Case Study: Sogin achieves energy-efficient, corrosion-preventing dehumidification for nuclear waste storage with COMSOL Multiphysics

Sogin - Customer Case Study

Sogin, the Italian state-owned company responsible for decommissioning nuclear sites and managing radioactive waste, needed to prevent corrosion in non‑stainless steel drums stored in a 30 × 15 m temporary facility where relative humidity must be kept at 65% or lower for up to 25 years. Conventional HVAC would be expensive, space‑consuming, and prone to downtime, so Sogin used Comsol’s COMSOL Multiphysics with the Heat Transfer Module to assess energy‑efficient alternatives.

Comsol performed 3D, coupled CFD and heat‑and‑moisture transfer simulations (including a k‑epsilon turbulence model) to test dehumidifier types, sizes, and placements; the results produced an optimal layout using two industrial isothermal dehumidifiers instead of four, minimizing stagnant air, meeting the ≤65% RH requirement, and reducing equipment, space and operating‑cost burdens while lowering the long‑term risk of drum corrosion.

Sogin

Gianluca Barbella

Structural Engineer