Study on disposal method of graphite blocks and storage of spent fuel for modular gas-cooled reactor (Joint research)

Sumita, Junya ; Sawa, Kazuhiro; Tsuchie, Yasuo*; Urakami, Masao*; Kunitomi, Kazuhiko 

This report describes the result of study on disposal method of graphite blocks in future block-type reactor. Present study was carried out within a framework of joint research, "Research of Modular High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactors (No. 3)", between Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) and the Japan Atomic Power Company (JAPCO), in 2000. In this study, activities in fuel and reflector graphite blocks were evaluated and were compared with the disposal limits defined as low-level of radioactive waste. As a result, it was found that the activity for only C-14 was higher than disposal limits for the low-level of radioactive waste and that the amount of air in the graphite is important to evaluate precisely of C-14 activity. In addition, spent fuels can be stored in air-cooled condition at least after two years cooling in the storage pool.