Monitoring Dry-Cask Storage Using Thermoelectric Powered Wireless Sensors

This paper describes using thermoelectric generators to power wireless sensors to monitor spent nuclear fuel during dry-cask storage. OrigenArp was used to determine the decay heat of the spent fuel at different times during the service life of the dry-cask. The Engineering Equation Solver program modeled the temperatures inside the spent fuel storage facility during its service life. The temperature distribution in a thermoelectric generator and heat sink was determined using the program Finite Element Heat Transfer. From these temperature distributions the power produced by the thermoelectric generator was determined as a function of the service life of the dry-cask. It was experimentally verified that a thermoelectric generator (HZ-14) with a DC/DC converter (Linear Technology LTC3108EDE) can power a transceiver (EmbedRF) based on the temperatures experienced during the service life of the dry-cask. Additional times beyond the design life of the dry-cask will be tested in order to find out when the transceiver does not have enough power to function. The broadcast period and transmission power level will influence the amount of power required from the thermoelectric generator.