the safety analysis portion of the BIO. This classification places the facility in one of three categories as defined in DOE 5480.23 (Ref. 4) per the total radioactivity, which can be released during an accident. The diversity of spent nuclear fuels stored in the RBOF made an exacting assessment of the total radioactive inventory virtually impossible. This restriction led to a conservative calculation based on the concept of a hypothetical bounding reference fuel assembly (RFA) integrated over the total capacity of the facility. The RFA is derived from a systematic ranking of the real assemblies (current and expected) according to a maximum burnup criterion. The indicated scheme is not only simple but precluded a potential delay in the completion of the BIO

Development of the nuclear ship MUTSU spent fuel shipping cask

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishizuka, M.; Umeda, M.; Nawata, Y.; Sato, H.; Honami, M.; Nomura, T.; Ohashi, M.; Higashino, A.

1989-01-01

After the planned trial voyage (4700 MWD/MTU) of the nuclear ship MUTSU in 1990, her spent fuel assemblies, initially made of two types of enriched UO 2 (3.2wt% and 4.4wt%), will be transferred to the reprocessing plant soon after cooling down in the ship reactor for more than one year. For transportation, the MUTSU spent fuel shipping casks will be used. Prior to transportation to the reprocessing plant, the cooled spent fuel assemblies will be removed from the reactor to the shipping casks and housed at the spent fuel storage facility on site. In designing the MUTSU spent fuel shipping cask, considerations were given to make the leak-tightness and integrity of the cask confirmable during storage. The development of the cask and the storage function demonstration test were performed by Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI). One prototype cask for the storage demonstration test and licensed thirty-five casks were manufactured between 1987 and 1988

Dissolution rates of aluminum-based spent fuels relevant to geological disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mickalonis, J.I.

2000-01-01

The Department of Energy is pursuing the option of direct disposal of a wide variety of spent nuclear fuels under its jurisdiction. Characterization of the various types of spent fuel is required prior to licensing by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and acceptance of the fuel at a repository site. One category of required data is the expected rate of radionuclide and fissile release to the environment as a result of exposure to groundwater after closure of the repository. To provide this type of data for four different aluminum-based spent fuels, tests were conducted using a flow through method that allows the dissolution rate of the spent fuel matrix to be measured without interference by secondary precipitation reactions that would muddle interpretation of the results. Similar tests had been conducted earlier with light water reactor spent fuel, thereby allowing direct comparisons

Connecting primary care clinics and community pharmacies through a nationwide electronic prescribing network: A qualitative study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marie-Pierre Gagnon

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Background The use of medication is at the heart of primary care, but is also the cause for major health concerns. It is therefore important to examine the prescription of medication process.Objective This study identifies the barriers and facilitators perceived by community pharmacists and primary care physicians concerning the adoption of a nationwide electronic prescribing (e-prescribing network in the province of Quebec, Canada.Methods We used purposive sampling to identify the most intensive users of the e-prescribing network. We conducted phone and in-person interviews. Interviews were transcribed, and we analysed their content with NVivo, using the clinical adoption framework (CAF for the codification of the data.Results We interviewed 33 pharmacists, 2 pharmacy technicians, 11 physicians and 3 clinic managers. Adoption of the e-prescribing network was fairly low. The respondents underlined adaptation of their work environment, openness to change and perception of benefits as facilitators to the adoption of the network. However, important barriers were perceived, including system quality issues and paper prescriptions being the only legal document in the prescribing process. Even if respondents recognised that the e-prescribing network can offer substantial benefits to the prescribing process, issues still persisted and raised barriers to the full use of such a network, especially in a context where different local information systems are connected within a nationwide e-prescribing network.Conclusion This study, based on the CAF, provides a better understanding of the factors related to the adoption of a nationwide e-prescribing network connecting primary care clinics and community pharmacies. 

Immobilization of spent resin with epoxy resin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gultom, O.; Suryanto; Sayogo; Ramdan

1997-01-01

immobilization of spent resin using epoxy resin has been conducted. The spent resin was mixtured with epoxy resin in variation of concentration, i.e., 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 weight percent of spent resin. The mixture were pour into the plastic tube, with a diameter of 40 mm and height of 40 mm. The density, compressive strength and leaching rate were respectively measured by quanta chrome, paul weber apparatus and gamma spectrometer. The results showed that the increasing of waste concentration would be decreased the compressive strength, and increased density by immobilized waste. The leaching rate of 137 Cs from waste product was not detected in experiment (author)

Experiences and history of the spent fuel disposal programme in Finland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Ju

2004-01-01

This paper briefly introduces the Finnish geological disposal programme for spent fuel, including the management structure, technical strategy for R and D, history of R and D, technical considerations, siting process, site characterization, underground research laboratory development and its successful experiences. (author)

Final disposal of spent nuclear fuel in Finnish bedrock. Haestholmen site report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anttila, P. [Fortum Engineering Oy, Vantaa (Finland); Ahokas, H. [Fintact Oy, Helsinki (Finland); Front, K. [VTT Communities and Infrastructure, Espoo (Finland)

1999-06-01

Posiva Oy is studying the Finnish bedrock for the geological disposal of spent nuclear fuel. The study is based on the site selection research programme started originally in 1983. The programme is in accordance with the decision in principle by the Council of State in 1983 and aims at the selection of one site in 2000. Four sites, Haestholmen in Loviisa, Kivetty in Aeaenekoski, Olkiluoto in Eurajoki and Romuvaara in Kuhmo, have been studied in detail. This report summarises the results of the site investigations carried out at Haestholmen. The Haestholmen area is located within the anorogenic Wiborg rapakivi granite batholith, about 1630 million years in age, representing one of the youngest rock formations in Finland. Wiborgite, pyterlite, porphyritic rapakivi granite and even-grained rapakivi granite are the rock types present. 25 bedrock structures have been modelled at the site. Most of them are steeply-dipping fracture zones trending NW-SE and NE-SW, but several sub-horizontal zones, mainly dipping to the N-NE and the SW, are also present. The rock mass between the fracture zones represents what is termed `intact rock`, which is typically hard, unweathered and sparsely fractured. The bedrock structures are generally hydraulically more conductive than the intact rock and their mean transmissivity is 8 x 10{sup -6} m{sup 2}/s or 1.3 x 10{sup -6} m{sup 2}/s, depending on how structures are defined. The corresponding mean of the hydraulic conductivity values measured for the intact rock using a 2 m packer interval is 1 x 10{sup -12} m/s, if a lognormal distribution for all measured values is assumed. A clear decrease in hydraulic conductivity with depth has been found in the intact rock. In addition, the hydraulically conductive fractures seem to be more frequent and their transmissivities higher in the uppermost 100-200 m of the bedrock than at greater depths. The groundwater chemistry reflects the post-glacial history of the island of Haestholmen, which rose

Final disposal of spent nuclear fuel in Finnish bedrock. Haestholmen site report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anttila, P.; Ahokas, H.; Front, K.

1999-06-01

Posiva Oy is studying the Finnish bedrock for the geological disposal of spent nuclear fuel. The study is based on the site selection research programme started originally in 1983. The programme is in accordance with the decision in principle by the Council of State in 1983 and aims at the selection of one site in 2000. Four sites, Haestholmen in Loviisa, Kivetty in Aeaenekoski, Olkiluoto in Eurajoki and Romuvaara in Kuhmo, have been studied in detail. This report summarises the results of the site investigations carried out at Haestholmen. The Haestholmen area is located within the anorogenic Wiborg rapakivi granite batholith, about 1630 million years in age, representing one of the youngest rock formations in Finland. Wiborgite, pyterlite, porphyritic rapakivi granite and even-grained rapakivi granite are the rock types present. 25 bedrock structures have been modelled at the site. Most of them are steeply-dipping fracture zones trending NW-SE and NE-SW, but several sub-horizontal zones, mainly dipping to the N-NE and the SW, are also present. The rock mass between the fracture zones represents what is termed 'intact rock', which is typically hard, unweathered and sparsely fractured. The bedrock structures are generally hydraulically more conductive than the intact rock and their mean transmissivity is 8 x 10 -6 m 2 /s or 1.3 x 10 -6 m 2 /s, depending on how structures are defined. The corresponding mean of the hydraulic conductivity values measured for the intact rock using a 2 m packer interval is 1 x 10 -12 m/s, if a lognormal distribution for all measured values is assumed. A clear decrease in hydraulic conductivity with depth has been found in the intact rock. In addition, the hydraulically conductive fractures seem to be more frequent and their transmissivities higher in the uppermost 100-200 m of the bedrock than at greater depths. The groundwater chemistry reflects the post-glacial history of the island of Haestholmen, which rose from the Baltic Sea some

Assessment of LMFBR spent fuel shipping cask concepts for the CRBRP and the US conceptual design study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pope, R.B.; Ortman, J.M.; Eakes, R.G.; Leisher, W.B.; Dupree, S.A.

1980-01-01

Study of conceptual shipping systems for CRBRP and CDS spent fuel has shown that systems significantly different from those used for LWR spent fuel will be required. In the conceptual design, liquid sodium was assumed to be the coolant in canisters containing the spent fuel assemblies, and multiple levels of containment were provided by canisters, an inner cask lid and an outer cask lid. Cask cooling at the reactor site during loading, and cooldown at the receiving site prior to unloading are significant but tractable problems

Report on the Savannah River Site aluminum-based spent nuclear fuel alternatives cost study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-12-01

Initial estimates of costs for the interim management and disposal of aluminum-based spent nuclear fuel (SNF) were developed during preparation of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the Nuclear Weapons Nonproliferation Policy Concerning Foreign Research Reactor Spent Nuclear Fuel. The Task Team evaluated multiple alternatives, assessing programmatic, technical, and schedule risks, and generated life-cycle cost projections for each alternative. The eight technology alternatives evaluated were: direct co-disposal; melt and dilute; reprocessing; press and dilute; glass material oxidation dissolution system (GMODS); electrometallurgical treatment; dissolve and vitrify; and plasma arc. In followup to the Business Plan that was developed to look at SNF dry storage, WSRC prepared an addendum to the cost study. This addendum estimated the costs for the modification and use of an existing (105L) reactor facility versus a greenfield approach for new facilities (for the Direct Co-Disposal and Melt and Dilute alternatives). WSRC assessed the impacts of a delay in reprocessing due to the potential reservation of H-Canyon for other missions (i.e., down blending HEU for commercial use or the conversion of plutonium to either MOX fuel or an immobilized repository disposal form). This report presents the relevant results from these WSRC cost studies, consistent with the most recent project policy, technology implementation, canyon utilization, and inventory assumptions. As this is a summary report, detailed information on the technical alternatives or the cost assumptions raised in each of the above-mentioned cost studies is not provided. A comparison table that briefly describes the bases used for the WSRC analyses is included as Appendix A

Studies on recycling and utilization of spent catalysts. Preparation of active hydrodemetallization catalyst compositions from spent residue hydroprocessing catalysts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marafi, Meena; Stanislaus, Antony [Petroleum Refining Department, Petroleum Research and Studies Center, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, P.O. Box 24885, Safat (Kuwait)

2007-02-15

Spent catalysts form a major source of solid wastes in the petroleum refining industries. Due to environmental concerns, increasing emphasis has been placed on the development of recycling processes for the waste catalyst materials as much as possible. In the present study the potential reuse of spent catalysts in the preparation of active new catalysts for residual oil hydrotreating was examined. A series of catalysts were prepared by mixing and extruding spent residue hydroprocessing catalysts that contained C, V, Mo, Ni and Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} with boehmite in different proportions. All prepared catalysts were characterized by chemical analysis and by surface area, pore volume, pore size and crushing strength measurements. The hydrodesulfurization (HDS) and hydrodemetallization (HDM) activities of the catalysts were evaluated by testing in a high pressure fixed-bed microreactor unit using Kuwait atmospheric residue as feed. A commercial HDM catalyst was also tested under similar operating conditions and their HDS and HDM activities were compared with that of the prepared catalysts. The results revealed that catalyst prepared with addition of up to 40 wt% spent catalyst to boehmite had fairly high surface area and pore volume together with large pores. The catalyst prepared by mixing and extruding about 40 wt% spent catalyst with boehmite was relatively more active for promoting HDM and HDS reactions than a reference commercial HDM catalyst. The formation of some kind of new active sites from the metals (V, Mo and Ni) present in the spent catalyst is suggested to be responsible for the high HDM activity of the prepared catalyst. (author)

Spent-Fuel Test - Climax: An evaluation of the technical feasibility of geologic storage of spent nuclear fuel in granite: Executive summary of final results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patrick, W.C.

1986-01-01

This summary volume outlines results that are covered in more detail in the final report of the Spent-Fuel Test - Climate project. The project was conducted between 1978 and 1983 in the granitic Climax stock at the Nevada Test Site. Results indicate that spent fuel can be safely stored for periods of years in this host medium and that nuclear waste so emplaced can be safely retrieved. We also evaluated the effects of heat and radiation (alone and in combination) on emplacement canisters and the surrounding rock mass. Storage of the spent-fuel affected the surrounding rock mass in measurable ways, but did not threaten the stability or safety of the facility at any time

Nuclear Spent Fuel Management in Spain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zuloaga, P.

2015-01-01

The radioactive waste management policy is established by the Spanish Government through the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Commerce. This policy is described in the Cabinet-approved General Radioactive Waste Plan. ENRESA is the Spanish organization in charge of radioactive waste and nuclear SFM and nuclear installations decommissioning. The priority goal in SFM is the construction of the centralized storage facility named Almacén Temporal Centralizado (ATC), whose generic design was approved by the safety authority, Consejo de Seguridad Nuclear. This facility is planned for some 6.700 tons of heavy metal. The ATC site selection process, based on a volunteer community’s scheme, has been launched by the Government in December 2009. After the selection of a site in a participative and transparent process, the site characterization and licensing activities will support the construction of the facility. Meanwhile, extension of the on-site storage capacity has been implemented at the seven nuclear power plants sites, including past reracking at all sites. More recent activities are: reracking performed at Cofrentes NPP; dual purpose casks re-licensing for higher burnup at Trillo NPP; transfer of the spent fuel inventory at Jose Cabrera NPP to a dry-storage system, to allow decommissioning operations; and licence application of a dry-storage installation at Ascó NPP, to provide the needed capacity until the ATC facility operation. For financing planning purposes, the long-term management of spent fuel is based on direct disposal. A final decision about major fuel management options is not made yet. To assist the decision makers a number of activities are under way, including basic designs of a geological disposal facility for clay and granite host rocks, together with associated performance assessment, and supported by a R&D programme, which also includes research projects in other options like advanced separation and transmutation. (author)

A study on radiation shielding design in MACSTOR-400(CANDU spent fuel storage facility)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Yoon Hee

2006-02-01

Since the spent fuel pool will be saturated in the near future, spent fuel storage facilities are urgently needed. Because of high radiation and decay heat, spent fuel management is difficult and important. In this study, the shielding thickness of MACSTOR-400 that satisfies the general surface dose rate limit has been investigated. And the radiation shielding safety at site boundary has also been evaluated. IAEA recommends the safety series as a guideline and the U.S. follows the NUREG guide for spent fuel storage facility design. In Japan, the regulation for internal transfer is applied to the spent fuel storage. In Korea, the ACT notification for radiation protection is considered. As a shielding design requirement, it is stated that the occupational exposure dose rate must not exceed 1 mSv/week. From this value, it is assumed that the surface dose rate limit is 25 μSv/hr. And for multi unit operation in same site, the dose rate limit at the controlled area boundary is 0.25 mSv/yr. MCNP code and Microshield program were used for calculating the surface dose rate and the dose rate at site boundary respectively. The shielding should be at least 90 cm thick except the air inlet to follow the surface dose rate limit. Additional shielding is needed on air inlet because the dose rate on air inlet is higher than the dose rate on concrete surface. Without the shielding structure, the shielding thickness should be at least 127 cm. In order to satisfy the surface dose rate limit with maintaining the same concrete thickness on air inlet, shielding structure is required on air inlet. The optimum shielding structure has been proposed in this study. The allowable number of MACSTORs with considering other nuclear facilities in Wolsung site is calculated at 60. It is expected that the required number of MACSTORs are 28 in order to store the total amount of spent fuel generated during NPP operation in Wolsung. Therefore, it seems to be safe in radiation point at site boundary

A study on radiation shielding design in MACSTOR-400(CANDU spent fuel storage facility)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Yoon Hee

2006-02-15

Since the spent fuel pool will be saturated in the near future, spent fuel storage facilities are urgently needed. Because of high radiation and decay heat, spent fuel management is difficult and important. In this study, the shielding thickness of MACSTOR-400 that satisfies the general surface dose rate limit has been investigated. And the radiation shielding safety at site boundary has also been evaluated. IAEA recommends the safety series as a guideline and the U.S. follows the NUREG guide for spent fuel storage facility design. In Japan, the regulation for internal transfer is applied to the spent fuel storage. In Korea, the ACT notification for radiation protection is considered. As a shielding design requirement, it is stated that the occupational exposure dose rate must not exceed 1 mSv/week. From this value, it is assumed that the surface dose rate limit is 25 μSv/hr. And for multi unit operation in same site, the dose rate limit at the controlled area boundary is 0.25 mSv/yr. MCNP code and Microshield program were used for calculating the surface dose rate and the dose rate at site boundary respectively. The shielding should be at least 90 cm thick except the air inlet to follow the surface dose rate limit. Additional shielding is needed on air inlet because the dose rate on air inlet is higher than the dose rate on concrete surface. Without the shielding structure, the shielding thickness should be at least 127 cm. In order to satisfy the surface dose rate limit with maintaining the same concrete thickness on air inlet, shielding structure is required on air inlet. The optimum shielding structure has been proposed in this study. The allowable number of MACSTORs with considering other nuclear facilities in Wolsung site is calculated at 60. It is expected that the required number of MACSTORs are 28 in order to store the total amount of spent fuel generated during NPP operation in Wolsung. Therefore, it seems to be safe in radiation point at site boundary

Interim licensing criteria for physical protection of certain storage of spent fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dwyer, P.A.

1994-11-01

This document presents interim criteria to be used in the physical protection licensing of certain spent fuel storage installations. Installations that will be reviewed under this criteria are those that store power reactor spent fuel at decommissioned power reactor sites; independent spent fuel storage installations located outside of the owner controlled area of operating nuclear power reactors; monitored retrievable storage installations owned by the Department of Energy, designed and constructed specifically for the storage, of spent fuel; the proposed geologic repository operations area; or permanently shutdown power reactors still holding a Part 50 license. This criteria applies to both dry cask and pool storage. However, the criteria in this document does not apply to the storage of spent fuel within the owner-controlled area of operating nuclear power reactors

Operation and maintenance of spent fuel storage and transportation casks/containers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2007-01-01

Member States have a growing need for casks for spent fuel storage and transportation. A variety of casks has been developed and is in use at an increasing number of sites. This has resulted in an accumulation of experience that will provide valuable information for other projects in spent fuel management. This publication provides a comprehensive review of information on the cask operation and maintenance associated with spent fuel storage. It draws upon generic knowledge from industrial experience and applications and is intended to serve as a basis for better planning and implementation in future projects

Radiation situation dynamics at the Andreeva Bay site for temporary storage of spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste over the period 2002-2016.

