Calculation researches for the formation of high-level and long-life medium-level radioactive waste of activation origin for the WWER-1200 reactor of Belarusian NPP

Abstract

The study of the issue of constructing a disposal facility for high-activity radioactive waste in the Republic of Belarus is associated with an assessment of the volume of radioactive waste to be deeply disposed of, generated as a result of the activation of structural materials of the VVER-1200 reactor of the Belarusian NPP. This paper presents the results of computational studies of the formation of solid high-level radioactive waste (HLW) and long-lived intermediate level radioactive waste (ILW-LL) during neutron activation of materials adjacent to the core of the VVER-1200 reactor structures of the Belarusian NPP. The assessment of the volumes of HLW and ILW-LL of activation origin, formed over 60 years of operation of the VVER-1200 reactor, was carried out on the basis of computational studies of the induced activity of structural and shielding materials using reactor and Monte Carlo program codes (SERPENT 2, TVS-M, DYN3D, MCU- PD). As a result of the research, it was found that when neutrons activate materials of the sections of the VVER-1200 reactor structures of the Belarusian NPP adjacent to the core (in the steel structures of the baffle, shaft, surfacing, part of the reactor vessel, structures of the protective tube unit (PTU), the space under the core, in heat insulation materials, rods of absorbing elements (Dy2TiO5)) are formed by HLW and ILW-LL with a total weight of 272,5 tons and a volume of 43 m3 . Calculated studies of the activation of dry protection materials, building concrete, support truss and biological protection showed that these structural elements will not belong to either HLW or ILW-LL.