TY - CONF A1 - Musolff, André A1 - Komann, Steffen A1 - Droste, Bernhard A1 - Müller, Karsten A1 - Quercetti, Thomas T1 - Drop test program with a HLW cask model - performance, measurements and results N2 - BAM (Federal Institute for Material Research and Testing) is the competent authority for mechanical and thermal safety assessment of transport packages for spent fuel and high level waste (HLW) in Germany. In context with package design approval of the new German HLW cask CASTOR HAW28M, BAM performed several drop tests with a half-scale model of the CASTOR HAW/TB2. The test model was manufactured by GNS (Gesellschaft fur Nuklear Service mbH) and tested under accident transport conditions on the 200 tons BAM drop test facility at the BAM Test Site Technical Safety. For this comprehensive test program the test specimen CASTOR HAW/TB2 was instrumented at 21 measurement planes with altogether 23 piezo-resistive accelerometers, five temperature sensors and 131 tri-axial strain gauges in the container interior and exterior, respectively. The strains of four representative lid bolts were recorded by four uniaxial strain gauges per each bolt. Helium leakage rate measurements were performed before and after each test in the above noted testing sequence. The paper presents some experimental results of the half-scale CASTOR HAW/TB2 prototype (14,500 kg) and measurement data logging. T2 - 52nd INMM Annual meeting CY - Palm Desert, CA, USA DA - 17.07.2011 KW - Drop test results KW - Spent fuel transport cask KW - Impact limiter KW - Measurement methods KW - Drop test program PY - 2011 SP - 1 EP - 9 AN - OPUS4-24245 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Musolff, André A1 - Quercetti, Thomas A1 - Müller, Karsten A1 - Droste, Bernhard A1 - Komann, Steffen T1 - Drop test program with half scale model CASTOR HAW/TB2 N2 - Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) is the competent authority for mechanical and thermal safety assessment of transport packages for spent fuel and high level waste in Germany. In context with package design approval of the new German high level waste cask CASTOR® HAW28M, BAM performed several drop tests with a half scale model of the CASTOR® HAW/TB2. The cask is manufactured by Gesellschaft für Nuklear Service mbH and was tested under accident transport conditions on the 200 tons BAM drop test facility at the BAM Test Site Technical Safety. For this comprehensive test program, the test specimen CASTOR® HAW/TB2 was instrumented at 21 measurement planes with altogether 23 piezo resistive accelerometers, five temperature sensors and 131 triaxial strain gauges in the container interior and exterior respectively. The strains of four representative lid bolts were recorded by four uniaxial strain gauges per each bolt. Helium leakage rate measurements were performed before and after each test in the above noted testing sequence. The paper presents some experimental results of the half scale CASTOR® HAW/TB2 prototype (14 500 kg) and measurement data logging. It illustrates the extensive instrumentation and analyses that are used by BAM for evaluating the cask performance to the mechanical tests required by regulations. Although some of the quantitative deceleration, velocity and strain values cannot be shown because of confidentially issues, they are provided qualitatively to illustrate the types of measurements and methodologies used at BAM. KW - IAEA drop testing KW - Half scale model KW - Experimental test PY - 2011 DO - https://doi.org/10.1179/1746510911Y.0000000013 SN - 1746-5095 SN - 1746-5109 SN - 0957-476X VL - 22 IS - 3 SP - 154 EP - 160 PB - Ramtrans Publ. CY - Ashford AN - OPUS4-25293 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Weber, Mike A1 - Wille, Frank A1 - Ballheimer, Viktor A1 - Musolff, André T1 - From experiment to appropriate finite element model-safety assessment for ductile cast iron casks demonstrated by means of IAEA puncture drop test N2 - In the approval procedure of transport packages for radioactive materials, the competent authority mechanical and thermal safety assessment is carried out in Germany by BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing. The combination of experimental investigations and numerical calculations in conjunction with materials and components testing is the basis of the safety assessment concept of the BAM. Among other mechanical test scenarios, a 1 metre drop test onto a steel bar has to be considered for the application of the hypothetical accident conditions to Type B packages according to IAEA regulations. Within the approval procedure for the new German package design of the HLW cask CASTOR® HAW 28M, designed by GNS Gesellschaft für Nuklear-Service Germany, a puncture drop