STORAGE: A Source Term Model for Intermediate-Level Radioactive Waste

The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission and Orano have developed a modeling tool named the Simulation TOol Of RAdiolysis Gas Emission (STORAGE) for assessing gas generation of intermediate-level waste (ILW). The first version of this model was designed to estimate gas (more specifically hydrogen) production by radiolysis of organic and water-containing materials.

The code deals with different types of waste packages: metal drums, concrete drums, bitumen packages, and compacted waste containers. Diverse radioactive waste can be handled: spent fuel cladding, reprocessing sludge, contaminated technological waste (gloves, bags, bottles, etc.), ion exchange resin, etc.

The validity of the model was evaluated using a series of measurements performed on U,Pu–contaminated solid waste from the Orano plutonium laboratories at the MELOX facility. A benchmark study for compacted waste containers was also implemented; the results of STORAGE were compared with reference calculations performed by Orano Projets.

Future improvements of the STORAGE model are also presented.