Science.gov (United States)

Chizhov, K; Sneve, M K; Shandala, N; Siegien-Iwaniuk, K; Smith, G M; Krasnoschekov, A; Kosnikov, A; Grigoriev, A; Simakov, A; Kemsky, I; Kryuchkov, V

2018-02-01

The Coastal Technical Base (CTB) №569 at Andreeva Bay was established in the early 1960s and intended for the refueling of nuclear submarine reactors and temporary storage of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and radioactive waste (RW). In 2001, the base was transferred to the Russian Ministry for Atomic Energy and the site remediation began. The paper describes in detail the radiation situation change at the technical site in Andreeva Bay from 2002-2016, the period of preparation for the most critical phase of remedial work: removal of spent fuel assemblies. The analysis of aggregated indicators and data mining were used. The article suggests the best number and location of checkpoints needed to ensure sufficient accuracy of the radiation situation description. The fractal properties of the radiation field are studied using the Hurst index. The relationship between checkpoints was assessed using the method of searching for checkpoint communities. The decrease in the integral of the ambient dose equivalent rate (ADER) at the technical site was evaluated by the method of time series decomposition. Three components of time series were identified: trend, seasonal and residual. The trend of the ADER integral over the technical site is a monotonic decreasing function, where the initial and final values differ tenfold. Taking into account that 137 Cs dominates the radiation situation on-site, it is clear that the ADER due to the radionuclide decay will have decreased by 1.4 times. It is estimated that only a small proportion of 137 Cs has migrated off-site. Therefore, approximately a sevenfold decrease in dose rate is mainly due to remediation activities of personnel. During the year, the seasonal component varies the ADER integral by a factor of two, due to snowfall. The residual component reflects the uncertainty of the ADER integral calculation and phases of active SNF and RW management. The methods developed are used to support the optimization of remediation work as well

Spent fuel and high-level radioactive waste storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trigerman, S.

1988-06-01

The subject of spent fuel and high-level radioactive waste storage, is bibliographically reviewed. The review shows that in the majority of the countries, spent fuels and high-level radioactive wastes are planned to be stored for tens of years. Sites for final disposal of high-level radioactive wastes have not yet been found. A first final disposal facility is expected to come into operation in the United States of America by the year 2010. Other final disposal facilities are expected to come into operation in Germany, Sweden, Switzerland and Japan by the year 2020. Meanwhile , stress is placed upon the 'dry storage' method which is carried out successfully in a number of countries (Britain and France). In the United States of America spent fuels are stored in water pools while the 'dry storage' method is still being investigated. (Author)

Probable leaching mechanisms for spent fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, R.; Katayama, Y.B.

1981-01-01

At the Pacific Northwest Laboratory, researchers in the Waste/Rock Interaction Technology Program are studying spent fuel as a possible waste form for the Office of Nuclear Waste Isolation. This paper presents probable leaching mechanisms for spent fuel and discusses current progress in identifying and understanding the leaching process. During the past year, experiments were begun to study the complex leaching mechanism of spent fuel. The initial work in this investigation was done with UO 2 , which provided the most information possible on the behavior of the spent-fuel matrix without encountering the very high radiation levels associated with spent fuel. Both single-crystal and polycrystalline UO 2 samples were used for this study, and techniques applicable to remote experimentation in a hot cell are being developed. The effects of radiation are being studied in terms of radiolysis of water and surface activation of the UO 2 . Dissolution behavior and kinetics of UO 2 were also investigated by electrochemical measurement techniques. These data will be correlated with those acquired when spent fuel is tested in a hot cell. Oxidation effects represent a major area of concern in evaluating the stability of spent fuel. Dissolution of UO 2 is greatly increased in an oxidizing solution because the dissolution is then controlled by the formation of hexavalent uranium. In solutions containing very low oxygen levels (i.e., reducing solutions), oxidation-induced dissolution may be possible via a previously oxidized surface, through exposure to air during storage, or by local oxidants such as O 2 and H 2 O 2 produced from radiolysis of water and radiation-activated UO 2 surfaces. The effects of oxidation not only increase the dissolution rate, but could lead to the disintegration of spent fuel into fine fragments

Swedish spent fuel management systems, facilities and operating experiences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vogt, J.

1998-01-01

About 50% of the electricity in Sweden is generated by means of nuclear power from 12 LWR reactors located at four sites and with a total capacity of 10,000 MW. The four utilities have jointly created SKB, the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company, which has been given the mandate to manage the spent fuel and radioactive waste from its origin at the reactors to the final disposal. SKB has developed a system for the safe handling of all kinds of radioactive waste from the Swedish nuclear power plants. The keystones now in operation of this system are a transport system, a central interim storage facility for spent nuclear fuel (CLAB), a final repository for short-lived, low and intermediate level waste (SFR). The remaining, system components being planned are an encapsulation plant for spent nuclear fuel and a deep repository for encapsulated spent fuel and other long-lived radioactive wastes. (author)

Spent fuel management in China: Current status and prospects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu, J.L.

1998-01-01

In this paper, the development of nuclear power in China, its status of operating nuclear power plants and progress of on-going NPP projects are described. With the arising of spent fuel from NPPs, a national policy of a closed nuclear fuel cycle has been determined. Following storage at reactor sites for at least 5 years (generally maximum 10 years), spent fuel will be transferred to an away-from-reactor pool type centralized storage facility. Adjacent to the storage facility, a multi-purpose reprocessing pilot plant will be set up by the end of this century. An industrial scale reprocessing plant would be succeeded around the year 2020. China's spent fuel management activities include at-reactor storage, transportation, away-from-reactor storage and reprocessing. Relatively detailed description of the work done up to now on spent fuel management and plans for the future are described. It should be noted that activities related to the management of high level radioactive waste are not included here. (author)

Spent nuclear fuels project: FY 1995 multi-year program plan, WBS {number_sign}1.4

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Denning, J.L.

1994-09-01

The mission of the Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) program is to safely, reliably, and efficiently manage, condition, transport, and store Department of Energy (DOE)-owned SNF, so that it meets acceptance criteria for disposal in a permanent repository. The Hanford Site Spent Nuclear Fuel strategic plan for accomplishing the project mission is: Establish near-term safe storage in the 105-K Basins; Complete national Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process to obtain a decision on how and where spent nuclear fuel will be managed on the site; Define and establish alternative interim storage on site or transport off site to support implementation of the NEPA decision; and Define and establish a waste package qualified for final disposition. This report contains descriptions of the following: Work Breakdown Structure; WBS Dictionary; Responsibility Assignment Matrix; Program Logic Diagrams; Program Master Baseline Schedule; Program Performance Baseline Schedule; Milestone List; Milestone Description Sheets; Cost Baseline Summary by Year; Basis of Estimate; Waste Type Data; Planned Staffing; and Fiscal Year Work Plan.

Spent nuclear fuels project: FY 1995 multi-year program plan, WBS number-sign 1.4

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Denning, J.L.

1994-09-01

The mission of the Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) program is to safely, reliably, and efficiently manage, condition, transport, and store Department of Energy (DOE)-owned SNF, so that it meets acceptance criteria for disposal in a permanent repository. The Hanford Site Spent Nuclear Fuel strategic plan for accomplishing the project mission is: Establish near-term safe storage in the 105-K Basins; Complete national Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process to obtain a decision on how and where spent nuclear fuel will be managed on the site; Define and establish alternative interim storage on site or transport off site to support implementation of the NEPA decision; and Define and establish a waste package qualified for final disposition. This report contains descriptions of the following: Work Breakdown Structure; WBS Dictionary; Responsibility Assignment Matrix; Program Logic Diagrams; Program Master Baseline Schedule; Program Performance Baseline Schedule; Milestone List; Milestone Description Sheets; Cost Baseline Summary by Year; Basis of Estimate; Waste Type Data; Planned Staffing; and Fiscal Year Work Plan

Current status on the spent fuel dry storage management in Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, H.T.; Liu, C.H.

2006-01-01

Full text: Full text: One of the high priority issues for the continuous operation of nuclear power plants is how to manage and store spent fuel. In recent years, interim dry storage of spent fuel has become a significant solution in extending the storage capacity at a nuclear reactor site that lacks sufficient spent fuel pool storage capacity as in the world, and also in Taiwan. Although the re-racking project for the spent fuel pools has been undertaken, the Taiwan Power Company (TPC) Chinshan nuclear power plant still will lose its full core reserve by the year 2010. TPC has declared to build an on-site interim dry storage facility, this followed by geological disposal represents the most suitable option at this time. TPC is expected to submit the application for construction permit in 2006; preoperational test and storage should be put into operation by the end of 2008. Interim dry storage is a passive system. Materials used play a crucial role in the safety function of cask. The competent authority of spent fuel management in Taiwan, FCMA/AEC, will carry out a confirmatory evaluation regarding heat dissipation, structural seismic analysis, and radiation shielding to assure available safety function for casks after reviewing safety analysis report submitted by TPC. Third party inspection has been required to enhance quality assurance program and foreign technical consultation will be arranged. Although the security level for such facility will be kept to the same level as an NPP, a comprehensive analysis against a commercial airplane attack on cask should be made and addressed in the supplement of SAR. Licensing hearing is also required before issuing the construction permit. The paper presents the review plan and regulatory requirements for the licensing of an interim dry storage of spent fuel, the licensing procedure, and the development of dry storage cask for spent fuel in Taiwan

78 FR 20625 - Spent Nuclear Fuel Management at the Savannah River Site

Science.gov (United States)

2013-04-05

... Engineering Laboratory Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Programs Final Environmental Impact... generated at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and approximately 1,000 bundles of aluminum-clad SNF... processing is a chemical separations process that involves dissolving spent fuel in nitric acid and...

Dry spent fuel storage experience at overseas nuclear stations focus USA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bradley, T. L.; Kumar, S.; Marcelli, D. G.

1997-01-01

This paper provides a summary of US dry spent fuel storage experience, including application of this experience outside the United States. Background information on the US nuclear and spent fuel storage industry is provided as a basis for discussing the various types of options and systems available. An overview of technology options is presented, including systems being used and/or considered by the US government and private sector, as well as a discussion of overall system design, licensing and operation. Factors involved in selecting the best available technology option for a specific site or group of sites are presented, along with a typical timeline for project implementation. Cross-geographical use of technologies under different regulatory and technological regimes is also discussed. The paper concludes that dry storage is safe and reliable based on a successful ten year period. The information presented may be considered for use in the development of dry spent fuel storage in Korea and other countries. (author)

German Approach to Spent Fuel Management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jussofie, A.; Graf, R.; Filbert, W.

2010-01-01

The management of spent fuel was based on two powerful columns until 30 June 2005, i. e. reprocessing and direct disposal. After this date any delivery of spent fuel to reprocessing plants was prohibited so that the direct disposal of unreprocessed spent fuel is the only available option in Germany today. The main steps of the current concept are: (i) Intermediate storage of spent fuel, which is the only step in practice. After the first cooling period in spent fuel storage pools it continues into cask-receiving dry storage facilities. Identification of casks, 'freezing' of inventories in terms of continuity of knowledge, monitoring the access to spent fuel, verifying nuclear material movements in terms of cask transfers and ensurance against diversion of nuclear material belong to the fundamental safeguards goals which have been achieved in the intermediate storage facilities by containment and surveillance techniques in unattended mode. (ii) Conditioning of spent fuel assemblies by separating the fuel rods from structural elements. Since the pilot conditioning facility in Gorleben has not yet come into operation, the underlying safeguards approach which focuses on safeguarding the key measurement points - the spent fuel related way in and out of the facility - has not been applied yet. (iii) Disposal in deep geological formations, but no decision has been made so far neither regarding the location of a geological repository nor regarding the safeguards approach for the disposal concept of spent fuel. The situation was complicated by a moratorium which suspended the underground exploration of the Gorleben salt dome as potential geological repository for spent fuel. The moratorium expires in October 2010. Nevertheless, considerable progress has been made in the development of disposal concepts. According to the basic, so-called POLLUX (registered) -concept spent fuel assemblies are to be conditioned after dry storage and reloaded into the POLLUX (registered) -cask

Rationalising prescribing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wadmann, Sarah; Bang, Lia Evi

2015-01-01

Initiatives in the name of 'rational pharmacotherapy' have been launched to alter what is seen as 'inappropriate' prescribing practices of physicians. Based on observations and interviews with 20 general practitioners (GPs) in 2009-2011, we explored how attempts to rationalise prescribing interac...

Containing method for spent fuel and spent fuel containing vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maekawa, Hiromichi; Hanada, Yoshine.

1996-01-01

Upon containing spent fuels, a metal vessel main body and a support spacer having fuel containing holes are provided. The support spacer is disposed in the inside of the metal vessel main body, and spent fuel assemblies are loaded in the fuel containing holes. Then, a lid is welded at the opening of the metal vessel main body to provide a sealing state. In this state, heat released from the spent fuel assemblies is transferred to the wall of the metal vessel main body via the support spacer. Since the support spacer has a greater heat conductivity than gases, heat of the spent fuel assemblies tends to be released to the outside, thereby capable of removing heat of the spent fuel assemblies effectively. In addition, since the surfaces of the spent fuel assemblies are in contact with the inner surface of the fuel containing holes of the support spacer, impact-resistance and earthquake-resistance are ensured, and radiation from the spent fuel assemblies is decayed by passing through the layer of the support spacer. (T.M.)

'Too much, too late': mixed methods multi-channel video recording study of computerized decision support systems and GP prescribing.

Science.gov (United States)

Hayward, James; Thomson, Fionagh; Milne, Heather; Buckingham, Susan; Sheikh, Aziz; Fernando, Bernard; Cresswell, Kathrin; Williams, Robin; Pinnock, Hilary

2013-06-01

Computerized decision support systems (CDSS) are commonly deployed to support prescribing, although over-riding of alerts by prescribers remains a concern. We aimed to understand how general practitioners (GPs) interact with prescribing CDSS in order to inform deliberation on how better to support prescribing decisions in primary care. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of interactions between GPs, patients, and computer systems using multi-channel video recordings of 112 primary care consultations with eight GPs in three UK practices. 132 prescriptions were issued in the course of 73 of the consultations, of which 81 (61%) attracted at least one alert. Of the total of 117 alerts, only three resulted in the GP checking, but not altering, the prescription. CDSS provided information and safety alerts at the point of generating a prescription. This was 'too much, too late' as the majority of the 'work' of prescribing occurred prior to using the computer. By the time an alert appeared, the GP had formulated the problem(s), potentially spent several minutes considering, explaining, negotiating, and reaching agreement with the patient about the proposed treatment, and had possibly given instructions and printed an information leaflet. CDSS alerts do not coincide with the prescribing workflow throughout the whole GP consultation. Current systems interrupt to correct decisions that have already been taken, rather than assisting formulation of the management plan. CDSS are likely to be more acceptable and effective if the prescribing support is provided much earlier in the process of generating a prescription.

Hydrocarbon degradation potentials of bacteria isolated from spent ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Hydrocarbon degradation potentials of bacteria isolated from spent lubricating oil contaminated soil. ... This study has shown that resident bacteria strains in lubricating oil contaminated soils have potential application in the bioremediation of oil polluted sites and enhance the possibility of developing models and strategies ...

Study for the selection of a supplementary spent fuel storage facility for KANUPP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmed, W.; Iqbal, M.J.; Arshad, M.

1999-01-01

Steps taken for construction of the spent fuel facility of Karachi Nuclear Power Plant (KANUPP) are the following: choice of conceptual design and site selection; preliminary design and preparation of Preliminary Safety Analysis Report (PSAR); Construction of the facility and preparation of PSAR; testing/commissioning and loading of the storage facility. Characterisation of the spent fuel is essential for design of the storage facility. After comparison of various storage types, it seems that construction of dry storage facility based on concrete canisters at KANUPP site is a suitable option to enhance the storage capacity

International symposium on storage of spent fuel from power reactors. Book of extended synopses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-11-01

This book of extended synopses includes papers presented at the International Symposium on Storage of Spent Fuel from Power Reactors organized by IAEA and held in Vienna from 9 to 13 November 1998. It deals with the problems of spent fuel management being an outstanding stage in the nuclear fuel cycle, strategy of interim spent fuel storage, transportation and encapsulation of spent fuel elements from power reactors. Spent fuel storage facilities at reactor sites are always wet while spent fuel storage facilities away from reactor are either wet or dry including casks and vaults. Different design solutions and constructions of storage or transportation casks as well as storing facilities are presented, as well as status of spent fuel storage together with experiences achieved in a number of member states, in the frame of safety, licensing and regulating procedures

International symposium on storage of spent fuel from power reactors. Book of extended synopses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1998-11-01

This book of extended synopses includes papers presented at the International Symposium on Storage of Spent Fuel from Power Reactors organized by IAEA and held in Vienna from 9 to 13 November 1998. It deals with the problems of spent fuel management being an outstanding stage in the nuclear fuel cycle, strategy of interim spent fuel storage, transportation and encapsulation of spent fuel elements from power reactors. Spent fuel storage facilities at reactor sites are always wet while spent fuel storage facilities away from reactor are either wet or dry including casks and vaults. Different design solutions and constructions of storage or transportation casks as well as storing facilities are presented, as well as status of spent fuel storage together with experiences achieved in a number of member states, in the frame of safety, licensing and regulating procedures Refs, figs, tabs

Role of transportation in the utilities' management of spent fuel storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Newman, D.F.

1985-01-01

Additional spent fuel storage can be provided by using a combination of wet and dry storage technologies, with the technology or technologies used in any specific instance being determined by the particular circumstances involved. The capability for spent fuel storage at a reactor site can be enhanced using any one or a combination of the following: expansion of existing pool storage capacity; more efficient use of available capacity; and addition of an independent spent fuel storage installation (ISFSI). Each of these methods, which are described more fully below, have characteristics that may make them more or less suitable for use, depending on the nuclear power plant where they will be deployed, the magnitude of the need for additional storage, the utility's overall spent fuel management strategy, and other factors. 15 refs., 2 figs., 2 tabs

Plan for spent fuel waste form testing for NNWSI [Nevada Nuclear Waste Storage Investigations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shaw, H.F.

