[en] Test facilities at an establishment in Belin-Beliet, France, for packages used to transport radioactive materials are described. The capabilities cover all Type A, Type B and Special Form Material requirements. (author)

[en] The facilities available at the Scalbatraio Laboratory, for testing packages used for the transportation of radioactive materials, are described. (author)

[en] A practical procedure has not been developed and accepted internationally to quantify the leakage of aerosols in tests of radioactive transport flasks. Hence it is necessary to understand and quantify aerosol penetration through model pathways that have leakage rates close to the limits set by standards of flask integrity. The penetration of particles from 0.5 to 15 μm volume equivalent diameter has been measured through critical orifices in the range from 2 to 100 μm at thickness ranging from 12.7 to 509 μm. The present study is a limiting case where a capillary is reduced in length until it becomes an orifice. In reality, leaks across seals will normally take the form of short capillaries. A common correlation has been found in the variation between air leakage rate and particle penetration for both capillaries and orifices, and this relationship has enabled mass-based particle penetration rates to be estimated. (author)

[en] The natural frequencies and collapse strength of radioactive waste transport casks are analyzed by means of finite element method. The calculated casks are those for high, intermediate and low level waste. The natural frequencies are obtained in two cask-positions, vertical and horizontal. The buckling or collapse strength is analyzed under external pressure. MARC is used as a finite element program. Conclusions obtained are as follows. (1) The natural frequencies calculated by the handbook formulas of beams can be considerably higher than those by finite element method in case of bending mode shapes. (2) The vibration modes of the casks for low or intermediate level waste are mainly the deflection of lid and bottom plates, whose natural frequencies can be estimated by the handbook formulas of circular plate. (3) The collapse strength of casks can be obtained by elastic buckling analysis in case of the cask for low level waste with small rigidity, or by non-linear analysis in case of the cask for high or intermediate level waste with large rigidity. (4) The collapse modes in non-linear analysis are same as the first modes in elastic buckling analysis. (author)

[en] The double lid system includes a box lid with an all round lid seal and a barrel lid. The opening of the barrel is also surrounded by a flange type barrel seal, which corresponds to the radial outer area of the lid seal. To smooth out any unevenness on the parts acting together, the radial inner part of the barrel seal covered by the barrel lid edge has a closed annular air cushion of oval cross section. (DG)

[en] The container is conceived for resisting to all stress during operation (in particular fires and shocks). It comprises an internal part containing the radioactive material and an external part composed of a neutron shield and cooling fins. Autofrettage between the two parts is obtained by introduction of the radioactive load. This cask is used for spent fuel element storage and transport

[en] Increasing inventories of spent fuel and decreasing storage capacities at reactors are prompting development of alternative storage technologies. In the United States of America, the Department of Energy is engaged in the development of a geological repository and is committed to begin accepting fuel for permanent storage by 31 January 1998. Until this time, US utilities have assumed the responsibility for handling this material. The storage situation is also recognized in Japan and several utilities are now engaged in the development of alternative storage options. In recognition of these situations, Combustion Engineering, Inc. and Sumitomo Heavy Industries Ltd are engaged in a programme to develop and manufacture a cask capable of safety storing and transporting spent nuclear fuel. The cask is designed in accordance with US 10CFR71 and 10CFR72 criteria and has one of the largest capacities of spent fuel casks, with the ability to hold 24 PWR or 60 BWR spent fuel bundles and remain under the 125 t crane capacity of most power plants. The Dry-Cap spent fuel storage cask consists of a 16.5 ft. (5 m) long by 7.5 ft (2.27 m) diameter thick-walled steel cylinder surrounded by shielding material. Dry-Cap is a relatively simple design, easily manufactured and, unlike other cask designs, requires no external fins for cooling. Dissipation of decay heat is accomplished by natural convection between the fuel and its helium environment and the cask and its surrounding environment. One of the most important features of the Dry-Cap design is that it does not require poison material for criticality control, since the basket design utilizes credit for burnup. Taking credit for the known irradiation heating of discharged fuel, and the fact that it has a low residual reactivity, can simplify and minimize the maintenance and monitoring requirements for long term storage. The Dry-Cap cask is designed to fulfil the long and short term storage needs for utilities. (author)

[en] Various types of targets were compared with respect to their hardness upon a cask-type object. A cylindrically shaped unit was impacted into soil, concrete and rigid targets at velocities ranging from 13 m/s (44 ft/s) to 27 m/s (88 ft/s). Experimental and analytical results were compared to better understand the responses generated by different targets to a projectile. (author)

[en] LEMER's LK 100 transport packages (100 T, 100 KW), have been designed for the transport of 12 irradiated fuel elements between PWR power stations and the regenerating plant. The package is made up of three parts: The main body, equipped with shock absorbing covers which ensure the double containment, the gamma protection and protection against shocks; The fuel basket which ensures criticality safety and thermal transfer; The external equipment, which can be dismounted and is interchangeable, and which ensures the cooling of the external part, the neutronic protection and protection in case of fire. ETS. LEMER has manufactured a series of packages for C.O.G.E.M.A. Conforming with the recommendations of the A.I.E.A., the LK 100 package has obtained B (U) F approval

[en] A series of fire tests have been carried out to test the effectiveness of an intumescent coating in reducing the heat flux into a finned surface. The coating was applied only to the base of the fin cavity so as not to significantly impair heat transfer under normal conditions. When subjected to a fire the intumescent coating swelled up to fill most of the fin cavity and reduced the heat flux into the finned surface by over 50%. (author)