A new shielding analysis method for used fuel transport and storage casks

Abstract

To provide a cask with the largest possible loading capacity of spent fuel assemblies with the largest practicable burnup and shortest cooling time within all safety requirements, AREVA TN has adapted its design process and developed a more elaborated shielding analysis method. Taking advantage of the potential heterogeneities between sources of fuel assemblies to be loaded, and the self-shielding of assemblies loaded at the basket centre by the assemblies loaded at the basket periphery, the result of this method is expressed under the shape of a linear inequalities system allowing to optimize the cask capacity and performance.