test was performed with a half-scale model of the cask at -40°C. For independent assessment and to control the safety analysis presented by the applicant, BAM developed a complex finite element (FE) model for a dynamical ABAQUS/ExplicitTM analysis. This paper describes in detail the use of the FE method for modelling the puncture drop test within an actual assessment strategy. At first, investigations of the behaviour of the steel bar were carried out. Different friction coefficients and the material law of the bar were analysed by using a 'rigid-body' approximation for the cask body. In the next step, a more detailed FE model with a more realistic material definition for the cask body was developed. The validation of calculated strains was carried out by comparison with the results of the strain gauges located at the relevant points of the cask model. The influence of the FE meshing is described. Finally, the validated FE half-scale model was expanded to full-scale dimension. Scaling effects were analysed. The model was used for safety assessment of the package to be approved. KW - IAEA puncture drop test KW - Cylindrical cask KW - Explicit dynamics KW - Scaled model KW - Numerical analysis KW - Validation KW - Safety assessment PY - 2011 DO - https://doi.org/10.1179/1746510911Y.0000000010 SN - 1746-5095 SN - 1746-5109 SN - 0957-476X VL - 22 IS - 3 SP - 148 EP - 153 PB - Ramtrans Publ. CY - Ashford AN - OPUS4-25356 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Droste, Bernhard A1 - Musolff, André A1 - Müller, Karsten A1 - Quercetti, Thomas T1 - Drop and fire testing of spent fuel and HLW transport casks at 'BAM test site technical safety' N2 - BAM, as a competent German government institute for the mechanical and thermal testing of radioactive material transport and storage containers, operates unique drop and fire test facilities for experimental investigations on the open air BAM Test Site Technical Safety. To be able to perform even drop tests with full scale spent fuel or HAW casks (i.e. the German CASTOR cask designs), BAM constructed in 2004 a large drop test facility capable to handle 200 ton test objects, and to drop them onto a steel plate covered unyielding target with a mass of nearly 2600 ton. Drop test campaigns of the 181 ton GNS CONSTOR V/TC, the 129 ton MHI MSF-69BG and a 1:2 scale model of the GNS CASTOR HAW28M (CASTOR HAW/TB2) have been performed since then. The experimental BAM drop testing activities can be supported also by drop testing of smaller packages (up to 2 ton) in an in-house test facility and by dynamic, guided impact testing of package components and material specimen inside a new drop test machine. In May 2008, a new modern fire test facility was put into operation. The facility provides two test stands fired with liquid propane. Testing in every case has to be completed by computational investigations, where BAM operates appropriate finite element modelling on appropriate computer codes, e.g. ABAQUS, LS-DYNA, ANSYS and other analytical tools. KW - Package testing KW - Drop testing KW - Fire testing KW - Regulations PY - 2011 DO - https://doi.org/10.1179/1746510912Y.0000000002 SN - 1746-5095 SN - 1746-5109 SN - 0957-476X VL - 22 IS - 4 SP - 200 EP - 205 PB - Ramtrans Publ. CY - Ashford AN - OPUS4-26691 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Quercetti, Thomas A1 - Musolff, André A1 - Müller, Karsten T1 - Instrumented measurements on radioactive waste disposal containers during experimental drop testing N2 - In context with disposal container safety assessment of containers for radioactive waste the German Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) performed numerous drop tests in the last years. The tests were accompanied by extensive and various measurement techniques especially by instrumented measurements with strain gages and accelerometers. The instrumentation of a specimen is an important tool to evaluate its mechanical behavior during impact. Test results as deceleration-time and strain-time functions constitute a main basis for the validation of assumptions in the safety analysis and for the evaluation of calculations based on finite-element methods. Strain gauges are useful to determine the time dependent magnitude of any deformation and the associated stresses. Accelerometers are widely used for the measuring of motion i.e. speed or the displacement of the rigid cask body, vibration and shock events. In addition high-speed video technique can be used to visualize and analyze the kinematical impact scenario by motion analysis. The paper describes some selected aspects on instrumented measurements and motion analysis in context with low level radioactive waste (LLW) container drop testing T2 - ICEM 2011 - 14th International Conference on environmental remediation and radioactive waste management CY - Reims, France DA - 25.09.2011 KW - Drop test KW - Radioactive KW - Disposal container KW - Instrumented measurements PY - 2011 DO - https://doi.org/10.1115/ICEM2011-59142 SP - 929 EP - 938 AN - OPUS4-27044 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Nakagami, M. A1 - Quercetti, Thomas A1 - Komatsuki, S. A1 - Fujisawa, K. A1 - Nishio, T. A1 - Musolff, André A1 - Müller, Karsten A1 - Droste, Bernhard T1 - Waste container drop tests onto a concrete target N2 - The paper presents technical details of the drop test performance as well as some experimental results of tests carried out with the Japanese 'Yoyushindo-disposal' waste container for intermediate depth disposal. The tests were accompanied by various metrology to collect data as basis for safety assessment. T2 - PATRAM 2010 - 16th International symposium on the packaging and transport of radioactive materials CY - London, UK DA - 2010-10-03 KW - Waste container KW - Drop test KW - Concrete target PY - 2010 SP - 1 EP - 8 (Paper 367) AN - OPUS4-27045 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Quercetti, Thomas A1 - Feldkamp, Martin A1 - Gleim, Tobias A1 - Musolff, André A1 - Werner, Jan A1 - Wille, Frank T1 - Fire Test Stand for Thermal Testing of Large Packages for the Transport of Radioactive Materials N2 - Packages for the transport of high level radioactive materials are designed to withstand severe accidents. These packages must comply with the specific safety requirements SSR 6 [ of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). To guarantee compliance with these requirements, specific mechanical and thermal tests need to be addressed r egard ing the package type. Typically, the r egulations prescribe mechanical tests followed by a thermal test as part of a cumulative test scenario. The thermal test is specified by the exposure of a test specimen for a period of 30 minutes to a thermal environment that provides a heat flux equivalent to that of a hydrocarbon fuel air fire with an av erage fire temperature of at least 800 °C fully flame engulfing the test specimen. The Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) operates various test facilities for this purpose at their Test Site for Technical Safety (near Berlin in Germany). Thermal tests for large packages are conducted in an established fire test stand that may be adapted by the test setup to the geometric boundary conditions of a test specimen. This fire test stand is built for test specimens with masses up to 200,000 kg an d geometric dimensions relating to large transport packages including their impact limiters. The test specimen is usually placed on a water cooled support frame in the middle of the test stand. The fire is realized by burning propane gas which is released in liquid state from an array of gas nozzles arranged in the form of a burner ring surrounding the test specimen. For particularly extra large test specimens, two burner rings are used on top of each other and at different heights to firstly achieve full f ire engulfment with a significantly larger volume of fire and secondly to achieve the required heat output , cf. In advance of a regular thermal test BAM usually performs so called fire reference tests to determine the test conditions for compliance with the IAEA requirements. These tests are performed using a generic package which corresponds to the external geometr ic dimensions of the test specimen used later in the approval test. Then, this reference package is exposed to a fire under defined test parameters whereas the corresponding heat input determined from the temperature changes measured is regarded as main cr iterion for proofing compliance with the IAEA criteria. The paper shows the experimental proof of the suitability of BAM’s fire test stand for thermal testing of extra large packages. The heat input and fire temperatures fully meet the IAEA criteria and can also be set significantly higher for example for extra regulatory testing. T2 - PATRAM 2025 CY - San Antonio, TX, USA DA - 27.07.2025 KW - IAEA Regu-lations KW - Fire Test Stand KW - Accident Scenario KW - Fire Qualification PY - 2025 SP - 1 EP - 10 CY - Institute of Nuclear Materials Management (INMM) AN - OPUS4-63872 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Quercetti, Thomas A1 - Feldkamp, Martin A1 - Gleim, Tobias A1 - Musolff, Andre A1 - Werner, Jan A1 - Wille, Frank T1 - A fire test stand for thermal testing of extra-large packages N2 - Packages for the transport of high-level radioactive materials are designed to withstand severe accidents. These packages must adhere to the specification-based criteria of the International Transport Regulations of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). To ensure compliance with these requirements, specific mechanical and thermal tests need to be addressed with respect to the package type. Typically, the Regulations prescribe mechanical tests followed by a thermal test as part of a cumulative test scenario. The thermal test is specified by the exposure of a test specimen for a period of 30 minutes to a thermal invironment that provides a heat flux equivalent to that of a hydrocarbon fuel-air fire with an average fire temperature of at least 800 °C fully flame engulfing the test specimen. The Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) operates various test facilities for this purpose at their test site (TTS) near Berlin in Germany. Thermal tests for large packages are carried out in an established fire test stand that can be adapted by the test-setup to the geometric boundary conditions of a test specimen. This fire test stand is built for test specimens with masses up to 200,000 kg and geometric dimensions relating to large transport packages including their impact limiters. The test specimen is usually placed on a water-cooled support frame in the middle of the test-stand. The fire is realized by burning propane gas which is released in liquid state from an array of gas nozzles arranged in the form of a burner ring surrounding the test specimen. For particularly extra-large test specimens, two burner rings are used on top of each other and at different heights in order to firstly achieve full fire engulfment with a significantly larger volume of fire and secondly to achieve the required heat output. In advance of a regular thermal test BAM usually performs so-called fire reference tests to determine the test conditions for compliance with the IAEA requirements. These tests are performed using a generic package which corresponds to the external geometric dimensions of the test specimen used later in the approval test. Then, this reference package is exposed to a fire under defined test parameters whereas the corresponding heat input determined from the temperature changes measured is regarded as main criterion for proofing compliance with the IAEA criteria.The paper shows the experimental proof of the suitability of BAM’s fire test stand for thermal testing of extra-large packages. The heat input and fire temperatures fully meet the IAEA criteria but can also be set significantly higher for e.g. extra-regulatory testing. T2 - ASME PVP 2025 CY - Montreal, Quebec, Kanada DA - 20.07.2025 KW - Test stand KW - Thermal testing KW - Package KW - Fire PY - 2025 SP - 1 EP - 6 AN - OPUS4-63892 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Musolff, André A1 - Müller, Karsten A1 - Neumann, Martin A1 - Kadji, Arsène Brice A1 - Droste, Bernhard T1 - Drop Test Results of the Full-scale CONSTOR V/TC Prototype T2 - PATRAM 2007, 15th International Symposium on the Packaging and Transportation of Radioactive Materials CY - Miami, Florida, USA DA - 2007-10-21 PY - 2007 IS - Abstract #65 SP - 1 EP - 7 PB - Institute of Nuclear Materials Management AN - OPUS4-17838 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Musolff, André A1 - Müller, Karsten A1 - Neumann, Martin A1 - Kadji, Arsène Brice A1 - Droste, Bernhard T1 - Results of full scale CONSTOR® V/TC prototype 9 m horizontal drop test KW - Drop testing KW - Impact limiter KW - Finite element method KW - Full scale cast PY - 2008 DO - https://doi.org/10.1179/174651008X382951 SN - 1746-5095 SN - 1746-5109 SN - 0957-476X VL - 19 IS - 4 SP - 228 EP - 232 PB - Ramtrans Publ. CY - Ashford AN - OPUS4-18625 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Qiao, Linan A1 - Zencker, Uwe A1 - Völzke, Holger A1 - Wille, Frank A1 - Musolff, André ED - Topping, B.H.V. T1 - Validation of numerical simulation models for transport and storage casks using drop test results N2 - The safety assessment of new designs for transport and storage casks for radioactive materials is a challenging task accomplished using different methods such as prototype tests, model tests, calculations and analogy reflections. At BAM (Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing), the test procedures for the mechanical IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) test conditions often start with preliminary finite element (FE) calculations mostly with a small-scale cask model for verification of the proposed test cask instrumentation and test plan. On that basis the extensive test cask instrumentation is applied and checked. After that, a series of drop tests consisting of different test sequences is performed. Following the drop tests, numerical post-analyses are carried out. These analyses offer the possibility of a detailed calculation and assessment of stresses and strains in the entire test cask construction. The calculation results have to be carefully compared with the measurement data over the impact history to find out all relevant parameters for a realistic simulation of the impact scenario. The desired ideal boundary test conditions often cannot be met exactly during the drop tests. Therefore, the numerical post-analyses are carried out by using the real boundary conditions of the drop tests. The objective is to find a validated model, where the results of the numerical simulations satisfactorily meet the experimental results. Under test conditions according to the IAEA transport regulations, casks are usually equipped with impact limiters and dropped onto a so-called unyielding target. In general, it is difficult to verify a complex FE model by using results from only one drop test because of the complex impact process and the complex structure of such packages. After each drop test, numerical post-analyses should be carried out. Only if all drop tests were simulated successfully by using the same FE model under different test conditions, it is possible to obtain a validated numerical model for further investigations. In this case the results of the numerical simulations meet satisfactorily the experimental results. In this paper a study is presented, where the influence of different components on the cask loading is investigated systematically. T2 - 11th International conference on computational structures technology CY - Dubrovnik, Croatia DA - 04.09.2012 KW - Impact KW - Simulation KW - Cask KW - Dop test KW - Finite element model KW - Validation KW - Dynamics KW - Transport and storage cask PY - 2012 DO - https://doi.org/10.4203/ccp.99.273 SN - 1759-3433 IS - Paper 273 SP - 1 EP - 12 PB - Civil Comp Press AN - OPUS4-26537 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Musolff, Andre T1 - Analysis of RAM Packages Drop Testing under Kinematic Aspects N2 - BAM is the German Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing and the competent authority for mechanical and thermal safety assessment of transport packages for spent fuel and high level waste. In context with safety assessment of RAM packages BAM performed numerous drop tests in the last decades. The tests were mostly accompanied by extensive and various measurement techniques especially by instrumented measurements with strain gages and accelerometers. The procedure of drop testing and the resulting measurement analysis are the main methods to evaluate the safety against mechanical test conditions. Measurement techniques are dedicated to answer questions in regard to the structural integrity of a RAM package, the mechanical behaviour of the prototype as well as of its content under impact conditions. Test results like deceleration-time functions constitute a main basis for the validation of assumptions in the safety analysis and for the evaluation of numerical calculations. In this context the adequate selection of accelerometers and measurement systems for the performance of drop tests is important. Therefore it is not only necessary to find suitable positions for the accelerometers at the test specimens, but also to consider technical boundary conditions as e.g. temperature. Accelerometers are widely used for the measuring of motion i.e. velocity or the displacement of the rigid cask body, vibration and shock events. Acceleration measurements as well as their analysis are often very complex and extensive also because they are in turn embedded in complex drop test experiments having to consider difficult boundary conditions as for example very low specimen temperatures, large drop heights and sophisticated drop orientations of the specimen. In every case special instruments and adequate technical equipment is required to accelerations under these and transient shock conditions which are characterized in our case by impact times in the range of a few milliseconds up to perhaps 100 Milliseconds naturally depending on container design and drop test conditions as drop height and target. The paper gives an overview of drop tests under kinematic aspects performed with RAM packages. Furthermore, experimental advancements of accelerometer instrumentation within drop testing, e.g. the characteristics and possibilities of accelerometers, behavior of accelerometers and various influence factors are shown. T2 - International High-Level Radioactive Waste Management 2019 (IHLRWM 2019) CY - Knoxville, TN, USA DA - 14.04.2019 KW - Accelerometer KW - Radioactive KW - Packages KW - Drop test KW - Kineatic aspects KW - Measurement PY - 2019 AN - OPUS4-48039 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -