Criteria for the extended wet storage of research and test reactor spent fuel

Research and test reactors around the world are currently returning spent fuel, originally enriched in the United States, back to the U. S. Fuel discharged from the reactors after May 2006 and not removed from their basins by 2009 will not be eligible for return. Reactor operators will have to find national or regional solutions for continued storage, if they want to continue operations of their research reactors. For research reactors with fuel enriched in the former Soviet Union and other countries, some of their spent fuel facilities are filled to near capacity. This paper reviews the highlights of the wet basin studies on aluminum-clad spent fuel conducted at the Savannah River Site (SRS) since 1992. Criteria are presented for the corrosion protection of this fuel in extended water storage based on an understanding of the important factors affecting the corrosion of aluminum-clad spent fuel. With optimum water quality, aluminum-clad spent fuel can be stored in interim storage safely and with minimum corrosion for extended time periods.