Development and Application of High Temperature and Radiation Protection Equipment for Spent Fuel Dry Storage System

Based on the safety analysis, the risk of high temperature and radiation are found in the local operation during the automatic welding and vacuum drying of typical spent fuel dry storage system. To enhance the operational safety, a high temperature and radiation protection equipment has been developed through the structural design and numerical analysis and has been applied in demonstration project in China. It is proved by the local monitoring data that in the case of loading spent fuels with a total heat rate of 26kW, with the help of the protection equipment, the highest temperature of the operational area is 60% lower than the case without the equipment in the same environmental conditions. The dose rate in the area can also be 60% lower. The equipment is proved to be of significant help to ensure the safety of operators in high temperature and radiation environments, during both normal operation and equipment failure conditions.