1987-11-01

The purpose of spent fuel waste form testing is to determine the rate of release of radionuclides from failed disposal containers holding spent fuel, under conditions appropriate to the Nevada Nuclear Waste Storage Investigations (NNWSI) Project tuff repository. The information gathered in the activities discussed in this document will be used: to assess the performance of the waste package and engineered barrier system (EBS) with respect to the containment and release rate requirements of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, as the basis for the spent fuel waste form source term in repository-scale performance assessment modeling to calculate the cumulative releases to the accessible environment over 10,000 years to determine compliance with the Environmental Protection Agency, and as the basis for the spent fuel waste form source term in repository-scale performance assessment modeling to calculate cumulative releases over 100,000 years as required by the site evaluation process specified in the DOE siting guidelines. 34 refs

Total quality in spent fuel pool reracking

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cranston, J.S.; Bradbury, R.B.; Cacciapouti, R.J.

1993-01-01

The nuclear utility environment is one of strict cost control under prescriptive regulations and increasing public scrutiny. This paper presents the results of A Total Quality approach, by a dedicated team, that addresses the need for increased on-site spent fuel storage in this environment. Innovations to spent fuel pool reracking, driven by utilities' specific technical needs and shrinking budgets, have resulted in both product improvements and lower prices. A Total Quality approach to the entire turnkey project is taken, thereby creating synergism and process efficiency in each of the major phases of the project: design and analysis, licensing, fabrication, installation and disposal. Specific technical advances and the proven quality of the team members minimizes risk to the utility and its shareholders and provides a complete, cost effective service. Proper evaluation of spent fuel storage methods and vendors requires a full understanding of currently available customer driven initiatives that reduce cost while improving quality. In all phases of a spent fuel reracking project, from new rack design and analysis through old rack disposal, the integration of diverse experts, at all levels and throughout all phases of a reracking project, better serves utility needs. This Total Quality environment in conjunction with many technical improvements results in a higher quality product at a lower cost

Spent fuel characteristics provided by the CDB: An update

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Notz, K.J.; Salmon, R.; Welch, T.D.; Reich, W.J.; Moore, R.S.

1992-01-01

The Characteristics Data Base (CDB) task provides OCRWM with the detailed technical characteristics of potential repository wastes, which consist primarily of commercial spent nuclear fuel, but also includes other spent fuel (and also high-level and miscellaneous wastes). A major revision of the original CDB report and PC data bases has just been completed under formal QA peer review guidelines and Revision 1 is ready to be issued. This paper describes the classification scheme developed for LWR fuel assemblies and the five PC data bases for LWR spent fuel, which provide data on quantities, assemblies, radiological properties, non-fuel assembly hardware, and serial numbers. The future role of other (i.e., non-LWR) spent fuel is also cited

E-commerce Systems and E-shop Web Sites Security

OpenAIRE

Suchánek, Petr

2009-01-01

Fruitfulnes of contemporary companies rests on new business model development, elimination of communication obstacles, simplification of industrial processes, possibilities of responding in real-time and above all meeting the floating custom needs. Quite a number of company activities and transactions are realized within the framework of e-business. Business transactions are supported by e-commerce systems. One of the e-commerce system part is web interface (web sites). Present trend is putti...

Fuels planning: science synthesis and integration; economic uses fact sheet 08: prescribed fire costs

Science.gov (United States)

Rocky Mountain Research Station USDA Forest Service

2004-01-01

Although the use of prescribed fire as a management tool is widespread, there is great variability and uncertainty in the treatment costs. Given specific site variables and management objectives, how much will it cost to use prescribed fire? This paper describes the FASTRACS database, a tool that has been developed to aid managers in addressing this question.

The united kingdom's changing requirements for spent fuel storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hodgson, Z.; Hambley, D.I.; Gregg, R.; Ross, D.N.

2013-01-01

The UK is adopting an open fuel cycle, and is necessarily moving to a regime of long term storage of spent fuel, followed by geological disposal once a geological disposal facility (GDF) is available. The earliest GDF receipt date for legacy spent fuel is assumed to be 2075. The UK is set to embark on a programme of new nuclear build to maintain a nuclear energy contribution of 16 GW. Additionally, the UK are considering a significant expansion of nuclear energy in order to meet carbon reduction targets and it is plausible to foresee a scenario where up to 75 GW from nuclear power production could be deployed in the UK by the mid 21. century. Such an expansion, could lead to spent fuel storage and its disposal being a dominant issue for the UK Government, the utilities and the public. If the UK were to transition a closed fuel cycle, then spent fuel storage should become less onerous depending on the timescales. The UK has demonstrated a preference for wet storage of spent fuel on an interim basis. The UK has adopted an approach of centralised storage, but a 16 GW new build programme and any significant expansion of this may push the UK towards distributed spent fuel storage at a number of reactors station sites across the UK

Status of spent fuel storage facilities in Switzerland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beyeler, P.C.; Lutz, H.R.; Heesen, W. von

1999-01-01

Planning of a dry spent fuel storage facility in Switzerland started already 15 years ago. The first site considered for a central interim storage facility was the cavern of the decommissioned pilot nuclear plant at Lucens in the French-speaking part of Switzerland. This project was terminated in the late eighties because of lack of public acceptance. The necessary acceptance was found in the small town of Wuerenlingen which has hosted for many years the Swiss Reactor Research Centre. The new project consists of centralised interim storage facilities for all types of radioactive waste plus a hot cell and a conditioning and incinerating facility. It represents a so-called integrated storage solution. In 1990, the new company 'ZWILAG Zwischenlager Wuerenlingen AG' (ZWILAG) was founded and the licensing procedures according to the Swiss Atomic law were initiated. On August 26, 1996 ZWILAG got the permit for construction of the whole facility including the operating permit for the storage facilities. End of construction and commissioning are scheduled for autumn 1999. The nuclear power station Beznau started planning a low level waste and spent fuel storage facility on its own, because in 1990 its management thought that by 1997 the first high active waste from the reprocessing facilities in France would have to be taken back. This facility at the Beznau site, called ZWIBEZ, was licensed according to a shorter procedure so its construction was finished by 1997. The two facilities for high level waste and spent fuel provide space for a total of 278 casks, which is sufficient for the waste and spent fuel of the four Swiss nuclear power stations including their life extension programme. (author)

Spent Fuel Working Group report on inventory and storage of the Department's spent nuclear fuel and other reactor irradiated nuclear materials and their environmental, safety and health vulnerabilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-11-01

The Secretary of Energy's memorandum of August 19, 1993, established an initiative for a Department-wide assessment of the vulnerabilities of stored spent nuclear fuel and other reactor irradiated nuclear materials. A Project Plan to accomplish this study was issued on September 20, 1993 by US Department of Energy, Office of Environment, Health and Safety (EH) which established responsibilities for personnel essential to the study. The DOE Spent Fuel Working Group, which was formed for this purpose and produced the Project Plan, will manage the assessment and produce a report for the Secretary by November 20, 1993. This report was prepared by the Working Group Assessment Team assigned to the Hanford Site facilities. Results contained in this report will be reviewed, along with similar reports from all other selected DOE storage sites, by a working group review panel which will assemble the final summary report to the Secretary on spent nuclear fuel storage inventory and vulnerability

Modeling of outpatient prescribing process in iran: a gateway toward electronic prescribing system.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmadi, Maryam; Samadbeik, Mahnaz; Sadoughi, Farahnaz

2014-01-01

Implementation of electronic prescribing system can overcome many problems of the paper prescribing system, and provide numerous opportunities of more effective and advantageous prescribing. Successful implementation of such a system requires complete and deep understanding of work content, human force, and workflow of paper prescribing. The current study was designed in order to model the current business process of outpatient prescribing in Iran and clarify different actions during this process. In order to describe the prescribing process and the system features in Iran, the methodology of business process modeling and analysis was used in the present study. The results of the process documentation were analyzed using a conceptual model of workflow elements and the technique of modeling "As-Is" business processes. Analysis of the current (as-is) prescribing process demonstrated that Iran stood at the first levels of sophistication in graduated levels of electronic prescribing, namely electronic prescription reference, and that there were problematic areas including bottlenecks, redundant and duplicated work, concentration of decision nodes, and communicative weaknesses among stakeholders of the process. Using information technology in some activities of medication prescription in Iran has not eliminated the dependence of the stakeholders on paper-based documents and prescriptions. Therefore, it is necessary to implement proper system programming in order to support change management and solve the problems in the existing prescribing process. To this end, a suitable basis should be provided for reorganization and improvement of the prescribing process for the future electronic systems.

Early Regulatory Engagement for Successful Site Remediation: the UK Experience - 13173

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maitland, R.P.; Senior, D.

2013-01-01

The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) is an independent safety, security and transport regulator of the UK nuclear industry. ONR regulates all civil nuclear reactor power stations, fuel manufacture, enrichment, spent fuel reprocessing, most defence sites and installations that store and process legacy spent fuel and radioactive waste. The responsibility for funding and strategic direction of decommissioning and radioactive waste management of state owned legacy sites has rested solely with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) since 2005. A key component of NDA's mandate was to encourage new strategic approaches and innovation to dealing with the UK's waste legacy and which deliver value-for-money to the UK taxpayer. ONR, as an agency of the Health and Safety Executive, is entirely independent of NDA and regulates all prescribed activities on NDA's sites. NDA's competition of site management and closure contracts has attracted significant international interest and the formation of consortia comprised of major British, US, French and Swedish organizations bidding for those contracts. The prominence of US organizations in each of those consortia reflects the scale and breadth of existing waste management and D and D projects in the US. This paper will articulate, in broad terms, the challenges faced by international organizations seeking to employ 'off-the-shelf' technology and D and D techniques, successfully employed elsewhere, into the UK regulatory context. The predominantly 'goal-setting' regulatory framework in the UK does not generally prescribe a minimum standard to which a licensee must adhere. The legal onus on licensees in the UK is to demonstrate, whatever technology is selected, that in its applications, risks are reduced 'So Far As Is Reasonably Practicable' or 'SFAIRP'. By the nature of its role, ONR adopts a conservative approach to regulation; however ONR also recognises that in the decommissioning (and ultimately the site closure) domain

Management of Spent Nuclear Fuel from Nuclear Power Plant Reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wati, Nurokhim

2008-01-01

Management of spent nuclear fuel from Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) reactor had been studied to anticipate program of NPP operation in Indonesia. In this paper the quantity of generated spent nuclear fuel (SNF) is predicted based on the national electrical demand, power grade and type of reactor. Data was estimated using Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) NPP type 1.000 MWe and the SNF management overview base on the experiences of some countries that have NPP. There are four strategy nuclear fuel cycle which can be developed i.e: direct disposal, reprocessing, DUPlC (Direct Use of Spent PWR Fuel In Candu) and wait and see. There are four alternative for SNF management i.e : storage at the reactor building (AR), away from reactor (AFR) using wet centralized storage, dry centralized storage AFR and prepare for reprocessing facility. For the Indonesian case, centralized facility of the wet type is recommended for PWR or BWR spent fuel. (author)

Exploring the roots of unintended safety threats associated with the introduction of hospital ePrescribing systems and candidate avoidance and/or mitigation strategies: a qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Mozaffar, Hajar; Cresswell, Kathrin M; Williams, Robin; Bates, David W; Sheikh, Aziz

2017-09-01

Hospital electronic prescribing (ePrescribing) systems offer a wide range of patient safety benefits. Like other hospital health information technology interventions, however, they may also introduce new areas of risk. Despite recent advances in identifying these risks, the development and use of ePrescribing systems is still leading to numerous unintended consequences, which may undermine improvement and threaten patient safety. These negative consequences need to be analysed in the design, implementation and use of these systems. We therefore aimed to understand the roots of these reported threats and identify candidate avoidance/mitigation strategies. We analysed a longitudinal, qualitative study of the implementation and adoption of ePrescribing systems in six English hospitals, each being conceptualised as a case study. Data included semistructured interviews, observations of implementation meetings and system use, and a collection of relevant documents. We analysed data first within and then across the case studies. Our dataset included 214 interviews, 24 observations and 18 documents. We developed a taxonomy of factors underlying unintended safety threats in: (1) suboptimal system design, including lack of support for complex medication administration regimens, lack of effective integration between different systems, and lack of effective automated decision support tools; (2) inappropriate use of systems-in particular, too much reliance on the system and introduction of workarounds; and (3) suboptimal implementation strategies resulting from partial roll-outs/dual systems and lack of appropriate training. We have identified a number of system and organisational strategies that could potentially avoid or reduce these risks. Imperfections in the design, implementation and use of ePrescribing systems can give rise to unintended consequences, including safety threats. Hospitals and suppliers need to implement short- and long-term strategies in terms of the

Achieving increased spent fuel storage capacity at the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cook, D.H.; Chang, S.J.; Dabs, R.D.; Freels, J.D.; Morgan, K.A.; Rothrock, R.B.; Griess, J.C.

1994-01-01

The HFIR facility was originally designed to store approximately 25 spent cores, sufficient to allow for operational contingencies and for cooling prior to off-site shipment for reprocessing. The original capacity has now been increased to 60 positions, of which 53 are currently filled (September 1994). Additional spent cores are produced at a rate of about 10 or 11 per year. Continued HFIR operation, therefore, depends on a significant near-term expansion of the pool storage capacity, as well as on a future capability of reprocessing or other storage alternatives once the practical capacity of the pool is reached. To store the much larger inventory of spent fuel that may remain on-site under various future scenarios, the pool capacity is being increased in a phased manner through installation of a new multi-tier spent fuel rack design for higher density storage. A total of 143 positions was used for this paper as the maximum practical pool capacity without impacting operations; however, greater ultimate capacities were addressed in the supporting analyses and approval documents. This paper addresses issues related to the pool storage expansion including (1) seismic effects on the three-tier storage arrays, (2) thermal performance of the new arrays, (3) spent fuel cladding corrosion concerns related to the longer period of pool storage, and (4) impacts of increased spent fuel inventory on the pool water quality, water treatment systems, and LLLW volume

Spent Fuel Transfer to Dry Storage Using Unattended Monitoring System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Jae Hwan; Park, Soo Jin

2009-01-01

There are 4 CANDU reactors at Wolsung site together with a spent fuel dry storage associated with unit 1. These CANDU reactors, classified as On-Load Reactor (OLR) for Safeguards application, change 16- 24 fuel bundles with fresh fuel in everyday. Especially, the spent fuel bundles are transferred from spent fuel bays to dry storage throughout a year because of the insufficient capacity of spent fuel pond. Safeguards inspectors verify the spent fuel transfer to meet safeguards purposes according to the safeguards criteria by means of inspector's presence during the transfer campaign. For the verification, 60-80 person-days of inspection (PDIs) are needed during approximately 3 months for each unit. In order to reduce the inspection effort and operators' burden, an Unattended Monitoring System (UMS) was designed and developed by the IAEA for the verification of spent fuel bundles transfers from wet storage to dry storage. Based on the enhanced cooperation of CANDU reactors between the ROK and the IAEA, the IAEA installed the UMS at Wolsung unit 2 in January 2005 at first. After some field trials during the transfer campaign, this system is being replaced the traditional human inspection since September 1, 2006 combined with a Short Notice Inspection (SNI) and a near-real time Mailbox Declaration

Understanding the determinants of antimicrobial prescribing within hospitals: the role of "prescribing etiquette".

Science.gov (United States)

Charani, E; Castro-Sanchez, E; Sevdalis, N; Kyratsis, Y; Drumright, L; Shah, N; Holmes, A

2013-07-01

There is limited knowledge of the key determinants of antimicrobial prescribing behavior (APB) in hospitals. An understanding of these determinants is required for the successful design, adoption, and implementation of quality improvement interventions in antimicrobial stewardship programs. Qualitative semistructured interviews were conducted with doctors (n = 10), pharmacists (n = 10), and nurses and midwives (n = 19) in 4 hospitals in London. Interviews were conducted until thematic saturation was reached. Thematic analysis was applied to the data to identify the key determinants of antimicrobial prescribing behaviors. The APB of healthcare professionals is governed by a set of cultural rules. Antimicrobial prescribing is performed in an environment where the behavior of clinical leaders or seniors influences practice of junior doctors. Senior doctors consider themselves exempt from following policy and practice within a culture of perceived autonomous decision making that relies more on personal knowledge and experience than formal policy. Prescribers identify with the clinical groups in which they work and adjust their APB according to the prevailing practice within these groups. A culture of "noninterference" in the antimicrobial prescribing practice of peers prevents intervention into prescribing of colleagues. These sets of cultural rules demonstrate the existence of a "prescribing etiquette," which dominates the APB of healthcare professionals. Prescribing etiquette creates an environment in which professional hierarchy and clinical groups act as key determinants of APB. To influence the antimicrobial prescribing of individual healthcare professionals, interventions need to address prescribing etiquette and use clinical leadership within existing clinical groups to influence practice.

Operational and customer relationship management considerations of electronic prescribing among pharmacists.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Alan D; Motley, Darlene

2009-01-01

Technology in healthcare environments has increasingly become a vital way to communicate vital information in a safe, reliable, precise and secure manner. Healthcare is an arena that is constantly changing and very fast paced, but adoption of electronic prescribing (e-prescribing) has been comparatively slow and painful in the USA. Medical professionals need a system to communicate medications and diagnosis, with patients' safety as the major consideration, especially with the many complexities associated with drug-interactions and allergies. Via multivariate analysis and linear regression analysis, it was found that degree of e-prescribing acceptance is highly predictable by constructs of Technological Sophistication, Operational Factors and Maturity Factors, which are very stable ease-of-use variables derived from the TAM Model by Davis (1989).

ePrescribing: Reducing Costs through In-Class Therapeutic Interchange.

Science.gov (United States)

Stenner, Shane P; Chakravarthy, Rohini; Johnson, Kevin B; Miller, William L; Olson, Julie; Wickizer, Marleen; Johnson, Nate N; Ohmer, Rick; Uskavitch, David R; Bernard, Gordon R; Neal, Erin B; Lehmann, Christoph U

2016-12-14

Spending on pharmaceuticals in the US reached $373.9 billion in 2014. Therapeutic interchange offers potential medication cost savings by replacing a prescribed drug for an equally efficacious therapeutic alternative. Hard-stop therapeutic interchange recommendation alerts were developed for four medication classes (HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, serotonin receptor agonists, intranasal steroid sprays, and proton-pump inhibitors) in an electronic prescription-writing tool for outpatient prescriptions. Using prescription data from January 2012 to June 2015, the Compliance Ratio (CR) was calculated by dividing the number of prescriptions with recommended therapeutic interchange medications by the number of prescriptions with non-recommended medications to measure effectiveness. To explore potential cost savings, prescription data and medication costs were analyzed for the 45,000 Vanderbilt Employee Health Plan members. For all medication classes, significant improvements were demonstrated - the CR improved (proton-pump inhibitors 2.8 to 5.32, nasal steroids 2.44 to 8.16, statins 2.06 to 5.51, and serotonin receptor agonists 0.8 to 1.52). Quarterly savings through the four therapeutic interchange interventions combined exceeded $200,000 with an estimated annual savings for the health plan of $800,000, or more than $17 per member. A therapeutic interchange clinical decision support tool at the point of prescribing resulted in increased compliance with recommendations for outpatient prescriptions while producing substantial cost savings to the Vanderbilt Employee Health Plan - $17.77 per member per year. Therapeutic interchange rules require rational targeting, appropriate governance, and vigilant content updates.

