Thermal analyses of spent nuclear fuel repository

This report contains the temperature dimensioning of the KBS-3V type 1- or 2-panel repository based on the rock properties measured from the Olkiluoto investigations. The report describes first the development of a calculation methodology for the thermal analysis of a repository for nuclear fuel. The disposed canisters produce residual heat due to decay (or disintegration) of radioactive products. The decay heat is conducted to surrounding rock mass. The methods were applied to determine the effect of different parameters on the highest canister temperature and to support the planning, dimensioning and operation of the repository. The thermal diffusivity of the rock is low and the heat released from the canisters is spread into the surrounding rock volume quite slowly causing thermal gradient in the rock close to canisters and the canister temperature is increased remarkably. The maximum temperature on the canister surface is limited to the design temperature of +100 deg C. However, due to uncertainties in thermal analysis parameters (like scattering in rock conductivity) the allowable calculated maximum canister temperature is set to 90 deg C causing a safety margin of 10 deg C. The allowable temperature is controlled by the spacing between adjacent canisters, adjacent tunnels and the distance between separate panels of the repository and the pre-cooling time affecting power of the canisters. Because of the fact that the disposal operation takes several decades, the moment of disposal of an individual canister in addition to the location has an influence on the maximum temperature in the canister. Also, a second disposal panel in the repository has a thermal interaction with the other panel. This interaction is expressed after a few decades at the strongest. It became apparent that the temperature of canister surfaces can be determined by analytic line heat source model much more efficiently than by numerical analysis, if the analytic model is first verified and calibrated by numerical analysis. Superposing single line heat sources the evolution of the temperature field of the repository can be determined efficiently. Efficient visualisation programmes were used for showing the results. Visualisation is an important element in assuring the reliability of the calculation process. (orig.)