System performance, assessment

A second major public concern is over nuclear wastes. Most experts believe that it is possible to dispose of these in a manner that poses little threat to the environment and human health, given the small volume of the spent fuel, the decay with time of the radionuclides, and the potential effectiveness of engineered and natural barriers. The success that is likely to be achieved is examined through Total System Performance Assessments (TSPA) (see, e.g, OCWRM, 1998). 

OCWRM, 1998. Viabilily Assessment of a Repository at YuccaMountain, Volume 3 Total System Performance Assessment, DOE/RW-0508/V3, U.S. Department of Energy, Office ofCivilian Radioactive Waste Management, North Las Vegas. 

Budnitz, B., Ewing, R. C., Moeller, D. W., Payer, J., Whipple, C. Witherspoon, P. A. 1999. Peer-Review of the Total System Performance Assessment-Viability Assessment Final Report. Total System Performance Assessment Peer Review Panel, Las Vegas, Nevada. 

WILSON, M.L., BARNARD, R.W., GAUTHIER, J.H., BARR, G.E., DOCKERY, H.A., DUNN, E., EATON, R.R., GUERIN, D.C., LU, N., MARTINEZ, M.J., NILSON, R., RAUTMAN, C.A., ROBEY, T.H., ROSS, B., RYDER, E.E., SCHENKER, A.R., SHANNON, S.A., SKINNER, L.H., HALSEY, W.G., GANSEMER, J., LEWIS, L.C., LAMONT, A.D., TRIAY, I.R., MEIJER, A. and MORRIS, D.E. (1994). Total-System Performance Assessment for Yucca Mountain SNL Second Iteration (TSPA-1993). Executive Summary, Sandia National Laboratories Report SAND 93-2675 (National Technical Information Service, Springfield, Virginia). 

Wilson M. L., Swift P. N., McNeish J. A., and Sevougian S. D. (2002) Total-system performance assessment for the Yucca Mountain Site. In Scientific Basis for Nuclear Waste Manage. XXV (eds. B. P. McGrail and G. A. Cragnolino). Materials Research Society, vol. 713, pp. 53-164. 

Andrews, R. A. et al. 1995. Total system performance assessment-J 995 An evaluation of the potential Yucca Mountain repository. Las Vegas, NV Civilian Radioactive Waste Management System Management and Operating Contractor. 

J Schaefer and A Cinar. Multivariable MPC system performance assessment, monitoring, and diagnosis. J. Process Control, 14(2) 113-129, 2004. 

Total System Performance Assessment - the Yucca Mountain... 

The performance of a geological repository for nuclear waste is influenced by many processes. Determination of whether the total system will comply with regulatory requirements necessitates consideration of all components of the systems and the effects of linking all the components together. This linkage is important because it allows each component to be viewed in the context of the behavior of the entire system. Hence, the concept and methodology of Total System Performance Assessment (TSPA) is widely used in nuclear waste disposal (Figure 2.2). 

Figure 2.2. Schematic representation of the concept of total system performance assessment at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, USA. Source US Department of Energy Yucca Mountain Project web site (www.ymp.gov).

TRW (Environmental Safety Systems Inc.), 1999. Total System Performance Assessment-Site Recommendation Methods and Assumptions. TDR-MGR-MD-000001 REV 00ICN 01. Available on the web site www.ymp.gov as of September 12,2001. 

Despite the secondary role of waste forms, as determined by total system performance assessments of nuclear waste repositories, there are logical and compelling reasons for emphasizing the importance of the material properties of the waste form (Ewing 1992) ... 

Total System Performance Assessment for Yucca Mountain - SNL Second Iteration (TSPA-1993) SAND 93-2675, Sandia National Laboratory, Albuquerque, NM, April 1994. 

Role of Total System Performance Assessment in High-Level Nuclear Waste Management... 

Fig. 10-2. The Total System Performance Assessment pyramid representing the technical basis for the abstraction process (from Civilian Radioactive Waste Management System, Management, and Operating Contractor, 2(MK)a).

Overview of the Role of Radionuclide Sorption in the Yucca Mountain Total System Performance Assessments... 

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