Heat removal verification tests using concrete casks under normal condition

Abstract Heat removal tests using two types of full-scale concrete casks were conducted. This paper describes the results under a normal condition of spent fuel storage. In the tests, data on heat removal performance and integrity of cask components were obtained for different storage periods. The change of decay heat of spent fuel was simulated using electric heaters. Reinforced concrete cask (RC cask) and concrete filled steel cask (CFS cask) were the specimen casks. Decay heat at the initial period of storage 60 years of storage, the middle period (20 years of storage), and the final period (40 years of storage) correspond to 22.6 kW, 16 kW and 10 kW, respectively. Quantitative temperature data of the cask components were obtained as compared with their limit temperature. In addition, heat balance data requested for heat removal analyses were obtained.