Thermal and stress analysis of hot isostatically pressed, alumina ceramic, nuclear waste containers

The Yucca Mountain Project is studying design and fabrication options for a safe durable container in which to store nuclear waste underground at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The ceramic container discussed here is an alternative to using a metal container. This ceramic alternative would be selected if site conditions prove too corrosive to use metals for nuclear waste storage. Some of the engineering problems addressed in this study were: the stress generated in the alumina container by compressive loads when 4000 to 40,000 psi of external pressure is applied; the thermal stress in the container during the heating and cooling processes; the temperature histories of the container in various production scenarios and the power required for typical heaters; the fastest possible turnaround time to heat, seal, and cool the container commensurate with preserving the structural integrity of the ceramic and the closure; the testing of some commercial heating elements to determine the maximum available heat output; and the trade-offs between the minimization in thermal stress and cycle time for closure. 2 refs., 23 figs., 2 tabs