Document: NUREG-0800
Document ID: a41f4aae-e975-45f3-aebc-5519bec72c6e
Document Type: srp
Title: CRITICALITY SAFETY OF FRESH AND SPENT FUEL STORAGE AND HANDLING
Source: NUREG-0800
Source URL: https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML0705/ML070570006.pdf
Revision Date: 2023-06
Chapter: 9
Section ID: 9.1.1
CFR Part: 
CFR Title: 

Content:
10 CFR Part 50, the procedures below are used during the construction permit application review to confirm that the design criteria and bases and the preliminary design meet the acceptance criteria in Subsection II. For the review of the operating license application, the staff will use the review procedures and acceptance criteria to verify that the final design appropriately implements the initial design criteria and bases. The operating license review includes verification that the content and intent of the technical specifications prepared by the applicant are in agreement with the requirements for system testing, minimum performance, and surveillance developed as a result of the staff’s review. 1. The reviewer evaluates the information in the safety analysis report (SAR) pertaining to criticality safety of the fresh and spent fuel storage facilities. The staff reviews the facility design criteria, safety evaluation, system description, and layout drawings for the storage vault and racks to verify the following: A. Criticality information (including associated assumptions and input parameters) in the SAR should show that the spacing between fuel assemblies in the fresh fuel storage racks is sufficient to maintain the array when fully loaded and flooded with potential moderators (e.g., high-pressure water spray) in a subcritical condition (i.e., K(eff) of less than 0.95). Furthermore, the design of the new fuel storage racks will be such that the K(eff) will not exceed 0.98 if fuel of the highest anticipated reactivity is in place, assuming optimum moderation. Credit may be taken for neutron-absorbing materials. B. For dry fresh fuel storage racks, provisions have been made for drainage of the fresh fuel storage vault to prevent the accumulation of a fluid moderator. C. For boiling-water reactor pools or for pressurized-water reactor (PWR) pools where no credit for soluble boron is taken, criticality information (including associated assumptions and input