Preparation of LWBR [Light Water Breeder Reactor] spent fuel for shipment to ICPP [Idaho Chemical Processing Plant] for long term storage (LWBR Development Program)

After successfully operating for 29,047 effective full power hours, the Light Water Breeder Reactor (LWBR) core was defueled prior to total decommissioning of the Shippingport facility. All nuclear fuel and much of the reactor internal hardware was removed from the reactor vessel. Non-fuel components were prepared for shipment to disposal sites, and the fuel assemblies were partially disassembled and shipped to the Expended Core Facility (ECF) in Idaho. At ECF, the fuel modules underwent further disassembly to provide fuel rods for nondestructive testing to establish the core's breeding efficiency and to provide core components for examinations to assess their performance characteristics. This report presents a basic description of the processes and equipment used to prepare and to ship all LWBR nuclear fuel to the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant (ICPP) for long-term storage. Preparation processes included the underwater loading of LWBR fuel into storage liners, the sealing, dewatering and drying of the storage liners, and the final pressurization of the storage liners with inert neon gas. Shipping operations included the underwater installation of the fuel loaded storage liner into the Peach Bottom shipping cask, cask removal from the waterpit, cask preparations for shipping, and cask shipment by tractor trailer to the ICPP facility for long-term storage. The ICPP facility preparations for LWBR fuel storage and the ICPP process for discharge of the fuel into underground silos are presented. 10 refs., 42 figs