PROJECT RESULTS / Annual Technical Results

Year 2 : ESDRED TECHNICAL RESULTS to January 2006

Module 3 : Heavy Load Emplacement technology for Horizontal Disposal Concepts

Summary :

During the second year of the project the Detailed Design of the 3 Industrial Demonstrators was complete. The manufacturing and Factory Acceptance Test for the KBS-3H Demonstrator (water cushion technology) has been successfully finalized with CNIM at La Seyne-sur-Mer, France. The Sets of Bentonite Rings Emplacement Demonstrator and the Spent Fuel (CU1) Emplacement Demonstrator (both using air cushion technology) are in the “reception of long lead items and assembly” stage with MECACHIMIE at Beaumont-Hague, France.

Work completed :

Definition of “Input Data and Functional Requirements”
Excavation of 2 short horizontal bored tunnels on the 220m level at Äspö; 1.6 m in diameter by 95m and 15m long respectively. (work financed outside of ESDRED)

ESDRED Test Niche on -220m Level

ANDRA’s Prototype: Design, fabrication and testing of a 1/3 scale air cushion emplacement device for 43 ton spent fuel canisters.


Bertin Prototype: slide plate, cradle & 14 tons of weight	Underside of cradle showing 6 air cushions

SKB’s Demonstrator: Detailed design and manufacture of the full scale water cushion deposition equipment for a 45 ton KBS-3H supercontainer.
Manufacture and assembly of a mock-up of SKB’s Super Container.
ANDRA’s SF Demonstrator: Detailed design and manufacture of full scale air cushion deposition equipment for a 43 ton spent fuel canister.


Mecachimie design for SF Emplacement

ANDRA’s EBS Demonstrator Detailed design and manufacture of full scale air cushion deposition equipment for 17 ton prefabricated buffer packages

Mecachimie design for Bentonite Rings Emplacement

Work Underway :

Assembly of the 3 full scale demonstrators noted above

Important Events Planned for 2006 :

Commissioning and testing the 3 full scale demonstrators noted above in a surface workshop.
Initial testing of the SKB demonstrator at the Äspö HRL underground research centre in Sweden