Spent Fuel Cooling
Spent fuel cooling removes decay heat from irradiated assemblies in pools or dry casks to prevent cladding breach.
Wet pools maintain <150°F with 23 ft water cover; boil-off rate ~20°F/hr post-shutdown. Post-Fukushima adds passive cooling and spray. Dry storage after 5-10 years cooling when heat <100 kW/assembly.
Why it matters now
Robust spent fuel cooling supports 2025-2026 high-burnup fuel cycles for SMRs, easing storage for data center expansions.
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