| As the United States and other nuclear nations consider alternative fuel cycles and waste disposal options simultaneously, an integrated fuel cycle and generic disposal system analysis tool grows increasingly necessary for informing spent nuclear fuel management policy. The long term performance characteristics of deep geologic disposal concepts are affected by heat and radionuclide release characteristics sensitive to disposal system choices as well as variable spent fuel compositions associated with alternative fuel cycles. Computational tools capable of simulating the dynamic, heterogeneous spent fuel isotopics resulting from alternative nuclear fuel cycles and fuel cycle transition scenarios are, however, lacking in disposal system modeling options. This work has resulted in Cyder, a generic repository software library appropriate for system analysis of potential future fuel cycle deployment scenarios. By emphasizing modularity and speed, Cyder is capable of representing the dominant physics of candidate geologic host media, repository designs, and engineering components. Robust and flexible integration with the Cyclus fuel cycle simulator enables this analysis in the context of fuel cycle options. |
