Buckling analysis of spent fuel basket

The basket for a spent fuel shipping cask is subjected to compressive stresses that may cause global instability of the basket assemblies or local buckling of the individual members. Adopting the common buckling design practice in which the stability capacity of the entire structure is based on the performance of the individual members of the assemblies, the typical spent fuel basket, which is composed of plates and tubular structural members, can be idealized as an assemblage of columns, beam-columns and plates. This report presents the flexural buckling formulas for five load cases that are common in the basket buckling analysis: column under axial loads, column under axial and bending loads, plate under uniaxial loads, plate under biaxial loadings, and plate under biaxial loads and lateral pressure. The acceptance criteria from the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code are used to determine the adequacy of the basket components. Special acceptance criteria are proposed to address the unique material characteristics of austenitic stainless steel, a material which is frequently used in the basket assemblies