Process and machinery description of equipment for deposition of canisters in medium-long deposition holes

In this report twelve methods are presented to deposit a canister with spent nuclear fuel in a horizontal hole, several canisters per hole (MLH). These methods are part of the KBS-3 system. They have been developed successively, after an analysis of weak points and strong points in previously described methods. In conformance with the guidelines for Project JADE, a choices of system has been considered during the development work. This is whether canister and bentonite buffer should be deposited 'in parts', i.e. at different occasions, but shortly after each other or 'in a package', i.e. together in a single package. The other choice in the guidelines for the JADE project, whether the canister should be placed in a radiation shield or not during transport in the secondary tunnels, was not relevant to MLR. The basic technical problem is depositing heavy objects, the canister and the buffer components, in an horizontal hole which is approximately 200 m deep. Two methods for depositing of the bentonite barrier and the canisters in separate processes have been studied. For depositing of the bentonite barrier and the canister 'in a package', four alternative techniques have been studied: a metallic sleeve around the package, a loading scoop that is rotated, a fork carriage and rails. The repeated transports in a hole, a consequence of depositing several canisters in the same hole, could lead to the rock being crushed. The mutual impact of machines, load and rock wall has therefore been particularly considered. In several methods, the use of a gangway has been proposed (steel plates or layer of ice). A failure mode and effect analysis has been performed for one of the twelve methods. When comparing with a method to deposit one canister per hole using the same technique, the need for equipment and resources is far larger for this MLH method if incidents should occur during depositing. The development work reported here has not yet yielded a definitive method for placing canisters in horizontal holes. It is recommended that in the continued work: Canister and bentonite buffer are deposited in a hole at the same time, as a package. Methods leading to minimal movement in the hole are preferred. Methods that in AAF-Industriteknik's assessment could be developed are those using a metallic sleeve gliding on a gangway in the hole. The sleeve is reused. As a second method one could develop a method using a loading laddle.