Spent fuel test. Climax data acquisition system integration report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nyholm, R.A.; Brough, W.G.; Rector, N.L.

1982-06-01

The Spent Fuel Test - Climax (SFT-C) is a test of the retrievable, deep geologic storage of commercially generated, spent nuclear reactor fuel in granitic rock. Eleven spent fuel assemblies, together with 6 electrical simulators and 20 guard heaters, are emplaced 420 m below the surface in the Climax granite at the Nevada Test Site. On June 2, 1978, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) secured funding for the SFT-C, and completed spent fuel emplacement May 28, 1980. This multi-year duration test is located in a remote area and is unattended much of the time. An extensive array of radiological safety and geotechnical instrumentation is deployed to monitor the test performance. A dual minicomputer-based data acquisition system collects and processes data from more than 900 analog instruments. This report documents the design and functions of the hardware and software elements of the Data Acquisition System and describes the supporting facilities which include environmental enclosures, heating/air-conditioning/humidity systems, power distribution systems, fire suppression systems, remote terminal stations, telephone/modem communications, and workshop areas. 9 figures

Spent Fuel Test - Climax data acquisition system operations manual

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nyholm, R.A.

1983-01-01

The Spent Fuel Test-Climax (SFT-C) is a test of the retrievable, deep geologic storage of commercially generated, spent nuclear reactor fuel in granite rock. Eleven spent fuel assemblies, together with 6 electrical simulators and 20 guard heaters, are emplaced 420 m below the surface in the Climax granite at the US Department of Energy Nevada Test Site. On June 2, 1978, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) secured funding for the SFT-C, and completed spent fuel emplacement May 28, 1980. The multi-year duration test is located in a remote area and is unattended much of the time. An extensive array of radiological safety and geotechnical instrumentation is deployed to monitor the test performance. A dual minicomputer-based data acquisition system (DAS) collects and processes data from more than 900 analog instruments. This report documents the software element of the LLNL developed SFT-C Data Acquisition System. It defines the operating system and hardware interface configurations, the special applications software and data structures, and support software

Spent Fuel Test-Climax: An evaluation of the technical feasibility of geologic storage of spent nuclear fuel in granite: Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patrick, W.C.

1986-01-01

In the Climax stock granite on the Nevada Test Site, eleven canisters of spent nuclear reactor fuel were emplaced, and six electrical simulators were energized. When test data indicated that the test objectives were met during the 3-year storage phase, the spent-fuel canisters were retrieved and the thermal sources were de-energized. The project demonstrated the feasibility of packaging, transporting, storing, and retrieving highly radioactive fuel assemblies in a safe and reliable manner. In addition to emplacement and retrieval operations, three exchanges of spent-fuel assemblies between the SFT-C and a surface storage facility, conducted during the storage phase, furthered this demonstration. The test led to development of a technical measurements program. To meet these objectives, nearly 1000 instruments and a computer-based data acquisition system were deployed. Geotechnical, seismological, and test status data were recorded on a continuing basis for the three-year storage phase and six-month monitored cool-down of the test. This report summarizes the engineering and scientific endeavors which led to successful design and execution of the test. The design, fabrication, and construction of all facilities and handling systems are discussed, in the context of test objectives and a safety assessment. The discussion progresses from site characterization and experiment design through data acquisition and analysis of test data in the context of design calculations. 117 refs., 52 figs., 81 tabs

Spent Fuel Test-Climax: An evaluation of the technical feasibility of geologic storage of spent nuclear fuel in granite: Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Patrick, W.C. (comp.)

1986-03-30

In the Climax stock granite on the Nevada Test Site, eleven canisters of spent nuclear reactor fuel were emplaced, and six electrical simulators were energized. When test data indicated that the test objectives were met during the 3-year storage phase, the spent-fuel canisters were retrieved and the thermal sources were de-energized. The project demonstrated the feasibility of packaging, transporting, storing, and retrieving highly radioactive fuel assemblies in a safe and reliable manner. In addition to emplacement and retrieval operations, three exchanges of spent-fuel assemblies between the SFT-C and a surface storage facility, conducted during the storage phase, furthered this demonstration. The test led to development of a technical measurements program. To meet these objectives, nearly 1000 instruments and a computer-based data acquisition system were deployed. Geotechnical, seismological, and test status data were recorded on a continuing basis for the three-year storage phase and six-month monitored cool-down of the test. This report summarizes the engineering and scientific endeavors which led to successful design and execution of the test. The design, fabrication, and construction of all facilities and handling systems are discussed, in the context of test objectives and a safety assessment. The discussion progresses from site characterization and experiment design through data acquisition and analysis of test data in the context of design calculations. 117 refs., 52 figs., 81 tabs.

Shipment of spent research reactor fuel to US-operators experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krull, W.

1999-01-01

To ship 1500 spent fuel elements over more than 30 years to different reprocessing or storage sites a large amount of experience has been gotten. The most important partners for these activities have been US organizations. The development of the US policy for the receipt of foreign spent fuel elements of US origin is described briefly. The experience being made and lessons learned with the on May 13, 1996 renewed receipt program is described in detail, including US organizations, shipment and formal steps. (author)

Onsite dry spent-fuel storage: Becoming more of a reality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-01-01

An overview is presented of dry spent-fuel storage facilities operated at nuclear power plant sites in the USA. The experience of the utilities Virginia Power, Carolina Power and Light Company, Duke Power, Public Service Company of Colorado a Baltimore Gas and Electric is outlined. The spent fuel storage procedure using the Sierra Nuclear container system is described. Plans for the construction of additional storage facilities are mentioned. Dry stores are also operated at nuclear power plants that have been shut down. (J.B.). 1 fig

Quality Improvement Initiative to Decrease Variability of Emergency Physician Opioid Analgesic Prescribing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John H. Burton

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Addressing pain is a crucial aspect of emergency medicine. Prescription opioids are commonly prescribed for moderate to severe pain in the emergency department (ED; unfortunately, prescribing practices are variable. High variability of opioid prescribing decisions suggests a lack of consensus and an opportunity to improve care. This quality improvement (QI initiative aimed to reduce variability in ED opioid analgesic prescribing. Methods: We evaluated the impact of a three-part QI initiative on ED opioid prescribing by physicians at seven sites. Stage 1: Retrospective baseline period (nine months. Stage 2: Physicians were informed that opioid prescribing information would be prospectively collected and feedback on their prescribing and that of the group would be shared at the end of the stage (three months. Stage 3: After physicians received their individual opioid prescribing data with blinded comparison to the group means (from Stage 2 they were informed that individual prescribing data would be unblinded and shared with the group after three months. The primary outcome was variability of the standard error of the mean and standard deviation of the opioid prescribing rate (defined as number of patients discharged with an opioid divided by total number of discharges for each provider. Secondary observations included mean quantity of pills per opioid prescription, and overall frequency of opioid prescribing. Results: The study group included 47 physicians with 149,884 ED patient encounters. The variability in prescribing decreased through each stage of the initiative as represented by the distributions for the opioid prescribing rate: Stage 1 mean 20%; Stage 2 mean 13% (46% reduction, p<0.01, and Stage 3 mean 8% (60% reduction, p<0.01. The mean quantity of pills prescribed per prescription was 16 pills in Stage 1, 14 pills in Stage 2 (18% reduction, p<0.01, and 13 pills in Stage 3 (18% reduction, p<0.01. The group mean

Aquatic ecosystem characterisation strategy at a repository site

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kangasniemi, Ville; Ikonen, Ari T.K. [Environmental Research and Assessment EnviroCase, Ltd., Hallituskatu 1 D 4, 28100 Pori (Finland); Lahdenperae, Anne-Maj [Saanio and Riekkola Oy, Laulukuja 4, 00420 Helsinki (Finland); Kirkkala, Teija [Pyhaejaervi Institute, Sepaentie 7, 27500 Kauttua (Finland); Koivunen, Sari [Water and Environment Research of South-West Finland, Telekatu 16, 20360 Turku (Finland)

2014-07-01

Olkiluoto Island on the western coast of Finland has been selected as a repository site for spent nuclear fuel disposal. According to regulatory requirements, the safety assessment for the repository should have an assessment timeframe of several millennia. Due to the post-glacial land uplift, the relatively shallow sea areas around Olkiluoto Island will change gradually to lakes, rivers and terrestrial areas. As there are no limnic systems at present Olkiluoto site, the reference area was delineated and reference lakes and rivers were selected as an analogue. For the modelling of the transport and accumulation of possible radionuclide releases in the surface environment, aquatic ecosystems were identified and divided into biotopes. Despite the number of available templates, the division of aquatic environment for the biosphere assessment of the Olkiluoto spent fuel repository was necessary to made separately. In this contribution, the processes behind the identification of aquatic ecosystems (e.g. legislation, physical and chemical properties) together with the biotope selection methodology (e.g. light and bottom conditions) and the challenges related to the amount of variable input parameters for each biotope in the modelling are presented. (authors)

Achieving the timely receipt of foreign research reactor spent nuclear fuel at the Savannah River site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brizes, C.M.; Clark, W.D; Thomas, J.; Andes, T.

1998-01-01

The May 1996 Record of Decision on a Proposed Nuclear Weapons Nonproliferation Policy Concerning Foreign Research Reactor Spent Nuclear Fuel states that the United States will accept spent nuclear fuel containing uranium of U.S.-origin from foreign research reactors through the year 2009. The best information available indicates that approximately 13,000 assemblies of Material Test Reactor (MTR) spent nuclear fuel from 29 countries are expected to be shipped to the Savannah River Site during the 13 years of the program. As of July 1998, 1,371 spent nuclear fuel assemblies from 12 foreign research reactors have been received at the SRS. That is, after more than two years of the FRR program (approximately 15 percent of the program time), 11 percent of the total assemblies have been received at SRS. Current projections show that most of the assemblies can be received by 2009, however if some of the eligible, non-participating countries decide to rejoin the program, a bottleneck would occur at the end of the program. Also adding to the potential for the bottleneck is a trend of shipments being moved out in the timeline. The Savannah River Site is working to be proactive in avoiding a bottleneck at the end of the program, but cooperation is required from all program participants to be successful. Activities currently in progress include inventory/information questionnaires, verifying fuel against cask(s) certificate of compliance (C. of C.), and collecting Appendix A information well in advance of shipping the SNF. The inventory/information sheets have been distributed to a select number of reactor facilities in the past, but work is in progress to refine the process. Information requested in the questionnaire includes inventory numbers, preferred shipping dates, and cask preferences. This information allows for improved shipment planning and helps to ensure that we are working to meet the needs of the reactor facilities. Current plans are to send the questionnaires to

Learning from prescribing errors

OpenAIRE

Dean, B

2002-01-01



 The importance of learning from medical error has recently received increasing emphasis. This paper focuses on prescribing errors and argues that, while learning from prescribing errors is a laudable goal, there are currently barriers that can prevent this occurring. Learning from errors can take place on an individual level, at a team level, and across an organisation. Barriers to learning from prescribing errors include the non-discovery of many prescribing errors, lack of feedback to th...

BWR Spent Nuclear Fuel Integrity Research and Development Survey for UKABWR Spent Fuel Interim Storage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bevard, Bruce Balkcom [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Mertyurek, Ugur [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Belles, Randy [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Scaglione, John M. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

2015-10-01

The objective of this report is to identify issues and support documentation and identify and detail existing research on spent fuel dry storage; provide information to support potential R&D for the UKABWR (United Kingdom Advanced Boiling Water Reactor) Spent Fuel Interim Storage (SFIS) Pre-Construction Safety Report; and support development of answers to questions developed by the regulator. Where there are gaps or insufficient data, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has summarized the research planned to provide the necessary data along with the schedule for the research, if known. Spent nuclear fuel (SNF) from nuclear power plants has historically been stored on site (wet) in spent fuel pools pending ultimate disposition. Nuclear power users (countries, utilities, vendors) are developing a suite of options and set of supporting analyses that will enable future informed choices about how best to manage these materials. As part of that effort, they are beginning to lay the groundwork for implementing longer-term interim storage of the SNF and the Greater Than Class C (CTCC) waste (dry). Deploying dry storage will require a number of technical issues to be addressed. For the past 4-5 years, ORNL has been supporting the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in identifying these key technical issues, managing the collection of data to be used in issue resolution, and identifying gaps in the needed data. During this effort, ORNL subject matter experts (SMEs) have become expert in understanding what information is publicly available and what gaps in data remain. To ensure the safety of the spent fuel under normal and frequent conditions of wet and subsequent dry storage, intact fuel must be shown to: 1.Maintain fuel cladding integrity; 2.Maintain its geometry for cooling, shielding, and subcriticality; 3.Maintain retrievability, and damaged fuel with pinhole or hairline cracks must be shown not to degrade further. Where PWR (pressurized water reactor) information is

Survival of the endangered Pima pineapple cactus: Does clearing before prescribed fire alter survival postfire?

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, Kathryn A.; Jarchow, Christopher; Crawford, Julie A.

2017-01-01

Federal land managers and ranchers often use prescribed fire as a tool to reduce invading woody plants within desert grasslands of the arid southwestern United States. Managers must evaluate the threat of the burn toward the health and survival of plants of concern including how preemptive clearing before prescribed fire might benefit these species. One example is the endangered Pima pineapple cactus (Coryphantha scheeri var. robustispina), a small hemispheric cactus of desert scrublands and grasslands of south-central Arizona and northern Sonora, Mexico. In 2014, we examined survival of Pima pineapple cactus documented in 2009 or 2010 within grasslands of Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge in Arizona. Of the 72 sites observed, 35 had no burn after documentation and 37 experienced prescribed fire. Refuge staff removed vegetation between 0.3 and 3.0 m from the cactus preburn. We found that Pima pineapple cacti in areas subjected to prescribed fire and with preemptive clearing had the same survival statistically as cacti from sites that were not burned.

Initiation of depleted uranium oxide and spent fuel testing for the spent fuel sabotage aerosol ratio program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Molecke, M.A.; Gregson, M.W.; Sorenson, K.B. [Sandia National Labs. (United States); Billone, M.C.; Tsai, H. [Argonne National Lab. (United States); Koch, W.; Nolte, O. [Fraunhofer Inst. fuer Toxikologie und Experimentelle Medizin (Germany); Pretzsch, G.; Lange, F. [Gesellschaft fuer Anlagen- und Reaktorsicherheit (Germany); Autrusson, B.; Loiseau, O. [Inst. de Radioprotection et de Surete Nucleaire (France); Thompson, N.S.; Hibbs, R.S. [U.S. Dept. of Energy (United States); Young, F.I.; Mo, T. [U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (United States)

2004-07-01

fuel to the aerosol particles produced from surrogate depleted uranium oxide, i.e., the spent fuel ratio, SFR, will be determined under closely matched test conditions. We shall briefly summarize similar results from completed, surrogate tests that used nonradioactive, sintered ceriumj oxide ceramic pellets in test rods, documented separately.

The comparison of alternatives for nuclear spent fuel management using multi-attribute utility function

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, J. W.; Kang, C. S.

1999-01-01

It is necessary to find a solution immediately to nuclear spent fuel management that is temporarily stored in on-site spent fuel storage before the saturation of the storage. However the choice of alternative for nuclear spent fuel management consists of complex process that are affected by economic, technical and social factors. And it is not easy to quantify these factors; public opinion, probability of diplomatic problem and contribution to development of nuclear technology. Therefore the analysis of the affecting factors and assessment of alternatives are required. This study performed the comparison of the alternatives for nuclear spent fuel management using MAU (Multi-Attribute Utility Function) and AHP(Analytic Hierarchy Process)

MTR spent fuel back-end - Cogema's long-term commitment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomasson, J.

1998-01-01

MTR spent fuel back end has been subject to many reversal and uncertainties in the past 10 years. Until the end of 1988, US obligated materials were subject to the Off site Fuels Policy (OFP). Under this policy, spent fuels were returned to USA, and were reprocessed there. This OFP took end the 31th of December 1988, and Research Reactor's operators had to implement others solutions: On site storage or Reprocessing in Europe. Meanwhile the RERTR Program was leading to a new LEU fuel to replace HEU aluminide. This new silicide fuel has one main drawback: it cannot be reprocessed in working plants without some process main line modifications. Fortunately, a new Research Reactors spent fuels return policy has been set up by the US in the early 1996. This new policy applies to all reactors converted or that have agreed to convert to LEU, and reactors operating with HEU for which no suitable LEU is available. It covers all the spent fuels discharged until 2006/05/12. But after that period of time, each reactor will be fully responsible for its spent fuels. Since the end of 1996, COGEMA is proposing reprocessing services for Aluminides spent fuels, based on the La Hague capability. This COGEMA answer is for the long term, as the La Hague plant has a good load for the coming years, including the first decade of the next century. Further, this activity benefits from a strong R and D support, that allowed fulfilling the evolutive needs of our customers, and gives us the ability to adapt the plant to the future market. Taking advantage of this flexibility, COGEMA offers Research Reactors' operators a long-term commitment. Already two reactors' operators have chosen to contract with COGEMA for the whole life of their reactors. The contracts execution is under progress and the first transportation will take place soon. Beside today's services, COGEMA is involved in R and D activities to support new fuels development enhancing present LEU performances and having the ability to

Analysis of the prescribed burning practice in the pine forest of northwestern Portugal.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernandes, P; Botelho, H

2004-01-01

The ignition of low-intensity fires in the dormant season in the pine stands of north-western Portugal seeks to reduce the existing fuel hazard without compromising site quality. The purpose of this study is to characterise this practice and assess its effectiveness, based on information resulting from the normal monitoring process at the management level, and using operational guidelines, fire behaviour models and a newly developed method to classify prescribed fire severity. Although the region's humid climate strongly constrains the activity of prescribed fire, 87% of the fires analysed were undertaken under acceptable meteorological and fuel moisture conditions. In fact, most operations achieved satisfactory results. On average, prescribed fire reduces by 96% the potential intensity of a wildfire occurring under extreme weather conditions, but 36% of the treated sites would still require heavy fire fighting resources to suppress such fire, and 17% would still carry it in the tree canopy. Only 10% of the prescribed burns have an excessive impact on trees or the forest floor, while 89% (normal fire weather) or 59% (extreme fire weather) comply with both ecological integrity maintenance and wildfire protection needs. Improved planning and monitoring procedures are recommended in order to overcome the current deficiencies.

