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Storage Capacity for Fissile Material as a Function of Facility Size

C. L. Schuske, S. J. Altschuler

Nuclear Technology / Volume 20 / Number 3 / December 1973 / Pages 179-189

Technical Paper / Chemical Processing / dx.doi.org/10.13182/NT73-A31356

A model has been developed which relates the surface density (liter/ft2, kg/ft2) for enriched uranium and plutonium in a storage facility with its physical size. Calculations indicate that the allowable surface density for a small storage facility can be significantly increased over that for a large facility. A much higher total loading can be achieved for a given floor area by grouping several small adjacent storage rooms, each separated by a 1-ft-thick concrete wall, into a larger structure. This type of approach would need to be weighed against the added cost of 12-in.-thick interior concrete walls necessary to provide neutron isolation between adjacent rooms for a practical plant design.