Radiation Physics and Engineering
A peer-reviewed journal published by K. N. Toosi University of Technology

Investigation of required modifications of the manufactured TRR DPC for transport and storage of two-year cooled spent fuel assemblies

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

Behrooz Rokrok
Zohreh Gholamzadeh
Atiyeh Jozvaziri
Ebrahim Abedi

Reactor and Nuclear Safety School‎, ‎Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute‎, ‎Tehran‎, ‎Iran

https://doi.org/10.22034/rpe.2026.558815.1320
Abstract
Dual-purpose cask (DPC) is used for transporting and interim storage of spent fuel assemblies, since such casks are an attractive option due to their flexibility and economy efficiency. In point of economical view, construction of high-capacity DPC is more suitable. The cask could be used to transport the spent fuel assemblies of long cooling time with its full capacity. At emergency situations the same cask potentially could be used to transport the spent fuels with short cooling time using some modifications inside the canister. The present study would investigate the highest capacity of Tehran Research Reactor (TRR) DPC for transport and storage of 2-year cooled spent fuel assemblies. MCNPX2.7.0 computational code was used to calculate the DPC body maximum gamma and neutron dose rates. The obtained results showed that maximum six 2-year cooled SFAs of TRR could be transported by the present DPC. Moreover, filling the empty places of canister with carbon-steel shield blocks, some modifications on the cask door and floor is needed to pass the determined gamma dose rate limit (2 mSv.h-1). By adding 6 cm thick carbon-steel on the DPC door and its bottom the goal is obtained while the modifications increase the cask weight about 1 ton.

Highlights

  • Dual-purpose cask (DPC) is used for transporting and interim storage of spent fuel assemblies.
  • Computational methods help to estimate gamma dose rates before high cost design and constructions.
  • Gamma dose rates should be calculated to optimum the cask shield material thickness.
  • Measurements help to benchmark the carried out simulations.

Keywords

Dry storage
Nuclear spent fuel
Short cooling time
DPC cask
MCNP simulation

Copyright
RPE is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0).

Conflict of Interest
The authors declare no potential conflict of interest regarding the publication of this work‎.

Funding
‎The authors declare that no funds‎, ‎grants‎, ‎or other financial support were received during the preparation of this manuscript‎.

Abedi, E., Gholamzadeh, Z., and Vaziri, A. (2021). Development of mid and Long Term Strategies for TRR Spent Fuels Dry Storage. In International Conference on Radioactive Waste Management: Solutions for a Sustainable Future. Book of Abstracts, number IAEA-CN–294, pages 105–105.
COMSOL (1998). Introduction to comsol multiphysics R?. COMSOL Multiphysics,
Burlington, MA, accessed Feb, 9(2018):32.
Croff, A. G. et al. (1980). User’s manual for the ORIGEN2 computer code. Technical report, Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA).
Droste, B., Wolff, D., Bevilacqua, A., et al. (2020). Methodology for a Safety Case of a Dual Purpose Cask for Storage and Transport of Spent Fuel. In IAEA TECDOC SERIES, pages 1–109. IAEA Publishing Section.
Guide (2018). Regulatory Guide 3.71 (Dry Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel), Issue Date: October 2018. Technical report, Regulatory Guide.
IAEA (2020). IAEA Safety Standards: Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel, No. SSG-15 (Rev. 1). Technical report, SSG-15.
IAEA (2024). IAEA Guidebook on Spent Fuel Storage Options and Systems, 3rd Edition, Technical report No. 240.
Technical report, IAEA. Kook, D., Choi, J., Kim, J., et al. (2013). Review of spent fuel integrity evaluation for dry storage. Nuclear Engineering and Technology, 45(1):115–124.
NRC (2025). Spent Fuel Storage in Pools and Dry Casks – Key Points and Questions, https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ml1209/ML120970230.pdf. Technical report, Spent Fuel Storage in Pools and Dry Casks.
Pelowitz, D. et al. (2008). MCNPX user’s manual version 2.6. LANL, USA.
Sindelar, R., Peacock Jr, H., Iyer, N., et al. (1994). Acceptance criteria for interim dry storage of aluminum-clad fuels. Technical report, Westinghouse Savannah River Co., Aiken, SC (United States).
SRIS (2025). IAEA Spent Fuel and Radioactive Waste Information System (SRIS). Technical report, IAEA.
USNRC (2003). USNRC, Cladding considerations for the transportation and storage of spent fuel. Technical report, ISG-11, Rev. 3.
Vienna (2024). International Conference on Spent Fuel Management, 10-14 June 2024, Vienna, Austria. Technical report, Vienna.
Radiation Physics and Engineering
Volume 7, Issue 2
Spring 2026
Pages 67-75

  • Receive Date 10 November 2025
  • Revise Date 07 January 2026
  • Accept Date 06 May 2026

Home

Submit Manuscript

Reviewers

Contact Us