Effects of alpha-decay on spent fuel corrosion behaviour

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wiss, T.; Rondinella, V.V.; Cobos, J.; Wegen, D.H.; Amme, M.; Ronchi, C.

2004-01-01

An overview of results in the area of spent fuel characterization as nuclear waste is presented. These studies are focused on primary aspects of spent fuel corrosion, by considering different fuel compositions and burn ups, as well as a wide set of environmental conditions. The key parameter is the storage time of the fuel e.g. in view of spent fuel retrieval or in view of its final disposal. To extrapolate data obtainable from a laboratory-acceptable timescale to those expected after storage periods of interest have elapsed (amounting in the extreme case to geological ages) is a tough challenge. Emphasis is put on key aspects of fuel corrosion related to fuel properties at a given age and environmental conditions expected in the repository: e.g. the fuel activity (radiolysis effects), the effects of helium build-up and of groundwater composition. A wide range of techniques, from traditional leaching experiments to advanced electrochemistry, and of materials, including spent fuel with different compositions/burnups and analogues like the so-called alpha-doped UO 2 , are employed for these studies. The results confirm the safety of European underground repository concepts. (authors)

Expanded spent fuel storage project at Yankee Atomic Electric Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chin, S.L.

1980-01-01

A detailed discussion on the project at the Yankee Rowe power reactor for expanding the capacity of the at-reactor storage pool by building double-tier storage racks. Various alternatives for providing additional capacity were examined by the operators. Away-from-reactor alternatives included shipment to existing privately owned facilities, a regional independent storage facility, and transshipments to other New England nuclear power plant pools. At-reactor alternatives evaluated included a new pool modification of the existing structure and finally, modification of the spent fuel pit. The establishment of a federal policy precluding transshipment of spent fuel prohibited the use of off-site alternatives. The addition of another pool was too expensive. The possibility of modifying an existing on-site structure required a new safety evaluation by the regulatory group with significant cost and time delays. Therefore, the final alternative - utilizing the existing spent fuel pool with some modification - was chosen due to cost, licensing possibility, no transport requirements, and the fact that the factors involved were mainly under the control of the operator. Modification of the pool was accomplished in phases. In the first phase, a dam was installed in the center of the pool (after the spent fuel was moved to one end). In the second phase, the empty end of the pool was drained and lined with stainless steel and the double-tier rack supports were added. In the third phase, the pool was refilled and the dam was removed. Then the spent fuel was moved into the completed end. In the fourth phase, the dam was replaced and the empty part of the pool was drained. The liner and double-tier rack supports were installed, the pool was refilled, and the dam was removed.The project demonstrated that the modification of existing spent fuel fuel pools for handling double-tier fuel racks is a viable solution for increasing the storage capacity at the reactor

Spent Nuclear Fuel Project FY 1996 Multi-Year Program Plan WBS No. 1.4.1, Revision 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-09-01

This document describes the Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) Project portion of the Hanford Strategic Plan for the Hanford Reservation in Richland, Washington. The SNF Project was established to evaluate and integrate the urgent risks associated with N-reactor fuel currently stored at the Hanford site in the K Basins, and to manage the transfer and disposition of other spent nuclear fuels currently stored on the Hanford site. An evaluation of alternatives for the expedited removal of spent fuels from the K Basin area was performed. Based on this study, a Recommended Path Forward for the K Basins was developed and proposed to the U.S. DOE

Spent Nuclear Fuel Project FY 1996 Multi-Year Program Plan WBS No. 1.4.1, Revision 1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-09-01

This document describes the Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) Project portion of the Hanford Strategic Plan for the Hanford Reservation in Richland, Washington. The SNF Project was established to evaluate and integrate the urgent risks associated with N-reactor fuel currently stored at the Hanford site in the K Basins, and to manage the transfer and disposition of other spent nuclear fuels currently stored on the Hanford site. An evaluation of alternatives for the expedited removal of spent fuels from the K Basin area was performed. Based on this study, a Recommended Path Forward for the K Basins was developed and proposed to the U.S. DOE.

Prescribed burning cost recovery analysis on nonindustrial private forestland in North Carolina

Science.gov (United States)

Ronald J. Myers; William Powell; Mark Megalos

2012-01-01

A statewide internal analysis of prescribed burning costs was conducted by the North Carolina Division of Forest Resources (NCDFR) in 2008 to examine the regional differences of site preparation and silvicultural burning costs, and to determine which components were most responsible for losses or gains. This study analyzed actual costs for 90 site preparation (2,559...

MANAGEMENT OF RESEARCH AND TEST REACTOR ALUMINUM SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL - A TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vinson, D.

2010-07-11

The Department of Energy's Environmental Management (DOE-EM) Program is responsible for the receipt and storage of aluminum research reactor spent nuclear fuel or used fuel until ultimate disposition. Aluminum research reactor used fuel is currently being stored or is anticipated to be returned to the U.S. and stored at DOE-EM storage facilities at the Savannah River Site and the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center. This paper assesses the technologies and the options for safe transportation/receipt and interim storage of aluminum research reactor spent fuel and reviews the comprehensive strategy for its management. The U.S. Department of Energy uses the Appendix A, Spent Nuclear Fuel Acceptance Criteria, to identify the physical, chemical, and isotopic characteristics of spent nuclear fuel to be returned to the United States under the Foreign Research Reactor Spent Nuclear Fuel Acceptance Program. The fuel is further evaluated for acceptance through assessments of the fuel at the foreign sites that include corrosion damage and handleability. Transport involves use of commercial shipping casks with defined leakage rates that can provide containment of the fuel, some of which are breached. Options for safe storage include wet storage and dry storage. Both options must fully address potential degradation of the aluminum during the storage period. This paper focuses on the various options for safe transport and storage with respect to technology maturity and application.

Spent fuel characterization for the commercial waste and spent fuel packaging program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fish, R.L.; Davis, R.B.; Pasupathi, V.; Klingensmith, R.W.

1980-03-01

This document presents the rationale for spent fuel characterization and provides a detailed description of the characterization examinations. Pretest characterization examinations provide quantitative and qualitative descriptions of spent fuel assemblies and rods in their irradiated conditions prior to disposal testing. This information is essential in evaluating any subsequent changes that occur during disposal demonstration and laboratory tests. Interim examinations and post-test characterization will be used to identify fuel rod degradation mechanisms and quantify degradation kinetics. The nature and behavior of the spent fuel degradation will be defined in terms of mathematical rate equations from these and laboratory tests and incorporated into a spent fuel performance prediction model. Thus, spent fuel characterization is an essential activity in the development of a performance model to be used in evaluating the ability of spent fuel to meet specific waste acceptance criteria and in evaluating incentives for modification of the spent fuel assemblies for long-term disposal purposes

Spent fuel dissolution studies FY 1991 to 1994

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gray, W.J.; Wilson, C.N.

1995-12-01

Dissolution and transport as a result of groundwater flow are generally accepted as the primary mechanisms by which radionuclides from spent fuel placed in a geologic repository could be released to the biosphere. To help provide a source term for performance assessment calculations, dissolution studies on spent fuel and unirradiated uranium oxides have been conducted over the past few years at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in support of the Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project. This report describes work for fiscal years 1991 through 1994. The objectives of these studies and the associated conclusions, which were based on the limited number of tests conducted so far, are described in the following subsections

Decision nearing on final disposal of spent fuel in Finland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vira, J.

2000-01-01

The programme for final disposal of spent fuel from Finnish nuclear power plants is entering into important phase: in the year 2000 the Finnish Government is expected to decide whether the proposal made by Posiva Oy on the spent fuel disposal is in line with the overall good of society. Associated with the decision is also Posiva's proposal on siting the disposal facility at Olkiluoto in Eurajoki municipality on the western coast of Finland. An important document underlying Posiva's application for this principle decision is the report of the environmental impact assessment, which was completed in 1999. Safety considerations play an important role in the application. New assessments have, therefore, been made on both the operational and long-term safety as well as on safety of spent fuel transportation. (author)

Use of a commercial heat transfer code to predict horizontally oriented spent fuel rod temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wix, S.D.; Koski, J.A.

1992-01-01

Radioactive spent fuel assemblies are a source of hazardous waste that will have to be dealt with in the near future. It is anticipated that the spent fuel assemblies will be transported to disposal sites in spent fuel transportation casks. In order to design a reliable and safe transportation cask, the maximum cladding temperature of the spent fuel rod arrays must be calculated. The maximum rod temperature is a limiting factor in the amount of spent fuel that can be loaded in a transportation cask. The scope of this work is to demonstrate that reasonable and conservative spent fuel rod temperature predictions can be made using commercially available thermal analysis codes. The demonstration is accomplished by a comparison between numerical temperature predictions, with a commercially available thermal analysis code, and experimental temperature data for electrical rod heaters simulating a horizontally oriented spent fuel rod bundle

Verification of criticality safety in on-site spent fuel storage systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rasmussen, R.W.

1989-01-01

On February 15, 1984, Duke Power Company received approval for a two-region, burnup credit, spent fuel storage rack design at both Units 1 and 2 of the McGuire Nuclear Station. Duke also hopes to obtain approval by January of 1990 for a dry spent fuel storage system at the Oconee Nuclear Station, which will incorporate the use of burnup credit in the criticality analysis governing the design of the individual storage units. While experiences in burnup verification for criticality safety for their dry storage system at Oconee are in the future, the methods proposed for burnup verification will be similar to those currently used at the McGuire Nuclear Station in the two-region storage racks installed in both pools. In conclusion, the primary benefit of the McGuire rerack effort has obviously been the amount of storage expansion it provided. A total increase of about 2,000 storage cells was realized, 1,000 of which were the result of pursuing the two-region rather than the conventional poison rack design. Less impacting, but equally as important, however, has been the experience gained during the planning, installation, and operation of these storage racks. This experience should prove useful for future rerack efforts likely to occur at Duke's Catawba Nuclear Station as well as for the current dry storage effort underway for the Oconee Nuclear Station

Spent fuel generated by the Kozloduy nuclear power plant within the period 1974 - 1994

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peev, P.

1994-01-01

The spent fuel management during the 20-year operation of Kozloduy NPP is described. Formally this period is divided into two stages. The first one covers 1977 - 1988 when the spent fuel after short-term (3 years) storage in the reactor building was dispatched to the former Soviet Union. Within this period 21 shipments of spent fuel (about 3086 fuel assemblies) with various level of enrichment and burnup were performed. The second stage covers the period 1988 - 1994. In that period the authorities responsible for the safe operation of Kozloduy NPP faced a number of problems related to necessity of on-site spent-fuel storage commissioning. A reassessment of the seismic risk after Vrancha earthquake and the Russia's attitude towards the former Soviet Union policy of spent fuel storage was discussed

Spent fuel generated by the Kozloduy nuclear power plant within the period 1974 - 1994

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Peev, P [National Electricity Company, Sofia (Bulgaria)

1994-12-31

The spent fuel management during the 20-year operation of Kozloduy NPP is described. Formally this period is divided into two stages. The first one covers 1977 - 1988 when the spent fuel after short-term (3 years) storage in the reactor building was dispatched to the former Soviet Union. Within this period 21 shipments of spent fuel (about 3086 fuel assemblies) with various level of enrichment and burnup were performed. The second stage covers the period 1988 - 1994. In that period the authorities responsible for the safe operation of Kozloduy NPP faced a number of problems related to necessity of on-site spent-fuel storage commissioning. A reassessment of the seismic risk after Vrancha earthquake and the Russia`s attitude towards the former Soviet Union policy of spent fuel storage was discussed.

An evaluation of the appropriateness and safety of nurse and midwife prescribing in Ireland.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Naughton, Corina

2012-09-19

AIM: To evaluate the clinical appropriateness and safety of nurse and midwife prescribing practice. BACKGROUND: The number of countries introducing nurse and midwife prescribing is increasing; however, concerns over patient safety remain. DESIGN: A multi-site documentation evaluation was conducted using purposeful and random sampling. The sample included 142 patients\\' records and 208 medications prescribed by 25 Registered Nurse Prescribers. METHODS: Data were extracted from patient and prescription records between March-May 2009. Two expert reviewers applied the modified Medication Appropriate Index tool (8 criteria) to each drug. The percentage of appropriate or inappropriate responses for each criterion was reported. Reviewer concordance was measured using the Cohen\\'s kappa statistic (inter-rater reliability). RESULTS: Nurse or midwife prescribers from eight hospitals working in seventeen different areas of practice were included. The reviewers judged that 95-96% of medicines prescribed were indicated and effective for the diagnosed condition. Criteria relating to dosage, directions, drug-drugs or disease-condition interaction, and duplication of therapy were judged appropriate in 87-92% of prescriptions. Duration of therapy received the lowest value at 76%. Overall, reviewers indicated that between 69 (reviewer 2)-80% (reviewer 1) of prescribing decisions met all eight criteria. CONCLUSION: The majority of nurse and midwife prescribing decisions were deemed safe and clinically appropriate. However, risk of inappropriate prescribing with the potential for drug errors was detected. Continuing education and evaluation of prescribing practice, especially related to drug and condition interactions, is required to maximize appropriate and safe prescribing.

MTR radiological database for SRS spent nuclear fuel facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blanchard, A.

2000-01-01

A database for radiological characterization of incoming Material Test Reactor (MTR) fuel has been developed for application to the Receiving Basin for Offsite Fuels (RBOF) and L-Basin spent fuel storage facilities at the Savannah River Site (SRS). This database provides a quick quantitative check to determine if SRS bound spent fuel is radiologically bounded by the Reference Fuel Assembly used in the L-Basin and RBOF authorization bases. The developed database considers pertinent characteristics of domestic and foreign research reactor fuel including exposure, fuel enrichment, irradiation time, cooling time, and fuel-to-moderator ratio. The supplied tables replace the time-consuming studies associated with authorization of SRS bound spent fuel with simple hand calculations. Additionally, the comprehensive database provides the means to overcome resource limitations, since a series of simple, yet conservative, hand calculations can now be performed in a timely manner and replace computational and technical staff requirements

Synthesis on the spent fuel long term evolution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ferry, C.; Poinssot, Ch.; Lovera, P.; Poulesquen, A. [CEA Saclay, Dept. de Physico-Chimie (DEN/DPC), 91 - Gif sur Yvette (France); Broudic, V. [CEA Cadarache, Direction des Reacteurs Nucleaires (DRN), 13 - Saint Paul lez Durance (France); Cappelaere, Ch. [CEA Saclay, Dept. des Materiaux pour le Nucleaire(DMN), 91 - Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Desgranges, L. [CEA Cadarache, Direction des Reacteurs Nucleaires (DRN), 13 - Saint-Paul-lez-Durance (France); Garcia, Ph. [CEA Cadarache, Dept. d' Etudes des Combustibles (DEC), 13 - Saint Paul lez Durance (France); Jegou, Ch.; Roudil, D. [CEA Valrho, Dir. de l' Energie Nucleaire (DEN), 30 - Marcoule (France); Lovera, P.; Poulesquen, A. [CEA Saclay, Dept. de Physico-Chimie (DPC), 91 - Gif sur Yvette (France); Marimbeau, P. [CEA Cadarache, Dir. de l' Energie Nucleaire (DEN), 13 - Saint-Paul-lez-Durance (France); Gras, J.M.; Bouffioux, P. [Electricite de France (EDF), 75 - Paris (France)

2005-07-01

The French research on spent fuel long term evolution has been performed by CEA (Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique) since 1999 in the PRECCI project with the support of EDF (Electricite de France). These studies focused on the spent fuel behaviour under various conditions encountered in dry storage or in deep geological disposal. Three main types of conditions were discerned: - The evolution in a closed system which corresponds to the normal scenario in storage and to the first confinement phase in disposal; - The evolution in air which corresponds to an incidental loss of confinement during storage or to a rupture of the canister before the site re-saturation in geological disposal; - The evolution in water which corresponds to the normal scenario after the breaching of the canister in repository conditions. This document produced in the frame of the PRECCI project is an overview of the state of knowledge in 2004 concerning the long-term behavior of spent fuel under these various conditions. The state of the art was derived from the results obtained under the PRECCI project as well as from a review of the literature and of data acquired under the European project on Spent Fuel Stability under Repository Conditions. The main results issued from the French research are underlined. (authors)

Synthesis on the spent fuel long term evolution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferry, C.; Poinssot, Ch.; Lovera, P.; Poulesquen, A.; Broudic, V.; Cappelaere, Ch.; Desgranges, L.; Garcia, Ph.; Jegou, Ch.; Roudil, D.; Lovera, P.; Poulesquen, A.; Marimbeau, P.; Gras, J.M.; Bouffioux, P.

2005-01-01

The French research on spent fuel long term evolution has been performed by CEA (Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique) since 1999 in the PRECCI project with the support of EDF (Electricite de France). These studies focused on the spent fuel behaviour under various conditions encountered in dry storage or in deep geological disposal. Three main types of conditions were discerned: - The evolution in a closed system which corresponds to the normal scenario in storage and to the first confinement phase in disposal; - The evolution in air which corresponds to an incidental loss of confinement during storage or to a rupture of the canister before the site re-saturation in geological disposal; - The evolution in water which corresponds to the normal scenario after the breaching of the canister in repository conditions. This document produced in the frame of the PRECCI project is an overview of the state of knowledge in 2004 concerning the long-term behavior of spent fuel under these various conditions. The state of the art was derived from the results obtained under the PRECCI project as well as from a review of the literature and of data acquired under the European project on Spent Fuel Stability under Repository Conditions. The main results issued from the French research are underlined. (authors)

Seismic stability of the survey areas of potential sites for the deep geological repository of the spent nuclear fuel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kaláb Zdeněk

2017-07-01

Full Text Available This paper deals with the seismic stability of the survey areas of potential sites for the deep geological repository of the spent nuclear fuel in the Czech Republic. The basic source of data for historical earthquakes up to 1990 was the seismic website [10]. The most intense earthquake described occurred on September 15, 1590 in the Niederroesterreich region (Austria in the historical period; its reported intensity is Io = 8-9. The source of the contemporary seismic data for the period since 1991 to the end of 2014 was the website [11]. It may be stated based on the databases and literature review that in the period from 1900, no earthquake exceeding magnitude 5.1 originated in the territory of the Czech Republic.

Nuclear nonproliferation: Concerns with US delays in accepting foregin research reactors' spent fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-01-01

One key US nonproliferation goal is to discourage use of highly enriched uranium fuel (HEU), which can be used to make nuclear bombs, in civilian nuclear programs worldwide. DOE's Off-Site Fuels Policy for taking back spent HEU from foreign research reactors was allowed to expire due to environmental reasons. This report provides information on the effects of delays in renewing the Off-Site Fuels Policy on US nonproliferation goals and programs (specifically the reduced enrichment program), DOE's efforts to renew the fuels policy, and the price to be charged to the operators of foreign reactors for DOE's activities in taking back spent fuel

Cost and risk tradeoff for routing nuclear spent fuel movements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chin, S.M.

1988-01-01

In the transportation industry, much effort has been devoted to finding the least cost routes for shipping goods from their production sites to the market areas. In addition to cost, the decision maker must take the risk of an incident into consideration for transportation routing involving hazardous materials. The transportation of spent nuclear fuel from reactor sites to repositories is an example. Given suitable network information, existing routing methods can readily determine least cost or least risk routes for any shipment. These two solutions, however, represent the extremes of a large number of alternatives with different combinations of risk and cost. In the selection of routes and also in the evaluation of alternative storage sites it is not enough to know which is the lease cost or lowest risk. Intelligent decision-marking requires knowledge of how much it will cost to lower risk by a certain amount. The objective of this study is to develop an automated system to evaluate the tradeoff between transportation cost and potential population at risk under different nuclear spent fuel transportation strategies

Handling encapsulated spent fuel in a geologic repository environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ballou, L.B.

1983-02-01

In support of the Spent Fuel Test-Climate at the U.S. Department of Energy's Nevada Test Site, a spent-fuel canister handling system has been designed, deployed, and operated successfully during the past five years. This system transports encapsulated commercial spent-fuel assemblies between the packaging facility and the test site (approx. 100 km), transfers the canisters 420 m vertically to and from a geologic storage drift, and emplaces or retrieves the canisters from the storage holes in the floor of the drift. The spent-fuel canisters are maintained in a fully shielded configuration at all times during the handling cycle, permitting manned access at any time for response to any abnormal conditions. All normal operations are conducted by remote control, thus assuring as low as reasonably achievable exposures to operators; specifically, we have had no measurable exposure during 30 canister transfer operations. While not intended to be prototypical of repository handling operations, the system embodies a number of concepts, now demonstrated to be safe, reliable, and economical, which may be very useful in evaluating full-scale repository handling alternatives in the future. Among the potentially significant concepts are: Use of an integral shielding plug to minimize radiation streaming at all transfer interfaces. Hydraulically actuated transfer cask jacking and rotation features to reduce excavation headroom requirements. Use of a dedicated small diameter (0.5 m) drilled shaft for transfer between the surface and repository workings. A wire-line hoisting system with positive emergency braking device which travels with the load. Remotely activated grapples - three used in the system - which are insensitive to load orientation. Rail-mounted underground transfer vehicle operated with no personnel underground

Spent nuclear fuel project integrated schedule plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Squires, K.G.

1995-01-01

The Spent Nuclear Fuel Integrated Schedule Plan establishes the organizational responsibilities, rules for developing, maintain and status of the SNF integrated schedule, and an implementation plan for the integrated schedule. The mission of the SNFP on the Hanford site is to provide safe, economic, environmentally sound management of Hanford SNF in a manner which stages it to final disposition. This particularly involves K Basin fuel

Spent nuclear fuel project integrated schedule plan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Squires, K.G.

1995-03-06

The Spent Nuclear Fuel Integrated Schedule Plan establishes the organizational responsibilities, rules for developing, maintain and status of the SNF integrated schedule, and an implementation plan for the integrated schedule. The mission of the SNFP on the Hanford site is to provide safe, economic, environmentally sound management of Hanford SNF in a manner which stages it to final disposition. This particularly involves K Basin fuel.

Near-Site Transportation Infrastructure Project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Viebrock, J.M.; Mote, N.

1992-02-01

There are 122 commercial nuclear facilities from which spent nuclear fuel will be accepted by the Federal Waste Management System (FWMS). Since some facilities share common sites and some facilities are on adjacent sites, 76 sites were identified for the Near-Site Transportation Infrastructure (NSTI) project. The objective of the NSTI project was to identify the options available for transportation of spent-fuel casks from each of these commercial nuclear facility sites to the main transportation routes -- interstate highways, commercial rail lines and navigable waterways available for commercial use. The near-site transportation infrastructure from each site was assessed, based on observation of technical features identified during a survey of the routes and facilities plus data collected from referenced information sources. The potential for refurbishment of transportation facilities which are not currently operational was also assessed, as was the potential for establishing new transportation facilities

The Versatility of an Online Database for Spent Nuclear Fuel Management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Canas, L.R.

1997-12-01

A vast and diverse database on spent nuclear fuel (SNF) supports the mission of the Westinghouse Savannah River Company's (WSRC) Spent Fuel Storage Division (SFSD) at the Department of Energy's (DOE) Savannah River Site (SRS) chemical-nuclear complex. Prior to 1994, this documentation resided in multiple files maintained by various organizations across SRS. Since that time, in an attempt to improve the efficiency of SNF data retrieval upon demand, the files have been substantially rearranged and consolidated. Moreover, selected data have been captured electronically in a web-style, online Spent Nuclear Fuel Database (SNFD) for quick and easy access from any personal computer on the SRS intranet. Originally released in August 1996, the SNFD has continued to expand at regular intervals commensurate with the SFSD mission

Protocol for evaluation of the cost-effectiveness of ePrescribing systems and candidate prototype for other related health information technologies

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background This protocol concerns the assessment of cost-effectiveness of hospital health information technology (HIT) in four hospitals. Two of these hospitals are acquiring ePrescribing systems incorporating extensive decision support, while the other two will implement systems incorporating more basic clinical algorithms. Implementation of an ePrescribing system will have diffuse effects over myriad clinical processes, so the protocol has to deal with a large amount of information collected at various ‘levels’ across the system. Methods/Design The method we propose is use of Bayesian ideas as a philosophical guide. Assessment of cost-effectiveness requires a number of parameters in order to measure incremental cost utility or benefit – the effectiveness of the intervention in reducing frequency of preventable adverse events; utilities for these adverse events; costs of HIT systems; and cost consequences of adverse events averted. There is no single end-point that adequately and unproblematically captures the effectiveness of the intervention; we therefore plan to observe changes in error rates and adverse events in four error categories (death, permanent disability, moderate disability, minimal effect). For each category we will elicit and pool subjective probability densities from experts for reductions in adverse events, resulting from deployment of the intervention in a hospital with extensive decision support. The experts will have been briefed with quantitative and qualitative data from the study and external data sources prior to elicitation. Following this, there will be a process of deliberative dialogues so that experts can “re-calibrate” their subjective probability estimates. The consolidated densities assembled from the repeat elicitation exercise will then be used to populate a health economic model, along with salient utilities. The credible limits from these densities can define thresholds for sensitivity analyses. Discussion The

Spent fuel management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-01-01

The production of nuclear electricity results in the generation of spent fuel that requires safe, secure and efficient management. Appropriate management of the resulting spent fuel is a key issue for the steady and sustainable growth of nuclear energy. Currently about 10,000 tonnes heavy metal (HM) of spent fuel are unloaded every year from nuclear power reactors worldwide, of which 8,500 t HM need to be stored (after accounting for reprocessed fuel). This is the largest continuous source of civil radioactive material generated, and needs to be managed appropriately. Member States have referred to storage periods of 100 years and even beyond, and as storage quantities and durations extend, new challenges arise in the institutional as well as in the technical area. The IAEA gives high priority to safe and effective spent fuel management. As an example of continuing efforts, the 2003 International Conference on Storage of Spent Fuel from Power Reactors gathered 125 participants from 35 member states to exchange information on this important subject. With its large number of Member States, the IAEA is well-positioned to gather and share information useful in addressing Member State priorities. IAEA activities on this topic include plans to produce technical documents as resources for a range of priority topics: spent fuel performance assessment and research, burnup credit applications, cask maintenance, cask loading optimization, long term storage requirements including records maintenance, economics, spent fuel treatment, remote technology, and influence of fuel design on spent fuel storage. In addition to broader topics, the IAEA supports coordinated research projects and technical cooperation projects focused on specific needs

Photoprotection by sunscreen depends on time spent on application.

Science.gov (United States)

Heerfordt, Ida M; Torsnes, Linnea R; Philipsen, Peter A; Wulf, Hans Christian

2018-03-01

To be effective, sunscreens must be applied in a sufficient quantity and reapplication is recommended. No previous study has investigated whether time spent on sunscreen application is important for the achieved photoprotection. To determine whether time spent on sunscreen application is related to the amount of sunscreen used during a first and second application. Thirty-one volunteers wearing swimwear applied sunscreen twice in a laboratory environment. Time spent and the amount of sunscreen used during each application was measured. Subjects' body surface area accessible for sunscreen application (BSA) was estimated from their height, weight and swimwear worn. The average applied quantity of sunscreen after each application was calculated. Subjects spent on average 4 minutes and 15 seconds on the first application and approximately 85% of that time on the second application. There was a linear relationship between time spent on application and amount of sunscreen used during both the first and the second application (P applications. After the first application, subjects had applied a mean quantity of sunscreen of 0.71 mg/cm 2 on the BSA, and after the second application, a mean total quantity of 1.27 mg/cm 2 had been applied. We found that participants applied a constant amount of sunscreen per minute during both a first and a second application. Measurement of time spent on application of sunscreen on different body sites may be useful in investigating the distribution of sunscreen in real-life settings. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Mechanical and thermomechanical calculations related to the storage of spent nuclear-fuel assemblies in granite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Butkovich, T.R.

1980-05-01

A generic test of the geologic storage of spent-fuel assemblies is being made at Nevada Test Site. The spent-fuel assemblies were emplaced at a depth of 420 m (1370 ft) below the surface in a typical granite and will be retrieved at a later time. The early time, close-in thermal history of this type of repository is being simulated with spent-fuel and electrically heated canisters in a central drift, with auxiliary heaters in two parallel side drifts. Prior to emplacement of the spent-fuel canisters, preliminary calculations were made using a pair of existing finite-element codes, ADINA and ADINAT

Dry storage of spent fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeffrey, R.

1993-01-01

Scottish Nuclear's plans to build and operate dry storage facilities at each of its two nuclear power station sites in Scotland are explained. An outline of where waste materials arise as part of the operation and decommissioning of nuclear power stations, the volumes for each category of high-, intermediate-and low-level wastes and the costs involved are given. The present procedure for the spent fuels from Hunterston-B and Torness stations is described and Scottish Nuclear's aims of driving output up and costs down are studied. (UK)

Development of Accident Scenario for Interim Spent Fuel Storage Facility Based on Fukushima Accident

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Dongjin; Choi, Kwangsoon; Yoon, Hyungjoon; Park, Jungsu [KEPCO-E and C, Yongin (Korea, Republic of)

2014-05-15

700 MTU of spent nuclear fuel is discharged from nuclear fleet every year and spent fuel storage is currently 70.9% full. The on-site wet type spent fuel storage pool of each NPP(nuclear power plants) in Korea will shortly exceed its storage limit. Backdrop, the Korean government has rolled out a plan to construct an interim spent fuel storage facility by 2024. However, the type of interim spent fuel storage facility has not been decided yet in detail. The Fukushima accident has resulted in more stringent requirements for nuclear facilities in case of beyond design basis accidents. Therefore, there has been growing demand for developing scenario on interim storage facility to prepare for beyond design basis accidents and conducting dose assessment based on the scenario to verify the safety of each type of storage.

Proposal of guidelines for selecting optimum options in packagings and transportation systems of spent fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saegusa, T.; Abe, H.; Fukuda, S.

1983-01-01

Type and size of spent fuel shipping packagings and packaging transport ships in spent fuel transport system would have been determined separately in response to technical requirements etc. of reactor sites and reprocessing plants. However, since more and more spent fuel will be generated from world's nuclear power plants and will be transported much frequently to reprocessing plants or storage facilities, the current spent fuel transport system will have to be necessarily reexamined from the operational and economical aspects or an optimum transport system may have to be newly determined in the near future. In the literature, a variety of options are found, particularly of spent fuel packagings. This paper listed and classified options of spent fuel packagings and packaging transport ships in the transportation systems of spent fuel on the basis of literature surveys. These options were discussed from viewpoints of designers and users and compared in terms of transport efficiency. Finally, one way to determine an optimum transport system of spent fuel was indicated considering the total transport system in the light of safety, operational efficiency and economy

Neutron intensity of fast reactor spent fuel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Takamatsu, Misao; Aoyama, Takafumi [Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corp., Oarai, Ibaraki (Japan). Oarai Engineering Center

1998-03-01

Neutron intensity of spent fuel of the JOYO Mk-II core with a burnup of 62,500 MWd/t and cooling time of 5.2 years was measured at the spent fuel storage pond. The measured data were compared with the calculated values based on the JOYO core management code system `MAGI`, and the average C/E approximately 1.2 was obtained. It was found that the axial neutron intensity didn`t simply follow the burnup distribution, and the neutron intensity was locally increased at the bottom end of the fuel region due to an accumulation of {sup 244}Cm. (author)

Prescribed burning impact on forest soil properties--a Fuzzy Boolean Nets approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Castro, Ana C Meira; Paulo Carvalho, Joao; Ribeiro, S

2011-02-01

The Portuguese northern forests are often and severely affected by wildfires during the Summer season. These occurrences significantly affect and negatively impact all ecosystems, namely soil, fauna and flora. In order to reduce the occurrences of natural wildfires, some measures to control the availability of fuel mass are regularly implemented. Those preventive actions concern mainly prescribed burnings and vegetation pruning. This work reports on the impact of a prescribed burning on several forest soil properties, namely pH, soil moisture, organic matter content and iron content, by monitoring the soil self-recovery capabilities during a one year span. The experiments were carried out in soil cover over a natural site of Andaluzitic schist, in Gramelas, Caminha, Portugal, which was kept intact from prescribed burnings during a period of four years. Soil samples were collected from five plots at three different layers (0-3, 3-6 and 6-18) 1 day before prescribed fire and at regular intervals after the prescribed fire. This paper presents an approach where Fuzzy Boolean Nets (FBN) and Fuzzy reasoning are used to extract qualitative knowledge regarding the effect of prescribed fire burning on soil properties. FBN were chosen due to the scarcity on available quantitative data. The results showed that soil properties were affected by prescribed burning practice and were unable to recover their initial values after one year. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Risk assessment in spent fuel storage and transportation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pandimani, S.

1989-01-01

Risk assessment in various stages of nuclear fuel cycle is still an active area of Nuclear safety studies. From the results of risk assessment available in literature, it can be determined that the risk resulting from shipments of plutonium and spent-fuel are much greater than that resulting from the transport of other materials within the nuclear fuel cycle. In India spent fuels are kept in Spent Fuel Storage Pool (SFSP) for about 240-400 days, which is relatively a longer period compared to the usual 120 days as recommended by regulatory authorities. After cooling spent fuels are transported to the reprocessing sites which are mostly situated close to the plants. India has two high level waste treatment facilities, one PREFRE (Plutonium Reprocessing and Fuel Recycling) at Tarapur and the other one, a unit of Nuclear Fuel Complex at Hyderabad. This paper presents the risk associated with spent fuel storage and transportation for the Indian conditions. All calculations are based on a typical CANDU reactor system. Simple fault tree models are evolved for SFSP and for Transportation Accident Mode (TAM) for both road and rail. Fault tree quantification and risk assessment are done to each of these models. All necessary data for SFSP are taken mostly from Reactor Safety Study, (1975). Similarly, the data for rail TAM are taken from Annual Statistical Statements, (1987-8) and that for road TAM from Special Issue on Motor Vehicle Accident Statistics in India, (1986). Simulation method is used wherever necessary. Risk is also estimated for normal/accident free transport

Factors influencing antibiotic prescribing in long-term care facilities: a qualitative in-depth study.

Science.gov (United States)

van Buul, Laura W; van der Steen, Jenny T; Doncker, Sarah M M M; Achterberg, Wilco P; Schellevis, François G; Veenhuizen, Ruth B; Hertogh, Cees M P M

2014-12-16

Insight into factors that influence antibiotic prescribing is crucial when developing interventions aimed at a more rational use of antibiotics. We examined factors that influence antibiotic prescribing in long-term care facilities, and present a conceptual model that integrates these factors. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with physicians (n = 13) and nursing staff (n = 13) in five nursing homes and two residential care homes in the central-west region of the Netherlands. An iterative analysis was applied to interviews with physicians to identify and categorize factors that influence antibiotic prescribing, and to integrate these into a conceptual model. This conceptual model was triangulated with the perspectives of nursing staff. The analysis resulted in the identification of six categories of factors that can influence the antibiotic prescribing decision: the clinical situation, advance care plans, utilization of diagnostic resources, physicians' perceived risks, influence of others, and influence of the environment. Each category comprises several factors that may influence the decision to prescribe or not prescribe antibiotics directly (e.g. pressure of patients' family leading to antibiotic prescribing) or indirectly via influence on other factors (e.g. unfamiliarity with patients resulting in a higher physician perceived risk of non-treatment, in turn resulting in a higher tendency to prescribe antibiotics). Our interview study shows that several non-rational factors may affect antibiotic prescribing decision making in long-term care facilities, suggesting opportunities to reduce inappropriate antibiotic use. We developed a conceptual model that integrates the identified categories of influencing factors and shows the relationships between those categories. This model may be used as a practical tool in long-term care facilities to identify local factors potentially leading to inappropriate prescribing, and to subsequently

General siting study 95. Siting of a deep repository for spent nuclear fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-10-01

General Siting Study 95 is a detailed description of the work carried out to put the siting of a deep repository in a national and regional context. The report is based on SKB's siting factors, which have been applied on a national scale. Different factors of importance or of possible importance for the long-term radiological safety, technology, land and environment as well as society are described and evaluated. This report is the overall description on general siting studies which the government considered that SKB should report in connection with the RD and D Programme 95. 121 refs, 40 figs

General siting study 95. Siting of a deep repository for spent nuclear fuel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-10-01

General Siting Study 95 is a detailed description of the work carried out to put the siting of a deep repository in a national and regional context. The report is based on SKB`s siting factors, which have been applied on a national scale. Different factors of importance or of possible importance for the long-term radiological safety, technology, land and environment as well as society are described and evaluated. This report is the overall description on general siting studies which the government considered that SKB should report in connection with the RD and D Programme 95. 121 refs, 40 figs.

Root Disease, Longleaf Pine Mortality, and Prescribed Burning

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Otrosina, W.J; C.H. Walkinshaw; S.J. Zarnoch; S-J. Sung; B.T. Sullivan

2001-01-01

Study to determine factors involved in decline of longleaf pine associated with prescribed burning. Trees having symptoms were recorded by crown rating system based upon symptom severity-corresponded to tree physiological status-increased in hot burn plots. Root pathogenic fungi widespread throughout the study site. Histological studies show high fine root mortality rate in the hot burn treatment. Decline syndrome is complexed by root pathogens, soil factors, root damage and dysfunction.

