Evaluation of Codisposal Viability for TH/U Carbide (Fort Saint Vrain HTGR) DOE-Owned Fuel

There are more than 250 forms of US Department of Energy (DOE)-owned spent nuclear fuel (SNF). Due to the variety of the spent nuclear fuel, the National Spent Nuclear Fuel Program has designated nine representative fuel groups for disposal criticality analyses based on fuel matrix, primary fissile isotope, and enrichment. The Fort Saint Vrain reactor (FSVR) SNF has been designated as the representative fuel for the Th/U carbide fuel group. The FSVR SNF consists of small particles (spheres of the order of 0.5-mm diameter) of thorium carbide or thorium and high-enriched uranium carbide mixture, coated with multiple, thin layers of pyrolytic carbon and silicon carbide, which serve as miniature pressure vessels to contain fission products and the U/Th carbide matrix. The coated particles are bound in a carbonized matrix, which forms fuel rods or ''compacts'' that are loaded into large hexagonal graphite prisms. The graphite prisms (or blocks) are the physical forms that are handled in reactor loading and unloading operations, and which will be loaded into the DOE standardized SNF canisters. The results of the analyses performed will be used to develop waste acceptance criteria. The items that are important to criticality control are identified based on the analysis needs and result sensitivities. Prior to acceptance to fuel from the Th/U carbide fuel group for disposal, the important items for the fuel types that are being considered for disposal under the Th/U carbide fuel group must be demonstrated to satisfy the conditions determined in this report