TY - CONF A1 - Gleim, Tobias A1 - Neumann, Martin A1 - Linnemann, Konrad A1 - Komann, Steffen A1 - Wille, Frank T1 - Fracture Mechanical Analyses of a Welding Seam of a Thick-Walled Transport Package N2 - Transport packages shall satisfy various safety criteria regarding mechanical, thermal and radiation phenomena. Typical requirements focusing mechanical aspects are usually drop tests in accordance with IAEA regulations. The drop tests are usually carried out experimentally and, as an additional measure, finite element analyses (FEA) are performed. A specific part of the investigations presented is the evaluation of the welding seam connecting cask shell and cask bottom. Experimental results and FEA are presented and compared. The evaluation of the welding seam performed includes a variety of aspects. In addition to the experimental and analytical stresses determined, different standards are used to investigate a possible crack initiation. Several destructive and non-destructive tests are performed for quality assurance in the manufacturing process as well as for different input parameters. The necessary monitoring and non-destructive measurement methods to define the boundary conditions of the standards are introduced. Taking into account all required parameters, the welding seam is examined and evaluated using the failure assessment diagrams (FAD) of the respective standards. It can be shown under the given boundary conditions that considering the experimental data, the welding seam is in the context of crack initiation below the enveloping curve in the acceptable region. More critical drop tests to be conducted are proposed and need to be investigated in future work. T2 - Pressure Vessels & Piping Conference® 2022 CY - Las Vegas, NV, USA DA - 17.07.2022 KW - Transport package KW - Drop test KW - Fracture initiation PY - 2022 SP - 1 EP - 9 AN - OPUS4-55375 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Gleim, Tobias ED - Monavari, Mehran ED - Bertovic, Marija ED - Wille, Frank T1 - AI-Based Documentation Analysis for Safety Assessment of Packages for Radioactive Material N2 - The transportation of radioactive material requires, dependent on type and quantity of the radioactive material, a regulatory approval based on the package type. Safety assessments shall be conducted in compliance with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regulations and documented in a comprehensive package design safety report to obtain approval from authority. This comprehensive safety report evaluates a broad range of requirements from the regulations, including mechanical, thermal, shielding, criticality and transport requirements and controls, and testing assessments. Additionally, it encompasses supporting documents such as specifications, inspections, certifications, drawings, and guidelines in a variety of complex documents. Safety and manufacturing reports contain multiple interconnected sub-reports covering various topics. Changes, such as component modifications, material property updates, or regulatory revisions, often impact multiple sections of the safety analysis reports, making even minor adjustments complex and time-consuming. Each transport package has unique requirements to be fulfilled, making every safety report distinct, despite following the same regulatory framework. Most documentation exists in standard digital formats but is often not machine interpretable, preventing automated analysis of the critical dependencies between them. This paper argues that moving beyond simple digitization towards structured knowledge representation is essential for addressing these challenges. We propose a multi-stage approach, beginning with foundational AI technologies such as Large Language Models (LLMs) and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), and progressing toward the construction of Knowledge Graphs (KGs). KGs convert unstructured and semi-structured information into a connected, queryable network, enabling precise tracing and visualization of complex interdependencies within the documentation landscape. By linking interpretable content directly to datasheets, tables, simulations, experimental results, standards, and regulations, such a system would automatically identify changes and interdependencies. Related conditions could be validated using AI-based tools, reducing the need for manual intervention, improving both efficiency and safety. Human error plays a significant role in drafting, reviewing, and revising safety reports, often requiring iterative review cycles and multiple reviewers before approval. A digital quality infrastructure could reduce iterations and further improve efficiency. Integrating AI into this process could optimize safety assessments and enhance their robustness by leveraging interpretability to enhance safety. This preliminary study explores the readiness and requirements for using intelligent documentation analysis system in the context of regulatory compliance for package safety for the transport of radioactive material. By analysing current documentation workflows, we identify how LLM-based tools can interpret complex safety reports and highlight critical interdependencies and then demonstrate why a KG-based architecture is necessary to robustly manage and query critical interdependencies. This lays the groundwork for future agentic AI systems capable of proactively supporting the safety assessment lifecycle, while stressing the importance of robust data governance and AI reliability in this highly regulated context. T2 - PATRAM 2025 CY - San Antonio, TX, USA DA - 27.07.2025 KW - AI, RAG, LLM, Knowledge Graph PY - 2025 SP - 1 EP - 10 PB - Institute of Nuclear Materials Management (INMM) AN - OPUS4-63863 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Naster, Maximilian A1 - Gleim, Tobias A1 - Wille, Frank T1 - Experimental and numerical analyses of hydrogen flames for the thermal testing of transport packages for radioactive material N2 - In this paper we present an update of the hydrogen based test rig for an ongoing feasibility study of using hydrogen as an energy source for the thermal testing of transport packages containing radioactive materials [ The test rig is capable of combusting hydrogen for a wide range of different burner geometries, mass flows , hydrogen blends and single jet flame operation s as well as a full array of burners for thermal testing can be set up. As this type of fire test according to the IAEA boundary conditions does not yet exist, a large number of preliminary investigations, safety assessments and simulations must be carried out in order to develop a viable concept for hydrogen fires. In a first step of the feasibility study, the temperature , structure, and radiative behavior of hydrogen jet flames must be surveyed. The simulation with a single hydrogen flame was investigated in a previous work. In the next step the results are used to study the interaction and structural behavior of multiple jet flames in proximity with varying nozzle distances. With the test rig completed, it will be possible in future works to design burner frames suitable for fire reference tests to make comparisons with pool and propane fires used in assessment procedure today. Thus, preliminary comparative numerical simulations are conducted to model the behavior of overlapping hydrogen jet flames using the software package Ansys®. This paper gives an overview on the current state and design of the test rig. Furthermore, the results of the simulations show that nozzle geometry, mas s flow and nozzle distance provide significant design margin for designing a test fire capable of fully engulfing a specimen. T2 - PVP2025, Pressure Vessels & Piping Conference CY - Montreal, Quebec, Canada DA - 20.07.2025 KW - Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) KW - Fire testing KW - Hydrogen KW - IAEA PY - 2025 SP - 1 EP - 10 AN - OPUS4-63864 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Affagard, Jean-Sebastien A1 - Gleim, Tobias A1 - Louis, Baptiste A1 - Quercetti, Thomas A1 - Ledroit, Frédéric A1 - Létang, Eric T1 - Towards a simplifiedmodel of the delayed impact: numerical and experimental outlook N2 - The IAEA Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material No. SSR-6 require drop tests for demonstrating the ability of a package to withstand accident conditions of transport. In case a gap exists between the contents and the lid, it can result in a delayed impact of the content onto the lid system during a vertical drop test. The kinematic energy transmitted to the lid in such cases can be significant due to the stiffness of the impact, leading to high stresses in the bolts compared to a configuration without a gap. In the past, IRSN and BAM have individually investigated the modelling of the delayed impact phenomenon. BAM has examined the effects of the delayed impact phenomenon for spent fuel packages in a comparative analysis between experiments and simulations, which was presented at SMIRT 2013. Meanwhile, IRSN’s has developed a simple numerical tool that can quickly evaluate the influence of various parameters before considering a more complex finite element numerical calculation. This tool was presented at PATRAM 2022. In 2023, BAM and IRSN (now ASNR - French nuclear safety and radiation protection authority) decided to jointly pursue their study on the delayed impact phenomenon, incorporating damping effects, by developing new insights and techniques. To this end, a controlled and simplified set of experiments needs to be developed to calibrate and validate the simplified model. These experiments will record velocity, position of parts, strain and accelerations. The parameters and the configurations necessary for the development of the mock-up, as well as the placement and quantity of sensors, are determined through extensive pre-calculations using both complex finite element models and the simplified approach. A key challenge involves precisely controlling the drop of the mock-up to accurately replicate the theoretical contact and damping conditions. Advanced sensor technologies will be employed to acquire reliable and sufficient data. The tests are designed and conducted at BAM's TTS drop test facility in collaboration with ASNR. T2 - PATRAM 2025 CY - San Antonio, TX, USA DA - 27.07.2025 KW - Experiments KW - Impact KW - Drop Tower PY - 2025 SP - 1 EP - 11 CY - Institute of Nuclear Materials Management (INMM) AN - OPUS4-63870 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 - Gleim, Tobias A1 - Affagard, Jean-Sebastien T1 - Towards a simplifiedmodel of the delayed impact: numerical and experimental outlook N2 - The IAEA Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material No. SSR-6 require drop tests for demonstrating the ability of a package to withstand accident conditions of transport. In case a gap exists between the contents and the lid, it can result in a delayed impact of the content onto the lid system during a vertical drop test. The kinematic energy transmitted to the lid in such cases can be significant due to the stiffness of the impact, leading to high stresses in the bolts compared to a configuration without a gap. In the past, IRSN and BAM have individually investigated the modelling of the delayed impact phenomenon. BAM has examined the effects of the delayed impact phenomenon for spent fuel packages in a comparative analysis between experiments and simulations, which was presented at SMIRT 2013. Meanwhile, IRSN’s has developed a simple numerical tool that can quickly evaluate the influence of various parameters before considering a more complex finite element numerical calculation. This tool was presented at PATRAM 2022. In 2023, BAM and IRSN (now ASNR – French nuclear safety and radiation protection authority) decided to jointly pursue their study on the delayed impact phenomenon, incorporating damping effects, by developing new insights and techniques. To this end, a controlled and simplified set of experiments needs to be developed to calibrate and validate the simplified model. These experiments will record velocity, position of parts, strain and accelerations. The parameters and configurations necessary for the development of the mock-up, as well as the placement and quantity of sensors, are determined through extensive pre-calculations using both complex finite element models and the simplified approach. A key challenge involves precisely controlling the drop of the mock-up to accurately replicate the theoretical contact and damping conditions. Advanced sensor technologies will be employed to acquire reliable and sufficient data. The tests are designed and conducted at BAM's TTS drop test facility in collaboration with ASNR. T2 - PATRAM 2025 CY - San Antonio, TX, USA DA - 27.07.2025 KW - Experiments KW - Impact KW - Drop Tower PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-63869 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Gleim, Tobias T1 - AI-Driven Documentation Analysis Supporting Safety Assessment of Transport Packages N2 - The transportation of radioactive material requires, dependent on type and quantity of the radioactive material, a regulatory approval based on the package type. Safety assessments shall be conducted in compliance with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regulations and documented in a comprehensive package design safety report to obtain approval from authority. This comprehensive safety report evaluates a broad range of requirements from the regulations, including mechanical, thermal, shielding, criticality and transport requirements and controls, and testing assessments. Additionally, it encompasses supporting documents such as specifications, inspections, certifications, drawings, and guidelines in a variety of complex documents. Safety and manufacturing reports contain multiple interconnected sub-reports covering various topics. Changes, such as component modifications, material property updates, or regulatory revisions, often impact multiple sections of the safety analysis reports, making even minor adjustments complex and time-consuming. Each transport package has unique requirements to be fulfilled, making every safety report distinct, despite following the same regulatory framework. Most documentation exists in standard digital formats but is often not machine interpretable, preventing automated analysis of the critical dependencies between them. This paper argues that moving beyond simple digitization towards structured knowledge representation is essential for addressing these challenges. We propose a multi-stage approach, beginning with foundational AI technologies such as Large Language Models (LLMs) and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), and progressing toward the construction of Knowledge Graphs (KGs). KGs convert unstructured and semi-structured information into a connected, queryable network, enabling precise tracing and visualization of complex interdependencies within the documentation landscape. By linking interpretable content directly to datasheets, tables, simulations, experimental results, standards, and regulations, such a system would automatically identify changes and interdependencies. Related conditions could be validated using AI-based tools, reducing the need for manual intervention, improving both efficiency and safety. Human error plays a significant role in drafting, reviewing, and revising safety reports, often requiring iterative review cycles and multiple reviewers before approval. A digital quality infrastructure could reduce iterations and further improve efficiency. Integrating AI into this process could optimize safety assessments and enhance their robustness by leveraging interpretability to enhance safety. This preliminary study explores the readiness and requirements for using intelligent documentation analysis system in the context of regulatory compliance for package safety for the transport of radioactive material. By analysing current documentation workflows, we identify how LLM-based tools can interpret complex safety reports and highlight critical interdependencies and then demonstrate why a KG-based architecture is necessary to robustly manage and query critical interdependencies. This lays the groundwork for future agentic AI systems capable of proactively supporting the safety assessment lifecycle, while stressing the importance of robust data governance and AI reliability in this highly regulated context. T2 - Sandia-BAM Technical Exchange CY - Albuquerque, NM, USA DA - 23.07.2025 KW - AI, RAG, LLM, Knowledge Graph PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-63860 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Gleim, Tobias T1 - Enhancement of Fire Test Stand Performance at Test Site of BAM: Installation and Evaluation of an Augmented System with a Fire Reference Package N2 - Packages for the transport of radioactive material are designed to endure severe accidents. Packages for the transportation of radioactive material must demon-strate that the package can withstand certain prescribed tests from the IAEA Reg-ulations [1]. In addition to mechanical tests, a thermal test in form of a fire test must be carried out. As packages to be tested at BAM are significantly larger than previous package designs, BAM has expanded an existing fire test stand. A modular concept is chosen, which means that the arrangement of the burner noz-zles can be adapted to the test specimen. The dimensions of the burner rings, the type, the orientation and the number of burner nozzles can be varied depending on the test specimen. In addition, various pumps can be used to set the corre-sponding mass flow. With the help of a calorimeter test, the fire test stand can be qualified for a specific size of packages regarding the boundary conditions of the IAEA Regulations [1]. Due to the typically wood filled impact limiters in German package designs, a fire test is necessary, as experiments have shown that possible openings that occurred during a mechanical test contributed to the ignition of the wood filled impact limiters within the prescribed 30 minutes of the IAEA Regula-tions [1]. From a series of experiments, two experiments are presented to show the possibilities to obtain different temperatures and temperature rates in the test specimen. In addition to sensor data, the heat flux into the package is calculated to verify that the IAEA boundary conditions are satisfied. In addition to the tem-perature data, other data such as wind speed and wind direction are also recorded to explain subsequent effects in the measurement data in a comprehensible man-ner. T2 - Sandia-BAM Technical Exchange CY - Albuquerque, NM, USA DA - 23.07.2025 KW - IAEA Regulations KW - Fire Test Stand KW - Accident Scenario KW - Fire Qualification PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-63861 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Gleim, Tobias T1 - AI-Based Documentation Analysis for Safety Assessment of Packages for Radioactive Material N2 - The transportation of radioactive material requires, dependent on type and quantity of the radioactive material, a regulatory approval based on the package type. Safety assessments shall be conducted in compliance with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regulations and documented in a comprehensive package design safety report to obtain approval from authority. This comprehensive safety report evaluates a broad range of requirements from the regulations, including mechanical, thermal, shielding, criticality and transport requirements and controls, and testing assessments. Additionally, it encompasses supporting documents such as specifications, inspections, certifications, drawings, and guidelines in a variety of complex documents. Safety and manufacturing reports contain multiple interconnected sub-reports covering various topics. Changes, such as component modifications, material property updates, or regulatory revisions, often impact multiple sections of the safety analysis reports, making even minor adjustments complex and time-consuming. Each transport package has unique requirements to be fulfilled, making every safety report distinct, despite following the same regulatory framework. Most documentation exists in standard digital formats but is often not machine interpretable, preventing automated analysis of the critical dependencies between them. This paper argues that moving beyond simple digitization towards structured knowledge representation is essential for addressing these challenges. We propose a multi-stage approach, beginning with foundational AI technologies such as Large Language Models (LLMs) and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), and progressing toward the construction of Knowledge Graphs (KGs). KGs convert unstructured and semi-structured information into a connected, queryable network, enabling precise tracing and visualization of complex interdependencies within the documentation landscape. By linking interpretable content directly to datasheets, tables, simulations, experimental results, standards, and regulations, such a system would automatically identify changes and interdependencies. Related conditions could be validated using AI-based tools, reducing the need for manual intervention, improving both efficiency and safety. Human error plays a significant role in drafting, reviewing, and revising safety reports, often requiring iterative review cycles and multiple reviewers before approval. A digital quality infrastructure could reduce iterations and further improve efficiency. Integrating AI into this process could optimize safety assessments and enhance their robustness by leveraging interpretability to enhance safety. This preliminary study explores the readiness and requirements for using intelligent documentation analysis system in the context of regulatory compliance for package safety for the transport of radioactive material. By analysing current documentation workflows, we identify how LLM-based tools can interpret complex safety reports and highlight critical interdependencies and then demonstrate why a KG-based architecture is necessary to robustly manage and query critical interdependencies. This lays the groundwork for future agentic AI systems capable of proactively supporting the safety assessment lifecycle, while stressing the importance of robust data governance and AI reliability in this highly regulated context. T2 - PATRAM 2025 CY - San Antonio, TX, USA DA - 27.07.2025 KW - Knowledge Graph KW - AI KW - RAG KW - LLM PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-63862 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Feldkamp, Martin A1 - Gleim, Tobias A1 - Quercetti, Thomas A1 - Wille, Frank T1 - Evaluation of Convective Heat Transfer Coefficients with CFD for Heat Flux Calculation in Combustion Chamber N2 - Packages for the transport of high-level radioactive waste are designed to withstand severe accidents. To obtain approval for transport, these packages must adhere to the specification-based criteria of regulations established by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). To ensure compliance with the regulations, mechanical and thermal tests need to be conducted regarding the package type. The requirements define mechanical tests followed by a thermal test, including criteria ensuring the package design’s ability to withstand severe accidents. Heavy-weight packages for the safe transport of radioactive materials are equipped with impact limiters, which are often built with porous materials such as densely packed wood reinforced by steel sheet structures. These components absorb the kinetic energy during the impact of the package in drop tests and thus dampen the acceleration of other package components which supports the package to meet the requirements of the IAEA regulations. Following the mechanical tests, the package must, with its predamaged impact limiters, endure a thermal test defined precisely in the IAEA regulations. The thermal test is defined as a 30-min, fully engulfing 800 °C fire and a following time under ambient conditions for a sufficient period to ensure that temperatures in the specimen decrease in all parts of the specimen. During and following the thermal test, the specimen shall not be artificially cooled, and any combustion of materials of the specimen shall be permitted to proceed naturally. A wood-filled impact limiter can continue to release thermal energy during an ongoing combustion process, thus defining relevant package temperatures. Heat flux from a potentially burning impact limiter to the package is important for the safety evaluation of transport packages. A test setup was developed to approach the energy flow investigation and examine the combustion behaviour of porous materials encapsulated in predamaged cylindrical metal enclosures under various conditions. The setup consists of a combustion chamber for thermal tests under adjustable and defined boundary conditions. The temperature development of the test specimens can be observed from outside using a thermographic imager with high-definition cameras, and the mass loss of the test specimen can be measured in the combustion chamber. Convective heat transfer coefficients for various boundary conditions must be defined for use with experimentally gathered test specimen surface temperature data for heat flux evaluations. The airflow conditions in the combustion chamber were analysed using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) calculations in OpenFOAM with respect to the convective heat transfer coefficients at the surface of a hot test specimen. A convergence study was performed, and sensitivity analyses for different test