1. The application of PIE techniques to the study of the corrosion of spent oxide fuel in deep-rock groundwaters. 2. Spent fuel degradation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Forsyth, R.S.

1991-01-01

During the autumn of 1990, papers summarizing work performed at Studsvik as part of the SKB research programme designed to study the corrosion behaviour of spent nuclear fuel in deep-rock groundwater were presented at two scientific meetings: The first paper presents results and observations of the study of the corrosion of spent oxide fuel in deep-rock ground-waters. The PIE techniques were applied to the detailed study of spent fuel both before and after water contact. The second paper represents an up-dated reporting of results obtained in the Swedish programme relevant to preferential dissolution effects, including interim results from recently stored experiments specifically designed to study possible correlations between corrosion behaviour and fuel properties conditioned by burnup and/or local power variations. Recent observations during the search for corrosion sites in fuel exposed to corrosion for about 4 years are also presented. (KAE)

Management of Spent Radiation Source from Radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aisyah

2008-01-01

Nowadays the use of radioactive source for both radiodiagnostic and radiotherapy in Indonesia hospital increases rapidly. Sealed source used in radiotherapy among others for brachytherapy, teletherapy, bone densitometry, whole blood irradiation and gamma knife (radiosurgery). In line with this, the waste of spent radiation sources will be generated in hospitals. Of course these spent radiation sources must be treated correctly in order to maintain the safety of both the public and the environment. According to the Act No. 10/1997, BATAN, in care of the Radioactive Waste Management Center is the national appointed agency for the management of radioactive waste. The option for waste management by hospitals needs to be expound, either by re-exporting to the supplier of origin, re-exporting to other supplier, re-use by other licensee or sending to the Radioactive Waste Management Center. Usually the waste sent by the hospitals to the center comprises of sealed radiation source of 60 Co, 137 Cs or 226 Ra. The management of spent radiation source in the center is carried out in several steps i.e. conditioning, temporary storage, and long-term storage (final disposal). The conditioning of non 226 Ra is carried out by placing the waste in a 200 litter drum shell, 950 or 350 litter concrete shells, depends on the activity and dimension of the spent radiation source. The conditioning of 226 Ra is carried out by encapsulating the waste in a stainless steel container for long-term storage shield which then placed in a 200 litter drum shell. The temporary storage of the conditioned spent radiation source is carried out by storing it in the center’s temporary storages, either low or medium activity waste. Finally, the conditioned spent radiation source is buried in a disposal facility. For medium half-life spent radiation source, the final disposal is burial it in a shallow-land disposal; mean while, for long half-life spent radiation source, the final disposal is burial it in

Corrosion surveillance in spent fuel storage pools

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Howell, J.P.

1996-01-01

In mid-1991, corrosion of aluminum-clad spent nuclear fuel was observed in the light-water filled basins at the Savannah River site. A corrosion surveillance program was initiated in the P, K, L-Reactor basins and in the Receiving Basin for Offsite Fuels (RBOF). This program verified the aggressive nature of the pitting corrosion and provided recommendations for changes in basin operations to permit extended longer term interim storage. The changes were implemented during 1994--1996 and have resulted in significantly improved basin water quality with conductivity in the 1--3 microS/cm range. Under these improved conditions, no new pitting has been observed over the last three years. This paper describes the corrosion surveillance program at SRS and what has been learned about the corrosion of aluminum-clad in spent fuel storage pools

Structure of eEF3 and the mechanism of transfer RNA release from the E-site

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Christian Brix Folsted; Becker, T.; Blau, M.

2006-01-01

Elongation factor eEF3 is an ATPase, which, in addition to the two canonical factors eEF1A and eEF2, serves an essential function in the translation cycle of fungi. eEF3 is required for the binding of the aatRNA-eEF1A-GTP ternary complex to the ribosomal A-site and has been suggested to facilitate...... the clearance of deacyl-tRNA from the E-site. Here, we present the crystal structure of eEF3 showing that it consists of an N-terminal HEAT repeat domain, followed by a four-helix bundle and two ABC-type ATPase domains with a chromo-domain inserted in ABC2. Moreover, we present the cryo-EM structure of the ATP......-bound form of eEF3 in complex with the post-translocational state 80S ribosome from yeast. eEF3 uses an entirely new factor binding site near the ribosomal E-site, with the chromodomain stabilizing the ribosomal L1 stalk in an open conformation, thus, allowing tRNA release....

Soil properties and root biomass responses to prescribed burning in young Corsican pine (Pinus nigra Arn.) stands.

Science.gov (United States)

Tufekcioglu, Aydin; Kucuk, Mehmet; Saglam, Bulent; Bilgili, Ertugrul; Altun, Lokman

2010-05-01

Fire is an important tool in the management of forest ecosystems. Although both prescribed and wildland fires are common in Turkey, few studies have addressed the influence of such disturbances on soil properties and root biomass dynamics. In this study, soil properties and root biomass responses to prescribed fire were investigated in 25-year-old corsican pine (Pinus nigra Arn.) stands in Kastamonu, Turkey. The stands were established by planting and were subjected to prescribed burning in July 2003. Soil respiration rates were determined every two months using soda-lime method over a two-year period. Fine (0-2 mm diameter) and small root (2-5 mm diameter) biomass were sampled approximately bimonthly using sequential coring method. Mean daily soil respiration ranged from 0.65 to 2.19 g Cm(-2) d(-1) among all sites. Soil respiration rates were significantly higher in burned sites than in controls. Soil respiration rates were correlated significantly with soil moisture and soil temperature. Fine root biomass was significantly lower in burned sites than in control sites. Mean fine root biomass values were 4940 kg ha(-1) for burned and 5450 kg ha(-1) for control sites. Soil pH was significantly higher in burned sites than in control sites in 15-35 cm soil depth. Soil organic matter content did not differ significantly between control and burned sites. Our results indicate that, depending on site conditions, fire could be used successfully as a tool in the management of forest stands in the study area.

Siting of an MRS facility: identification of a geographic region that reduces transportation requirements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holter, G.M.; Braitman, J.L.

1985-04-01

The study reported here was undertaken as part of the site screening and evaluation activities for the Monitored Retrievable Storage (MRS) Program of the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM), Department of Energy (DOE). Its primary purpose was to determine: the location and shape of a preferred geographic region within which locating an MRS facility would minimize total shipment miles for spent fuel transported through the MRS facility to a repository, and the sensitivity of the location and shape of this region and the reduction in total shipment miles to possible variations in waste management system logistics. As a result of this analysis, a geographic region has been identified which is preferred for siting an MRS facility. This region will be referred to as the preferred region in this study. Siting an MRS facility in the preferred region will limit total shipment miles (i.e., the total miles traveled for all shipments of spent fuel) to and from the MRS facility to within 20% of the lowest achievable. The region is preferred for a mixed truck/rail system of transport from reactors to the MRS facility. It is assumed that rail will be used to ship spent fuel from the MRS facility to a geologic repository for disposal. Siting an MRS facility in the preferred region will reduce total shipment miles for all currently considered system logistics options which include an MRS facility in the system. These options include: any first repository location, the possible range of spent fuel consolidation at the MRS, use of multi-cask or single-cask train shipments, use of current or future spent fuel transport casks, servicing only the first or both the first and second repositories, and shipment of fuel from western reactors either through the MRS facility or to a western facility (a second, smaller MRS facility or the first repository)

Dental students′ compliance with antibiotic prescribing guidelines for dental infections in children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yee Chen Wong

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Context: To investigate the antibiotic prescribing training received by dental students, clinical experience in treating child patients, awareness of antibiotic prescribing guidelines, preparedness in antibiotic prescribing, and compliance with antibiotic prescribing guidelines for the management of dental infections in children. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving final year dentals students from Malaysian and Asian dental schools. A self-administered questionnaire consisting of five clinical case scenarios was e-mailed to all final year students at selected dental schools. Students′ responses were compared for each clinical case scenario with the prescribing guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the American Dental Association. Compliance in each scenario was tested for association with their preparedness in antibiotic prescribing, previous training on antibiotic prescribing and awareness of antibiotic prescribing guidelines using Chi-square test. Data collected were analyzed using SPSS statistics version 20. Results: A total of 108 completed responses were received. About 74 (69% students were from Malaysian dental schools. The compliance rate with prescribing guidelines ranged from 15.7% to 43.5%. Those attending Malaysian dental schools (47.3% and those who had treated child patient more often (46.3% were more likely (P < 0.05 to be aware of the guidelines. Those who had received antibiotic prescribing training (21.3% were more likely to think they were well prepared in antibiotic prescribing (P < 0.05. Conclusions: Final year dental students had low awareness and compliance with antibiotic prescribing guidelines. Further research is needed to investigate how compliance with the guidelines may be enhanced.

Inappropriate prescribing: criteria, detection and prevention.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

O'Connor, Marie N

2012-06-01

Inappropriate prescribing is highly prevalent in older people and is a major healthcare concern because of its association with negative healthcare outcomes including adverse drug events, related morbidity and hospitalization. With changing population demographics resulting in increasing proportions of older people worldwide, improving the quality and safety of prescribing in older people poses a global challenge. To date a number of different strategies have been used to identify potentially inappropriate prescribing in older people. Over the last two decades, a number of criteria have been published to assist prescribers in detecting inappropriate prescribing, the majority of which have been explicit sets of criteria, though some are implicit. The majority of these prescribing indicators pertain to overprescribing and misprescribing, with only a minority focussing on the underprescribing of indicated medicines. Additional interventions to optimize prescribing in older people include comprehensive geriatric assessment, clinical pharmacist review, and education of prescribers as well as computerized prescribing with clinical decision support systems. In this review, we describe the inappropriate prescribing detection tools or criteria most frequently cited in the literature and examine their role in preventing inappropriate prescribing and other related healthcare outcomes. We also discuss other measures commonly used in the detection and prevention of inappropriate prescribing in older people and the evidence supporting their use and their application in everyday clinical practice.

Cask operation and maintenance for spent fuel storage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, J.S. [International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (Austria)

2004-07-01

Interim storage is an essential platform for any option to be chosen later as an endpoint for spent fuel management. In view of such a circumstance, the most imminent service required for the spent fuel management worldwide is to provide adequate storage for the future spent fuel inventory arising either from the continued operation of nuclear power plants or from the removal of spent fuel in preparation for plant decommissioning. While the bulk of the global inventory of spent fuel are still stored in AR pools, dry storage has become a prominent alternative especially for newly built AFR facilities, with more than 17,000 t HM already stored in dry storage facilities worldwide. Storage in cask under inert conditions has become the preferred option, given the advantages including passive cooling features and modular mode of capacity increase. In terms of economics, dry storage is particularly propitious for long-term storage in that operational costs are minimized by the passive cooling features. The trend toward dry storage, especially in cask type, is likely to continue with an implication that and the supply will closely follow the increasing demand for storage by incremental additions of casks to the effect of minimizing cost penalty of the idle capacities typical of pool facilities. A variety of storage systems have been developed to meet specific requirements of different reactor fuels and a large number of designs based on these generic technologies are now available for the spent fuel containers (horizontal, vertical etc) and storage facilities. Multi-purpose technologies (i.e. a single technology for storage, transportation and disposal) have also been studied. Recent concern on security measures for protection of spent fuel has prompted a consideration on the possibility of placing storage facility underground. The future evolution of requirements and technologies will bring important impacts on cask operation and maintenance for spent fuel storage.

Cask operation and maintenance for spent fuel storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, J.S.

2004-01-01

Interim storage is an essential platform for any option to be chosen later as an endpoint for spent fuel management. In view of such a circumstance, the most imminent service required for the spent fuel management worldwide is to provide adequate storage for the future spent fuel inventory arising either from the continued operation of nuclear power plants or from the removal of spent fuel in preparation for plant decommissioning. While the bulk of the global inventory of spent fuel are still stored in AR pools, dry storage has become a prominent alternative especially for newly built AFR facilities, with more than 17,000 t HM already stored in dry storage facilities worldwide. Storage in cask under inert conditions has become the preferred option, given the advantages including passive cooling features and modular mode of capacity increase. In terms of economics, dry storage is particularly propitious for long-term storage in that operational costs are minimized by the passive cooling features. The trend toward dry storage, especially in cask type, is likely to continue with an implication that and the supply will closely follow the increasing demand for storage by incremental additions of casks to the effect of minimizing cost penalty of the idle capacities typical of pool facilities. A variety of storage systems have been developed to meet specific requirements of different reactor fuels and a large number of designs based on these generic technologies are now available for the spent fuel containers (horizontal, vertical etc) and storage facilities. Multi-purpose technologies (i.e. a single technology for storage, transportation and disposal) have also been studied. Recent concern on security measures for protection of spent fuel has prompted a consideration on the possibility of placing storage facility underground. The future evolution of requirements and technologies will bring important impacts on cask operation and maintenance for spent fuel storage

Early Regulatory Engagement for Successful Site Remediation: the UK Experience - 13173

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maitland, R.P.; Senior, D. [Office for Nuclear Regulation, Redgrave Court, Liverpool L20 7HS (United Kingdom)

2013-07-01

The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) is an independent safety, security and transport regulator of the UK nuclear industry. ONR regulates all civil nuclear reactor power stations, fuel manufacture, enrichment, spent fuel reprocessing, most defence sites and installations that store and process legacy spent fuel and radioactive waste. The responsibility for funding and strategic direction of decommissioning and radioactive waste management of state owned legacy sites has rested solely with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) since 2005. A key component of NDA's mandate was to encourage new strategic approaches and innovation to dealing with the UK's waste legacy and which deliver value-for-money to the UK taxpayer. ONR, as an agency of the Health and Safety Executive, is entirely independent of NDA and regulates all prescribed activities on NDA's sites. NDA's competition of site management and closure contracts has attracted significant international interest and the formation of consortia comprised of major British, US, French and Swedish organizations bidding for those contracts. The prominence of US organizations in each of those consortia reflects the scale and breadth of existing waste management and D and D projects in the US. This paper will articulate, in broad terms, the challenges faced by international organizations seeking to employ 'off-the-shelf' technology and D and D techniques, successfully employed elsewhere, into the UK regulatory context. The predominantly 'goal-setting' regulatory framework in the UK does not generally prescribe a minimum standard to which a licensee must adhere. The legal onus on licensees in the UK is to demonstrate, whatever technology is selected, that in its applications, risks are reduced 'So Far As Is Reasonably Practicable' or 'SFAIRP'. By the nature of its role, ONR adopts a conservative approach to regulation; however ONR also recognises that in the

Department of Energy Programmatic Spent Nuclear Fuel Management and Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Programs Draft Environmental Impact Statement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-06-01

The US Department of Energy (DOE) is currently deciding the direction of its environmental restoration and waste management programs at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) for the next 10 years. Pertinent to this decision is establishing policies for the environmentally sensitive and safe transport, storage, and management of spent nuclear fuels. To develop these policies, it is necessary to revisit or examine the available options. As a part of the DOE complex, the Hanford Site not only has a large portion of the nationwide DOE-owned inventory of spent nuclear fuel, but also is a participant in the DOE decision for management and ultimate disposition of spent nuclear fuel. Efforts in this process at Hanford include assessment of several options for stabilizing, transporting, and storing all or portions of DOE-owned spent nuclear fuel at the Hanford Site. Such storage and management of spent nuclear fuel will be in a safe and suitable manner until a final decision is made for ultimate disposition of spent nuclear fuel. Five alternatives involving the Hanford Site are being considered for management of the spent nuclear fuel inventory: (1) the No Action Alternative, (2) the Decentralization Alternative, (3) the 1992/1993 Planning Basis Alternative, (4) the Regionalization Alternative, and (5) the Centralization Alternative. AU alternatives will be carefully designed to avoid environmental degradation and to provide protection to human health and safety at the Hanford Site and surrounding region

Spent Fuel Performance Assessment and Research. Final Report of a Coordinated Research Project on Spent Fuel Performance Assessment and Research (SPAR-III) 2009–2014

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-10-01

At the beginning of 2014, there were 437 nuclear power reactors in operation and 72 reactors under construction. To date, around 370 500 t (HM) (tonnes of heavy metal) of spent fuel have been discharged from reactors, and approximately 253 700 t (HM) are stored at various storage facilities. Although wet storage at reactor sites still dominates, the amount of spent fuel being transferred to dry storage technologies has increased significantly since 2005. For example, around 28% of the total fuel inventory in the United States of America is now in dry storage. Although the licensing for the construction of geological disposal facilities is under way in Finland, France and Sweden, the first facility is not expected to be available until 2025 and for most States with major nuclear programmes not for several decades afterwards. Spent fuel is currently accumulating at around 7000 t (HM) per year worldwide. The net result is that the duration of spent fuel storage has increased beyond what was originally foreseen. In order to demonstrate the safety of both spent fuel and the storage system, a good understanding of the processes that might cause deterioration is required. To address this, the IAEA continued the Coordinated Research Project (CRP) on Spent Fuel Performance Assessment and Research (SPAR-III) in 2009 to evaluate fuel and materials performance under wet and dry storage and to assess the impact of interim storage on associated spent fuel management activities (such as handling and transport). This has been achieved through: evaluating surveillance and monitoring programmes of spent fuel and storage facilities; collecting and exchanging relevant experience of spent fuel storage and the impact on associated spent fuel management activities; facilitating the transfer of knowledge by documenting the technical basis for spent fuel storage; creating synergy among research projects of the participating Member States; and developing the capability to assess the impact

Licensing of spent fuel storage facility including its physical protection in the Czech Republic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fajman, V.; Sedlacek, J.

1992-01-01

The current spent fuel management policies as practised in the Czech Republic are described, and the conception of the fuel cycle back end is outlined. The general principles and the legislative framework are explained of the licensing process concerning spent fuel interim storage facilities, including the environmental impact assessment component. The history is outlined of the licensing process for the spent fuel storage facility at the Dukovany NPP site, including the licensing of the transport and storage cask. The basic requirements placed on the physical safeguarding of the facility and on the licensing process are given. (J.B.). 13 refs

Corrosion of Spent Nuclear Fuel: The Long-Term Assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ewing, Rodney C.

2003-01-01

This research program is a broadly based effort to understand the long-term behavior of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and its alteration products in a geologic repository. We have established by experiments and field studies that natural uraninite, UO2+x, and its alteration products are excellent ''natural analogues'' for the study of the corrosion of UO2 in SNF. This on-going research program has addressed the following major issues: (1) What are the long-term corrosion products of natural UO2+x, uraninite, under oxidizing and reducing conditions? (2) What is the paragenesis or the reaction path for the phases that form during alteration? (3) What is the radionuclide content in the corrosion products as compared with the original UO2+x? Do the trace element contents substantiate models developed to predict radionuclide incorporation into the secondary phases? Are the corrosion products accurately predicted from geochemical codes (e.g., EQ3/6 or Geochemist's Workbench) that are used in performance assessments? Can these codes be tested by studies of natural analogue sites (e.g., Oklo, Cigar Lake or Pena Blanca)

Characterization of Hanford K basin spent nuclear fuel and sludge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lawrence, L.A.

1996-01-01

A characterization plan was prepared to support the Integrated Process Strategy (IPS) for resolution of the safety and environmental concerns associated with the deteriorating Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) stored in the Hanford Site K Basins. This plan provides the structure and logic and identifies the information needs to be supported by the characterization activities. The IPS involves removal of the fuel elements from the storage canister and placing them in a container, i.e., Multiple Canister Overpack (MCO) capable of holding multiple tiers of baskets full of fuel. The MCOs will be vacuum dried to remove free water and shipped to the Container Storage Building (CSB) where they will be staged waiting for hot vacuum conditioning. The MCO will be placed in interim storage in the CSB following conditioning and disposition

Sorption of radionuclides from spent fuel in crystalline rocks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nikula, A.

1982-10-01

The safe disposal of spent nuclear fuel or reprocessed waste is an essential element in the expansion of the nuclear power industry. Stable rock formations e.g. granite are considered to be potential sites for disposal. A major factor in evaluating the degree of safety of the disposal is the sorption of radionuclides in rock, which affects their retardation. The report considers the chemical forms of the hazardous radionuclides of spent nuclear fuel in groundwater and the effects of the water's properties on them. In the groundwater near the Olkiluoto power plant site cesium, strontium and radium are in cationic form, iodine as I - . Technetium would occur as TcO +2 , but the pertechnetate form is also possible. Uranium most probably would be as U(VI) plutonium and neptunium as Np(IV) or Np(V). The valences for thorium, americium and curium are not changed in this groundwater and would be +4, +3 and +3, respectively. The actinides in groundwater are all in hydrated or complex form. An increase on the ionic stregth of the groundwater in most instances causes a decrease in the sorption of nuclides since the ion exchange capacity of the rock is limited. Anionic ligands also decrease sorption of cations by complex formation. In some case, on the other hand, high salt concentrations may cause formation of radiocolloids of lanthanides and neptunium and thus increase sorption. In all cases the degree of sorption described by the distribution ratio Ksub(d) was influenced by the pH of the groundwater. Sorption of cesium and strontium increased with growing pH. The sorption behaviour of actinides was in positive correlation with formation of hydroxide complexes at different pH values. The Ksub(d) values of Cs, Sr, Co, Ni and Am for Olkiluoto granites were found to agree with Swedish values, also determined at ambient atmospheric conditions

Comparison of Prescribed and Measured Dialysate Sodium: A Quality Improvement Project.

Science.gov (United States)

Gul, Ambreen; Miskulin, Dana C; Paine, Susan S; Narsipur, Sriram S; Arbeit, Leonard A; Harford, Antonia M; Weiner, Daniel E; Schrader, Ronald; Horowitz, Bruce L; Zager, Philip G

2016-03-01

There is controversy regarding the optimal dialysate sodium concentration for hemodialysis patients. Dialysate sodium concentrations of 134 to 138 mEq/L may decrease interdialytic weight gain and improve hypertension control, whereas a higher dialysate sodium concentration may offer protection to patients with low serum sodium concentrations and hypotension. We conducted a quality improvement project to explore the hypothesis that prescribed and delivered dialysate sodium concentrations may differ significantly. Cross-sectional quality improvement project. 333 hemodialysis treatments in 4 facilities operated by Dialysis Clinic, Inc. Measure dialysate sodium to assess the relationships of prescribed and measured dialysate sodium concentrations. Magnitude of differences between prescribed and measured dialysate sodium concentrations. Dialysate sodium measured pre- and late dialysis. The least square mean of the difference between prescribed minus measured dialysate sodium concentration was -2.48 (95% CI, -2.87 to -2.10) mEq/L. Clinics with a greater number of different dialysate sodium prescriptions (clinic 1, n=8; clinic 2, n=7) and that mixed dialysate concentrates on site had greater differences between prescribed and measured dialysate sodium concentrations. Overall, 57% of measured dialysate sodium concentrations were within ±2 mEq/L of the prescribed dialysate sodium concentration. Differences were greater at higher prescribed dialysate sodium concentrations. We only studied 4 facilities and dialysate delivery machines from 2 manufacturers. Because clinics using premixed dialysate used the same type of machine, we were unable to independently assess the impact of these factors. Pressures in dialysate delivery loops were not measured. There were significant differences between prescribed and measured dialysate sodium concentrations. This may have beneficial or deleterious effects on clinical outcomes, as well as confound results from studies assessing the

Sensitivity analyses of seismic behavior of spent fuel dry cask storage systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luk, V.K.; Spencer, B.W.; Shaukat, S.K.; Lam, I.P.; Dameron, R.A.

2003-01-01

Sandia National Laboratories is conducting a research project to develop a comprehensive methodology for evaluating the seismic behavior of spent fuel dry cask storage systems (DCSS) for the Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). A typical Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI) consists of arrays of free-standing storage casks resting on concrete pads. In the safety review process of these cask systems, their seismically induced horizontal displacements and angular rotations must be quantified to determine whether casks will overturn or neighboring casks will collide during a seismic event. The ABAQUS/Explicit code is used to analyze three-dimensional coupled finite element models consisting of three submodels, which are a cylindrical cask or a rectangular module, a flexible concrete pad, and an underlying soil foundation. The coupled model includes two sets of contact surfaces between the submodels with prescribed coefficients of friction. The seismic event is described by one vertical and two horizontal components of statistically independent seismic acceleration time histories. A deconvolution procedure is used to adjust the amplitudes and frequency contents of these three-component reference surface motions before applying them simultaneously at the soil foundation base. The research project focused on examining the dynamic and nonlinear seismic behavior of the coupled model of free-standing DCSS including soil-structure interaction effects. This paper presents a subset of analysis results for a series of parametric analyses. Input variables in the parametric analyses include: designs of the cask/module, time histories of the seismic accelerations, coefficients of friction at the cask/pad interface, and material properties of the soil foundation. In subsequent research, the analysis results will be compiled and presented in nomograms to highlight the sensitivity of seismic response of DCSS to

Development of consensus guidance to facilitate service redesign around pharmacist prescribing in UK hospital practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Tonna, Antonella; McCaig, Dorothy; Diack, Lesley; West, Bernice; Stewart, Derek

2014-10-01

The last decade has seen a drive towards non-medical prescribing in the United Kingdom (UK). However, there is a dearth of any published literature on applying the principles of service redesign to support pharmacist prescribing in any sphere of practice. To develop consensus guidance to facilitate service redesign around pharmacist prescribing. UK hospital practice. The Delphi technique was used to measure consensus of a panel of expert opinion holders in Scotland. Individuals with key strategic and operational roles in implementing initiatives of pharmacy practice and medicines management were recruited as experts. An electronic questionnaire consisting of 30 statements related to pharmacist prescribing service redesign was developed. These were presented as five-point Likert scales with illustrative quotes. Consensus, defined as 70 % of panel members agreeing (ranked strongly agree/agree) with each statement. Responses were obtained from 35/40 (87.5 %) experts in round one and 29 (72.5 %) in round two. Consensus in round one was achieved for 27/30 of statements relating to aspects of generic 'service development' (e.g. succession planning, multidisciplinary working, quality evaluation, practice development and outcome measures) and 'pharmacist prescribing role development' (e.g. education and future orientation of service). Issues of disagreement were around targeting of pharmacist prescribing to clinical specialities and financial remuneration for prescribing in the hospital setting. Consensus guidance has been developed to facilitate service redesign around hospital pharmacist prescribing.

Development of a computer program for the cost analysis of spent fuel management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Heui Joo; Lee, Jong Youl; Choi, Jong Won; Cha, Jeong Hun; Whang, Joo Ho

2009-01-01

So far, a substantial amount of spent fuels have been generated from the PWR and CANDU reactors. They are being temporarily stored at the nuclear power plant sites. It is expected that the temporary storage facility will be full of spent fuels by around 2016. The government plans to solve the problem by constructing an interim storage facility soon. The radioactive management act was enacted in 2008 to manage the spent fuels safety in Korea. According to the act, the radioactive waste management fund which will be used for the transportation, interim storage, and the final disposal of spent fuels has been established. The cost for the management of spent fuels is surprisingly high and could include a lot of uncertainty. KAERI and Kyunghee University have developed cost estimation tools to evaluate the cost for a spent fuel management based on an engineering design and calculation. It is not easy to develop a tool for a cost estimation under the situation that the national policy on a spent fuel management has not yet been fixed at all. Thus, the current version of the computer program is based on the current conceptual design of each management system. The main purpose of this paper is to introduce the computer program developed for the cost analysis of a spent fuel management. In order to show the application of the program, a spent fuel management scenario is prepared, and the cost for the scenario is estimated

218-E-8 Borrow Pit Demolition Site closure plan. Revision 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruck, F.R.

1994-01-01

The 218-E-8 Demolition Site was the site of a single demolition event in November of 1984. This demolition event was a form of thermal treatment for discarded explosive chemical products. Because the 218-E-8 Demolition Site will no longer be used for this thermal activity, the site will be closed. Closure will be conducted pursuant to the requirements of the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) ''Dangerous Waste Regulations,'' Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 173-303-610 and 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 270.1. The 218-E-8 Borrow Pit Demolition Site Closure Plan consists of a Hanford Facility Dangerous Waste Part A Permit Application, Form 3, Revision 4, and a closure plan. An explanation of the Part A Form 3, submitted with this closure plan is provided at the beginning of the Part A Section. The closure plan consists of nine chapters and five appendices. This closure plan presents a description of the 218-E-8 Demolition Site, the history of the waste treated, and the approach that will be followed to close the 218-E-8 Demolition Site. Because there were no radioactively contaminated chemicals involved in t he demolitions at the 218-E-8 Borrow Pit site, the information on radionuclides is provided for ''information only.'' Remediation of any radioactive contamination is not within the scope of this closure plan. Only dangerous constituents derived from 218-E-8 Demolition Site operations will be addressed in this closure plan in accordance with WAC 173-303-610(2)(b)(i)

Methods for expanding the capacity of spent fuel storage facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-06-01

At the beginning of 1989 more than 55,000 metric tonnes of heavy metal (MTHM) of spent Light Water Reactor (LWR) and Heavy Water Reactor (HWR) fuel had been discharged worldwide from nuclear power plants. Only a small fraction of this fuel has been reprocessed. The majority of the spent fuel assemblies are currently held at-reactor (AR) or away-from-reactor (AFR) in storage awaiting either chemical processing or final disposal depending on the fuel concept chosen by individual countries. Studies made by NEA and IAEA have projected that annual spent fuel arising will reach about 10,000 t HM in the year 2000 and cumulative arising will be more than 200,000 t HM. Taking into account the large quantity of spent fuel discharged from NPP and that the first demonstrations of the direct disposal of spent fuel or HLW are expected only after the year 2020, long-term storage will be the primary option for management of spent fuel until well into the next century. There are several options to expand storage capacity: (1) to construct new away-from-reactor storage facilities, (2) to transport spent fuel from a full at-reactor pool to another site for storage in a pool that has sufficient space to accommodate it, (3) to expand the capacity of existing AR pools by using compact racks, double-tierce, rod consolidation and by increasing the dimensions of existing pools. The purpose of the meeting was: to exchange new information on the international level on the subject connected with the expansion of storage capacities for spent fuel; to elaborate the state-of-the-art of this problem; to define the most important areas for future activity; on the basis of the above information to give recommendations to potential users for selection and application of the most suitable methods for expanding spent fuel facilities taking into account the relevant country's conditions. Refs, figs and tabs

Review of decommissioning, spent fuel and radwaste management in Slovakia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jamrich, J.

2000-01-01

Two nuclear power plants with two WWER reactors are currently under operation in Jaslovske Bohunice and NPP A-1 is under decommissioning on the same site. At the second nuclear site in the Slovak Republic in Mochovce third nuclear power plant with two units is in operation. In accordance with the basic Slovak legislation (Act on Peaceful Utilisation of Nuclear Energy) defining the responsibilities, roles and authorities for all organisations involved in the decommissioning of nuclear installations Nuclear Regulatory Authority requires submission of conceptual decommissioning plans by the licensee. The term 'decommissioning' is used to describe the set of actions to be taken at the end of the useful life of a facility, in order to retire the facility from service while, simultaneously, ensuring proper protection of the workers, the general public and the environment. This set of activities is in principle comprised of planning and organisation of decommissioning inclusive strategy development, post-operational activities, implementation of decommissioning (physical and radiological characterisation, decontamination, dismantling and demolition, waste and spent fuel management), radiological, aspects, completion of decommissioning as well as ensuring of funding for these activities. Responsibility for nuclear installations decommissioning, radwaste and spent fuel, management in Slovakia is with a subsidiary of Slovak Electric called Nuclear Installations Decommissioning Radwaste and Spent Fuel Management (acronym SE VYZ), established on January 1, 1996. This paper provides description of an approach to planning of the NPP A-1 and NPPs with WWER reactors decommissioning, realisation of treatment, conditioning and disposal of radwaste, as well as spent fuel management in Slovakia. It takes into account that detail papers on all these issues will follow later during this meeting. (author)

Assessment of spent WWER-440 fuel performance under long-term storage conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Takats, F [TS Enercon Kft. (Hungary)

2012-07-01

Paks Nuclear Power Plant is the only NPP in Hungary. It has four WWER-440 type reactor units. The fresh fuel is imported from Russia so far. The spent fuel assemblies were shipped back to Russia until 1997 after about 6 years cooling at the plant. A dry storage facility (MVDS type) has been constructed and is operational since then. By 1 January 2008, there were 5107 assemblies in dry storage. The objectives are: 1) Wet AR storage of spent fuel from the NPP Paks: Measurements of conditions for spent fuel storage in the at-reactor (AR) storage pools of Paks NPP (physical and chemical characteristics of pool water, corrosion product data); Measurements and visual control of storage pool component characteristics; Evaluation of storage characteristics and conditions with respect to long-term stability (corrosion of fuel cladding, construction materials); 2) Dry AFR storage at Paks NPP: Calculation and measurement of spent fuel conditions during the transfer from the storage pool to the modular vault dry storage (MVDS) on the site; Calculation and measurement of spent fuel conditions during the preparation of fuel for dry storage (drying process), such as crud release, activity build-up; Measurement of spent fuel conditions during the long-term dry storage, activity data in the storage tubes and amount of crud.

USA: energy policy and spent fuel and waste management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petroll, M.R.

2001-01-01

The new US administration under President Bush has shifted political weights in the country's energy policy. The policy pursued by the Clinton administration, which had been focused strongly on energy efficiency and environmental protection, will be revoked in a number of points, and the focus instead will now be on economics and continuity of supply, also against the backdrop of the current power supply crisis in California. However, it is more likely that fossil-fired generating capacity will be expanded or added than new nuclear generating capacity. As far as the policy of managing radioactive waste is concerned, no fast and fundamental changes are expected. Low-level waste arising in medicine, research, industry, and nuclear power plants will be stored in a number of shallow ground burial facilities also involving more than one federal state. The Yucca Mountain repository project will be advanced with a higher budget, and WIPP (Waste Isolation Plant) in the state of New Mexico has been in operation since 1998. Plans for the management of spent fuel elements include interim stores called ISFSIs (Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installations) both near and independent of nuclear power sites. Nineteen sites have been licensed, another eighteen are ready to be licensed. In addition, also international spent fuel and nuclear waste management approaches are being discussed in the United States which, inter alia, are meant to offer comprehensive solutions to countries running only a small number of nuclear power plants. (orig.) [de

Transport and storage of spent fuel in Germany - possibilities for more safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brennecke, P.; Fasten, Ch.; Nitsche, F.

2004-01-01

The safe transport of spent fuel from nuclear power plants in Germany is ensured by compliance with the dangerous goods transport regulations of class 7 which are fully consistent with the IAEA Transport Regulations and in parallel with the regulations of the German Atomic Energy Act. The purpose of this paper is to give an overview of this legal basis and the appropriate regulations applicable to spent fuel transport in Germany. Some aspects of the status and the future development of spent fuel shipments are described including experiences since resumption of those shipments in 2001. Furthermore, the status of licensing of on-site interim storage, assessments of an terrorist attack as well as consequences resulting from changes in energy policy are given

Spent Fuel Long Term Interim Storage: The Spanish Policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernandez-Lopez, Javier

2014-01-01

ENRESA is the Spanish organization responsible for long-term management of all categories of radioactive waste and nuclear spent fuel and for decommissioning nuclear installations. It is also in charge of the management of the funds collected from waste producers and electricity consumers. The national policy about radioactive waste management is established at the General Radioactive Waste Plan by the Government upon proposal of the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism. Now the Plan in force is the Sixth Plan approved in 2006. The policy on spent nuclear fuel, after description of the current available options, is set up as a long term interim storage at a Centralized Temporary Storage facility (CTS, or ATC in Spanish acronym) followed by geologic disposal, pending technological development on other options being eligible in the future. After a site selection process launched in 2009, the site for the ATC has been chosen at the end of 2011. The first steps for the implementation of the facility are described in the present paper. (authors)

Estimated risk contribution for dry spent fuel storage cask

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santos, C.; Kirk, M.T.; Abramson, L.; Guttmann, J.; Hackett, E.; Simonen, F.A.

2001-01-01

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is pursuing means to risk-inform its regulations and programs for dry storage of spent nuclear fuel. In pursuit of this objective, the NRC will develop safety goals and probabilistic risk assessments for implementing risk-informed programs. This paper provides one example method for calculating the risk of a dry spent fuel storage cask under normal and accident conditions. The example is on the HI-STORM 100 cask at a proposed site containing four thousand such casks. The paper evaluates the risk to the public by determining the likelihood a welded stainless steel container will leak. In addition, the study addresses the risk at a site where 4,000 casks may be stored until the U.S. Department of Energy accepts the casks for placement in a repository. The methods used employ the PRODIGAL computer code to assess the probability of a faulty weld on a stainless steel-welded canister. These analyses are only the initial stages of a comprehensive risk study that the NRC is performing in support of its regulatory initiatives. (author)

Guidebook on spent fuel storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1984-01-01

The Guidebook summarizes the experience and information in various areas related to spent fuel storage: technological aspects, the transport of spent fuel, economical, regulatory and institutional aspects, international safeguards, evaluation criteria for the selection of a specific spent fuel storage concept, international cooperation on spent fuel storage. The last part of the Guidebook presents specific problems on the spent fuel storage in the United Kingdom, Sweden, USSR, USA, Federal Republic of Germany and Switzerland