specimen surface temperatures and exhaust gas volume flows were conducted. T2 - ASME PVP2025, Pressure Vessels & Piping Conference CY - Montreal, Quebec, Canada DA - 20.07.2025 KW - Heat Transfer KW - Convection KW - OpenFOAM KW - Combustion PY - 2025 SP - 1 EP - 7 PB - American society of mechanical engineers (ASME) AN - OPUS4-63901 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 - Gleim, Tobias T1 - Potential Effects of Battery and Hydrogen Fires regarding Regulatory Requirements N2 - Die internationalen Sicherheitsanforderungen für den Transport radioaktiver Stoffe sind in den IAEO-Vorschriften SSR-6 festgelegt. Diese wurden in den 1960er Jahren entwickelt und seitdem nur in begrenztem Umfang angepasst. Sie bilden die Basis für die Regelwerke der verschiedenen Verkehrsträger – darunter auch das ADR (Europäisches Übereinkommen über die internationale Beförderung gefährlicher Güter auf der Straße). Die SSR-6 wird regelmäßig vom TRANSSC-Gremium der IAEO überprüft und aktualisiert. In diesen Prozess fließen aktuelle wissenschaftliche Erkenntnisse sowie praktische Erfahrungen ein, um die Sicherheit beim Transport radioaktiver Materialien kontinuierlich zu verbessern. Im Rahmen der 47. TRANSSC-Sitzung stellte die BAM (Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung) aktuelle Forschungsergebnisse zu Unfallszenarien mit Batterien und Wasserstoff vor und adressierte zentrale sicherheitsrelevante Fragestellungen. Aufgrund des großen internationalen Interesses, insbesondere da vergleichbare Erkenntnisse aus anderen UN-Mitgliedstaaten bislang nicht vorlagen, wurden diese Fragestellungen ab der 48. Sitzung offiziell in das Arbeitsprogramm aufgenommen. Vor der 48. TRANSSC-Sitzung führten BAM und BASE eine gemeinsame Befragung aller UN-Mitgliedstaaten mittels eines Fragebogens durch. Die Ergebnisse wurden im Rahmen der 48. TRANSSC-Sitzung vorgestellt. Dabei zeigte sich, dass in den befragten Ländern bislang keine spezifischen nationalen Regelungen oder Einschränkungen im Hinblick auf Fahrzeuge mit alternativen Antrieben bestehen. Gleichzeitig wurde jedoch auf ein potenzielles Risiko mit derzeit nicht abschätzbarem Ausmaß hingewiesen. N2 - Hier: The IAEA regulations for the safe transport of radioactive material (IAEA SSR-6) define the safety requirements for different package types and consider different transport conditions. The accident conditions of transport specify different mechanical and thermal tests based on investigations of real accident scenarios. Considering the rapid development of new boundary conditions of transport such as electric mobility and the use of hydrogen as energy source for trucks and other kind of vehicles, potential effects of battery and hydrogen fires in transport accidents should be investigated. The aim is to evaluate the existing test requirements developed and derived decades ago, whether they are covering the current transport situation. This presentation will briefly present the reasons for detailed investigations as bases for a coordinated research project under the roof of the IAEA. T2 - WP.15 IWG-EV 22nd session CY - Online-Meeting DA - 23.07.2025 KW - Requirements KW - Battery Fire KW - Experiment KW - IAEA PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-63900 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Gleim, Tobias A1 - Komann, Steffen T1 - Fracture Mechanical Analyses of a Welding Seam of a Thick-Walled Transport Package N2 - Transport packages shall satisfy various safety criteria regarding mechanical, thermal and radiation phenomena. Typical requirements focusing mechanical aspects are usually drop tests in accordance with IAEA regulations [1]. The drop tests are usually carried out experimentally and, as an additional measure, finite element analyses (FEA) are performed. A specific part of the investigations presented is the evaluation of the welding seam connecting cask shell and cask bottom. Experimental results and FEA are presented and compared. The evaluation of the welding seam performed includes a variety of aspects. In addition to the experimental and analytical stresses determined, different standards are used to investigate a possible crack initiation. Several destructive and non-destructive tests are performed for quality assurance in the manufacturing process as well as for different input parameters. The necessary monitoring and non-destructive measurement methods to define the boundary conditions of the standards are introduced. Taking into account all required parameters, the welding seam is examined and evaluated using the failure assessment diagrams (FAD) of the respective standards. It can be shown under the given boundary conditions that considering the experimental data, the welding seam is in the context of crack initiation below the enveloping curve in the acceptable region. More critical drop tests to be conducted are proposed and need to be investigated in future work. T2 - Pressure Vessels & Piping Conference® 2022 CY - Las Vegas, NV, USA DA - 17.07.2022 KW - Drop test KW - Fracture initiation KW - Transport package PY - 2022 AN - OPUS4-55374 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -