TY - CONF A1 - Müller, Lars A1 - Schilling, O. A1 - Ballheimer, Viktor A1 - Wille, Frank A1 - Komann, Steffen T1 - Assessment strategy of numerical analyses of RAM package components - 14619 N2 - In Germany current package design safety cases include more and more advanced numerical methods, e. g. finite element analysis (FEA), often in combination with local concepts of strength evaluation of the structure. This approach requires extensive modeling and verification procedures. As a consequence the efforts of authority assessment of design safety analysis increase as well. Only the check of pre- and post-data of numerical calculations is often not sufficient for the safety assessment. On the other hand own analyses of the mechanical problem by performing an Independent numerical modeling and analyzing is not always realizable. Therefore it is necessary to look for optimized procedures of the assessment, without loss of safety. This paper shows possibilities for the assessment strategy of numerical analyses with focus on simple analytical approaches as comparative calculations. Such approaches can be helpful to support evaluation of numerical calculations in the whole assessment procedure. Three examples are considered to Show which possibilities and limits exist to support the assessment of numerical analyses using analytical comparative calculations. Two examples of bolt and lid analysis show the influence of component and boundary stiffness on the results. Thickness to length/width ratios are partially exceeded and only fixed or free boundary conditions can be analyzed analytical. Nevertheless These analytical approaches can help to evaluate the numerical results for the assessment. The example of a trunnion demonstrates the limits of analytical approaches. The trunnion shows a complex deformation behavior and local stresses. A single basic theory isn’t matching and a construct of several approaches is not useable for calculations of local stresses. Therefore numerical calculations during assessment are necessary. Analytical approaches are not always purposeful but often effective to reduce the effort of assessment for numerical analysis of complex and safety relevant components of RAM packages. T2 - WM2014 Conference CY - Phoenix, Arizona, USA DA - 02.03.2014 PY - 2014 SN - 978-0-9836186-3-8 SP - Paper 14619, 1 EP - 14 AN - OPUS4-31047 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Schilling, O. A1 - Müller, Lars A1 - Ballheimer, Viktor A1 - Komann, Steffen A1 - Wille, Frank T1 - Analytical approaches within the assessment strategy of numerical analyses of components of RAM packages N2 - Load attachment points, consisting of the lifting component and corresponding bolt connections, and lid systems, consisting of a lid, gaskets and bolt connections, are usually analyzed numerically using the Finite Element Method. Reasons for applying the FEM are complex geometry, specific load distribution and the violation of application criteria for analytical approaches. For example the elementary beam theory is not suitable for the calculation of compact trunnions and the Kirchhoff plate theory is not suitable for the calculation of lids with a large thickness to diameter ratio because the Bernoulli-hypothesis is violated. In addition for structural integrity assessments often local stress and for the evaluation of lid systems tightness local contact opening are needed, which can be obtained only through accurately discretized numerical models. Independent comparative calculations are essential for complex calculations. Simplified but appropriate analytical approaches are an efficient way of examination. Is it possible to provide conservative analytical estimates of such kind of analysis problems? Are analytical calculations an appropriate approach in today's authority assessment business? Using the example of bolted trunnion and lid systems of a heavy package the possibilities and limits of analytical comparative calculations are shown. T2 - PATRAM 2013 - 17th International symposium on the packaging and transportation of radioactive materials CY - San Francisco, CA, USA DA - 18.08.2013 PY - 2013 SP - Paper 217, 1 EP - 9 PB - Omnipress AN - OPUS4-31048 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Müller, Lars T1 - Assessment Strategy of Numerical Analyses of RAM Package Components - 14619 T2 - Waste Management Symposium 2014 CY - Phoenix, AZ, USA DA - 2014-03-02 PY - 2014 AN - OPUS4-31562 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Müller, Lars A1 - Scheidemann, Robert A1 - Schönfelder, Thorsten A1 - Komann, Steffen A1 - Wille, Frank T1 - Drop tests assessment of internal shock absorbers for packages loaded with encapsulations for damaged spent nuclear fuel N2 - Damaged spent nuclear fuel (DSNF) can be loaded in German dual-purpose casks (DPC) for transport and interim storage. Encapsulations are needed to guarantee a safe handling and a tight closure, separated from the package enclosure. These encapsulations shall be durable and leak-tight for a long storage period, because they are usually not accessible within periodical inspections of the DPC. Due to the general design of DPCs for standard fuel assemblies, specific requirements have to be considered for the design of encapsulations for DSNF to ensure the loading in existing package designs. Especially the primary lid system of a DPC is designed for maximum loads due to the internal impact of the content during drop test conditions. The main difference of encapsulations for damaged spent nuclear fuel is that they have usually a much higher stiffness than standard fuel assemblies. Therefore the design of an internal shock absorber, e.g. at the head of an encapsulation is required to reduce mechanical loads to the primary lid system during impacts. BAM as part of the German competent authority system is responsible for the safety assessment of the mechanical and thermal package design, the release of radioactive material and the quality assurance of package manufacturing and operation. Concerning the mechanical design of the encapsulation BAM was involved in the comprehensive assessment procedure during the package design approval process. An internal shock absorber was developed by the package designer with numerical analyses and experimental drop tests. Experimental drop tests are needed to cover limiting parameters regarding, e.g. temperature and wall thickness of the shock absorbing element to enable a detailed specification of the whole load-deformation behavior of the encapsulation shock absorber. The paper gives an overview of the assessment work by BAM and points out the main findings which are relevant for an acceptable design of internal shock absorbers. The physical drop tests were planned on the basis of pre-investigations of the applicant concerning shape, dimension and material properties. In advance of the final drop tests the possible internal impact behavior had to be analyzed and the setup of the test facility had to be validated. The planning, performance and evaluation of the final drop tests were witnessed and assessed by BAM. In conclusion it could be approved that the German encapsulation system for damaged spent nuclear fuel with shock absorbing components can be handled similar to standard fuel assemblies in existing package designs. T2 - Pressure Vessels & Piping Conference 2020 CY - Online meeting DA - 03.08.2020 KW - Encapsulations for damaged spent nuclear fuel KW - Drop tests KW - Internal shock absorber KW - Design assessment of RAM packages PY - 2020 SP - 1 EP - 9 AN - OPUS4-51546 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Müller, Lars T1 - Drop tests assessment of internal shock absorbers for packages loaded with encapsulations for damaged spent nuclear fuel N2 - Damaged spent nuclear fuel (DSNF) can be loaded in German dual-purpose casks (DPC) for transport and interim storage. Encapsulations are needed to guarantee a safe handling and a tight closure, separated from the package enclosure. These encapsulations shall be durable and leak-tight for a long storage period, because they are usually not accessible within periodical inspections of the DPC. Due to the general design of DPCs for standard fuel assemblies, specific requirements have to be considered for the design of encapsulations for DSNF to ensure the loading in existing package designs. Especially the primary lid system of a DPC is designed for maximum loads due to the internal impact of the content during drop test conditions. The main difference of encapsulations for damaged spent nuclear fuel is that they have usually a much higher stiffness than standard fuel assemblies. Therefore the design of an internal shock absorber, e.g. at the head of an encapsulation is required to reduce mechanical loads to the primary lid system during impacts. BAM as part of the German competent authority system is responsible for the safety assessment of the mechanical and thermal package design, the release of radioactive material and the quality assurance of package manufacturing and operation. Concerning the mechanical design of the encapsulation BAM was involved in the comprehensive assessment procedure during the package design approval process. An internal shock absorber was developed by the package designer with numerical analyses and experimental drop tests. Experimental drop tests are needed to cover limiting parameters regarding, e.g. temperature and wall thickness of the shock absorbing element to enable a detailed specification of the whole load-deformation behavior of the encapsulation shock absorber. The paper gives an overview of the assessment work by BAM and points out the main findings which are relevant for an acceptable design of internal shock absorbers. The physical drop tests were planned on the basis of pre-investigations of the applicant concerning shape, dimension and material properties. In advance of the final drop tests the possible internal impact behavior had to be analyzed and the setup of the test facility had to be validated. The planning, performance and evaluation of the final drop tests were witnessed and assessed by BAM. In conclusion it could be approved that the German encapsulation system for damaged spent nuclear fuel with shock absorbing components can be handled similar to standard fuel assemblies in existing package designs. T2 - Pressure Vessels & Piping Conference 2020 CY - Online meeting DA - 03.08.2020 KW - Drop tests KW - Internal shock absorber KW - Design assessment of RAM packages KW - Encapsulations for damaged spent nuclear fuel PY - 2020 AN - OPUS4-51550 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Linnemann, Konrad A1 - Ballheimer, Viktor A1 - Müller, Lars A1 - Rolle, Annette A1 - Wille, Frank A1 - Droste, Bernhard T1 - Aspects of spent fuel behavior assessment for transport packages N2 - Transport packages for spent nuclear fuel have to be assessed with respect to specific transport conditions which are defined in the safety regulations of the International Atomic Energy Agency. In general, gastight fuel rods constitute the first barrier of the containment system. The physical state of the spent fuel and the fuel rod cladding as well as the geometric configuration of the fuel assemblies are important inputs for the evaluation of the package safety under transport conditions. The objective of this paper is to discuss the methodologies accepted by BAM for the authority assessment of spent fuel behavior within the package design approval procedure of German package designs. In particular, cracks or failures in the fuel rod cladding can occur under regulatory transport conditions. These defects can cause the release of gas, volatiles, fuel particles or fragments into the package cavity and have to be considered properly in the safety analysis. Another issue is the transport of defective fuel rods. One concept is to use special canisters which can be handled like fuel assemblies. This concept requires additional assessment concerning drying, sealing and the mechanical and thermal design of such canisters. The package as a mechanical system is characterized by a complex set of interactions, e.g. between the fuel rods within the assembly as well as between the fuel assemblies, the basket, and the cask containment. This complexity together with the limited knowledge about the material properties and the variation of the fuel assemblies regarding cladding material, burn-up and the operation history makes an exact mechanical analysis of the fuel rods nearly impossible. The simplified approaches to consider conservatively spent fuel behavior currently accepted by BAM are presented here. T2 - International Conference on Management of Spent Fuel from Nuclear Power Reactors - An Integrated Approach to the Back-End of the Fuel Cycle CY - Wien, Austria DA - 15.06.2015 KW - Transport packages KW - Spent fuel assessment PY - 2015 SP - 1 AN - OPUS4-38102 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Müller, Lars A1 - Schönfelder, Thorsten A1 - Komann, Steffen A1 - Ballheimer, Viktor A1 - Wille, Frank ED - Müller, Lars T1 - Assessment experience on packages loaded with damaged spent nuclear fuel for transport after storage N2 - In 2017 the first German package approval certificate was issued for a dual purpose cask (DPC) design with encapsulated damaged spent nuclear fuel. At the Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM) a comprehensive assessment procedure was carried out with respect to the mechanical and thermal design, the containment design and quality assurance for manufacturing and operation. Main objective of this procedure was to verify the Package Design Safety Report (PDSR) fulfils the requirements according to the IAEA regulations SSR-6. Until now only standard spent nuclear fuel assemblies were designated for interim storage and transports. Due to nuclear phase out in Germany all other kinds of SNF in particular damaged fuel has to be packed. Therefore specific requirements have to be considered in accordance with international experiences written in IAEA technical reports. In Germany damaged spent nuclear fuel (DSNF) needs a tight encapsulation with special encapsulations and clearly defined properties. Due to the limited amount of DSNF these encapsulations are designed for storage and transport in existing packages. From the assessment experience it has been seen, corresponding PDSR need an extensively expansion to cover the design of these encapsulations and their influences on the package. Then such well-defined encapsulations can be handled like standard fuel assemblies. The main difference to standard package components is, encapsulations with permanent closure achieve their specified condition not after manufacturing but only during operation after loading and closing. Thus specific handling instruction and test procedures are necessary especially for welding, where BAM is able to survey the quality of this first part of operation. T2 - 11th International Conference on the Transport, Storage and Disposal of Radioactive Materials CY - London, UK DA - 15.05.2018 KW - Assessment KW - Dual purpose cask KW - Spent nuclear fuel PY - 2018 SP - Paper 18524, 1 EP - 8 AN - OPUS4-45258 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Müller, Lars A1 - Scheidemann, Robert A1 - Neumeyer, Tino A1 - Komann, Steffen A1 - Wille, Frank T1 - Tightness Verification Procedures of Welded Lids for Encapsulations for Damaged Spent Nuclear Fuel in the Design Approval Process of Dual-Purpose Cask (DPC) N2 - Damaged spent nuclear fuel (DSNF) can be loaded in Germany in dual-purpose casks (DPC) for transport and interim storage. Therefore, special encapsulations are needed to guarantee a safe handling and a reliable tight closure. These encapsulations must be durable and leak-tight for a possible long interim storage term and the transport thereafter. Because components inside the package containment like these special encapsulations are not accessible within periodical inspections of the DPC. Due to the general design of DPCs for standard fuel assemblies, specific requirements needed to be considered for the design of the special encapsulations for DSNF to ensure the loading in existing package designs. Especially the content of the encapsulations with damaged spent nuclear fuel must be avoided to enter in the inner space of the DPC, due to the possible higher amount of corrosive and radioactive material as well as greater quantities of water, which can be trapped in defect fuel rods. The main difference of the encapsulations for damaged spent nuclear fuel is that they have no replaceable sealing as tightness barrier. They have a specific welded lid. Therefor the tightness needs to be shown in the design approval process for all transport conditions especially for accident conditions, where high internal impact loads can occur. As German competent authority, BAM is responsible for the safety assessment of the mechanical and thermal design, the release of radioactive material and the quality assurance aspects of manufacturing and operation. Concerning the mechanical package design BAM carried out a comprehensive safety assessment for the specific encapsulations during the package design approval process of the commonly used DPC. For the proof of tightness of the welded lid no representative standards are available. For minor loads the German KTA standards can verify the tightness of a weld seam but only for low stresses. For higher impact loads physical tests are required. These tests were performed with representative drop tests and highly sensitive leak tests. The present paper gives an overview of the applied assessments by BAM and points out the main findings of the mechanical design for the welded sealing. Both verification procedures are described, on one hand with German standards for lower loads and on the other hand with physical tests for higher impact loads. The drop tests based on complex numerical pre-calculations by the applicant which result in optimized dimensions and properties of the test specimens and representative drop heights for the drop tests. The horizontal drop orientation with a plane-parallel impact on the unyielding basement was most challenging and led to specific adaptations during preparation and conduction of the drop tests performed by BAM. With leak tests and the corresponding test evaluation, it could be finally approved that the specific welded sealing of an encapsulations for DSNF is tight for all transport conditions. T2 - ASME PVP 2024 CY - Bellevue, WA, USA DA - 28.07.2024 KW - Tightness verification KW - Weld seams KW - Drop tests KW - Encapsulations for damaged spent nuclear fuel KW - Helium leak tests PY - 2024 SN - 978-0-7918-8851-3 SP - 1 EP - 10 CY - New York AN - OPUS4-61351 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Müller, Lars A1 - Komann, Steffen A1 - Wille, Frank A1 - Droste, Bernhard T1 - Sicherheitstechnische Begutachtung der strukturmechanischen Auslegung von Castor-Behältern N2 - Die Sicherheitsanforderungen, die an Behälter für den Transport radioaktiver Stoffe auf öffentlichen Verkehrswegen gestellt werden, orientieren sich an dem Gefährdungspotenzial des radioaktiven Inhalts. So müssen für den Transport abgebrannter Brennelemente oder hochradioaktiver Abfalle aus nuklearen Anlagen Behälter eingesetzt werden, die auch schweren Unfällen standhalten. Zu ihnen gehören z. B. die CASTOR®-Behälter (Cask for Storage and Transport of Radioactive Material). T2 - BTU Stahlbau-Symposium 2014 CY - Cottbus, Germany DA - 23.05.2014 PY - 2014 SN - 1611-5023 N1 - Serientitel: Schriftenreihe Stahlbau – Series title: Schriftenreihe Stahlbau IS - 8 SP - 33 EP - 40 AN - OPUS4-31148 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Müller, Lars T1 - Sicherheitstechnische Begutachtung der strukturmechanischen Auslegung von Castor-Behältern T2 - BTU Stahlbau-Symposium 2014 CY - Cottbus, Germany DA - 2014-05-23 PY - 2014 AN - OPUS4-31107 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Krumbholz, N. A1 - Jansen, A. A1 - Scheller, M. A1 - Müller-Wirts, T. A1 - Lübbecke, S. A1 - Holzwarth, R. A1 - Scheunemann, R. A1 - Wilk, R. A1 - Sartorius, B. A1 - Roehle, H. A1 - Stanze, D. A1 - Beckmann, Jörg A1 - von Chrzanowski, Lars A1 - Ewert, Uwe A1 - Koch, M. ED - Keith A. Krapels, ED - Neil A. Salmon, T1 - Handheld terahertz spectrometer for the detection of liquid explosives N2 - We present a handheld fiber-coupled terahertz spectrometer operating at a center wavelength of 1550 nm. The key elements are a fs-fiber laser, a fiber stretcher delay line and fiber-coupled antennas, which contain novel InAlAs-InGaAs multi layer chips. First experimental data obtained with this system demonstrates its great potential and robustness. In addition, we investigate different hazardous and harmless liquids in reflection geometry. These experiments show that liquids are in principle distinguishable by terahertz spectroscopy. Finally, first steps towards an algorithm that allows for an extraction of the liquids dielectric properties are discussed. The algorithm works for the analysis of reflection data even if the liquid is located inside a container. KW - Handheld terahertz spectrometer KW - Liquid explosives PY - 2009 DO - https://doi.org/10.1117/12.830381 SN - 0277-786X VL - 7485 SP - 748504-1 - 748504-12 AN - OPUS4-20268 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Schubert, Sven A1 - Reichardt, Adrian A1 - Müller, Lars A1 - Neumann, Martin A1 - Komann, Steffen A1 - Wille, Frank T1 - Introduction of the German ageing management guide for packages for transport of radioactive materials N2 - The consideration of ageing mechanisms is with integration of the new para 613A into IAEA SSR-6 (Rev. 1) now obligatory for the design of transport packages. In addition, para 809(f) requires for packages intended to be used for shipment after storage the consideration of the effects of ageing mechanisms during storage in safety analyses and the implementation of corresponding instructions for operation and maintenance. Para 503(e) requires that all packaging components and radioactive contents have been maintained during storage in a manner that all requirements specified in IAEA SSR-6 (Rev.1) and in the applicable certificates of approval have been fulfilled. The evaluation of ageing mechanisms and their effects including monitoring are part of BAM’s authority assessment tasks related to the mechanical and thermal package design and quality assurance aspects. BAM has compiled a guideline for the implementation of ageing assessment and of the measures for ageing management of the approval procedure based on requirements of IAEA SSR-6 (Rev.1). The guideline is applicable only for packages requiring a competent authority approval. The paper aims to describe the structure of the guideline and the general approach for ageing management requirements. The type and amount of measures for ageing management depend mainly on the use of the package and on the ageing effects for the component, which result from relevant ageing mechanisms during package operation time. The implementation of measures for ageing management is divided into three levels – systemic measures, package design related measures and documentation. The systemic measures are attributed to the general management system and define the whole activities for organization of ageing management like structure, responsibilities, documentation, reports and evaluation. The package design related measures are defined in an ageing management plan (AMP). These measures shall ensure that the anticipated changes of the package design under consideration of ageing effects still complies with the design approval specification. Therefore, an ageing surveillance program (ASP) and, if necessary, a gap analysis program shall be developed. The ageing management documentation (AMD) ensures the continuous documentation of the compliance of a specific package to the approved package design, comprising mainly records resulting from operation and surveillance. T2 - PATRAM22 - 20th International Symposium on the Packaging and Transportation of Radioactive Materials CY - Juan-les-Pins, France DA - 11.06.2023 KW - Guide KW - Ageing KW - Mechanism KW - Package KW - Management PY - 2023 SP - 1 EP - 10 PB - World Nuclear Transport Institute (WNTI) CY - London AN - OPUS4-57770 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Müller, Lars A1 - Scheidemann, Robert A1 - Neumeyer, Tino A1 - Neumann, Martin A1 - Komann, Steffen A1 - Wille, Frank T1 - Thightness Assessment of welded Lids for Encapsulations of damaged Spent Nuclear Fuel in the Design Approval Process of Dual-Purpose Casks (DPC) N2 - The disposal of spent nuclear fuel in Germany is ensured using dual-purpose casks (DPC) for transport and interim storage. The leak tightness of the DPC and resulting containment is one of the most important aspects. Additional encapsulations are required for damaged spent nuclear fuel (DSNF) to guarantee safe handling and a separate tight closure. Due to the general design of DPCs for standard fuel assemblies should special requirements be considered for the design of the encapsulations for DSNF to ensure the loading in existing package designs. The absence of a replaceable sealing in the tightness barrier is the main difference for the encapsulations for damaged spent nuclear fuel. Instead, they are welded shut with a lid. The leak tightness of the encapsulation shall be proven in the design approval process for all transport conditions. This is especially valid for accident conditions of transport, where high internal impact forces may occur. BAM as German competent authority is responsible for the safety assessment of mechanical and thermal design, retention of radioactive material and quality assurance aspects of manufacturing and operation. BAM carried out a comprehensive safety assessment concerning the mechanical package design. As there are no representative standards for verifying the leak tightness of a welded lid, two approaches were being pursued. Established German standards may be used for verifying the leak tightness of a weld - but limited to low stresses. Therefore, physical tests were required for higher impact loads. Representative drop tests and highly sensitive leakage tests were performed. The paper presents an overview of the containment assessment by BAM and points out the main findings for the design of welds regarding leak tightness. Both verification procedures are described, on one hand with German standards for lower loads and on the other hand with physical tests for higher impact loads. The leak tightness of the encapsulation weld could be approved based on leakage tests and a corresponding evaluation for all transport conditions. T2 - PATRAM 2025 CY - San Antonio, Texas, USA DA - 27.07.2025 KW - Transport packages KW - Tightness assessment KW - Welded lids KW - Encapsulations PY - 2025 VL - 2025 SP - 1 EP - 11 PB - Institute of Nuclear Materials Management (INMM) CY - Indianapolis AN - OPUS4-64023 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Guitton, Matthieu A1 - Chrupek, Thierry A1 - Leblanc, Vincent A1 - Van derTuijn, Jeroen A1 - Kaufhold, Dominik A1 - Kesting, Frederik A1 - Müller, Lars T1 - Multilateral approval of a SCO-III (three spent steam generator lower parts from EDF Fessenheim nuclear power plant) multimodal shipment N2 - A Surface Contaminated Object (SCO) is defined as a solid object which is not itself radioactive, but which has radioactive material distributed on its surfaces. The 2018 Edition of the IAEA Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material (SSR-6 Rev. 1) introduced the group SCO-III to transport unpackaged large objects. The two pressurized water reactors of the Fessenheim Nuclear Power Plant, owned by EDF, were shut down in 2020. Previously, for maintenance operations in the year 2002 and 2010, the three steam generators – over 20 metres long, 300 tons – of each reactor were taken out from the reactors, divided in two and stored on site: - EDF shipped the six upper parts, as SCO-I, to Cyclife, in Studsvik (Sweden), in 2021, to be recycled; - EDF plans two transports of the lower parts (three parts for each transport), as SCO-III (considering the higher activity due to the NPP primary coolant) to the same facility. Modes of transport are, from consignor to consignee, road, inland waterways and maritime. The countries crossed by inland waterways, from Neuf-Brisach to Dunkerque (France), are France, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. According to the para. 825 of SSR-6 Rev. 1, “multilateral approval shall be required for the shipment of SCO-III”. EDF has submitted to all Competent Authorities an application (para. 827A of SSR-6 Rev. 1), including a transport plan and demonstrations to withstand normal conditions of transport. Despite SSR-6 Rev. 1, national regulations have their own specificities and each Competent Authority has its own assessment procedures. Nevertheless, involved Authorities agreed for a joint review, which included: - the understanding of national regulatory requirements, - the expected level of detail and quality of the safety case, - the feedback from previous shipments of similar type, - the contents, including the conditions, of the approvals to be issued. This joint review demonstrated good coordination between authorities, enabling the application to be processed rapidly, and the various authorities to benefit from each other's expertise and feedback. This was of particular importance, as it was the first application for the transport of an SCO-III assessed by the Competent Authorities involved. Finally, the authorities were able to issue approvals, whose format is certainly in line with their national provisions, but whose content and level of requirements in terms of transport safety are consistent. T2 - PATRAM 2025 CY - San Antonio, Texas, USA DA - 27.07.2025 KW - Shipment KW - Multilateral approval KW - Steam generator KW - SCO-III PY - 2025 VL - 2025 SP - 1 EP - 8 PB - Institute of Nuclear Materials Management (INMM) CY - Indianapolis AN - OPUS4-64026 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Müller, Lars T1 - Thightness Assessment of welded Lids for Encapsulations of damaged Spent Nuclear Fuel in the Design Approval Process of Dual-Purpose Casks (DPC) N2 - The disposal of spent nuclear fuel in Germany is ensured using dual-purpose casks (DPC) for transport and interim storage. The leak tightness of the DPC and resulting containment is one of the most important aspects. Additional encapsulations are required for damaged spent nuclear fuel (DSNF) to guarantee safe handling and a separate tight closure. Due to the general design of DPCs for standard fuel assemblies should special requirements be considered for the design of the encapsulations for DSNF to ensure the loading in existing package designs. The absence of a replaceable sealing in the tightness barrier is the main difference for the encapsulations for damaged spent nuclear fuel. Instead, they are welded shut with a lid. The leak tightness of the encapsulation shall be proven in the design approval process for all transport conditions. This is especially valid for accident conditions of transport, where high internal impact forces may occur. BAM as German competent authority is responsible for the safety assessment of mechanical and thermal design, retention of radioactive material and quality assurance aspects of manufacturing and operation. BAM carried out a comprehensive safety assessment concerning the mechanical package design. As there are no representative standards for verifying the leak tightness of a welded lid, two approaches were being pursued. Established German standards may be used for verifying the leak tightness of a weld - but limited to low stresses. Therefore, physical tests were required for higher impact loads. Representative drop tests and highly sensitive leakage tests were performed. The paper presents an overview of the containment assessment by BAM and points out the main findings for the design of welds regarding leak tightness. Both verification procedures are described, on one hand with German standards for lower loads and on the other hand with physical tests for higher impact loads. The leak tightness of the encapsulation weld could be approved based on leakage tests and a corresponding evaluation for all transport conditions. T2 - PATRAM 2025 CY - San Antonio, TX, USA DA - 27.07.2025 KW - Tightness assessment KW - Welded lids KW - Transport packages KW - Encapsulations PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-64017 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Komann, Steffen A1 - Müller, Lars A1 - Neumann, Martin A1 - Wille, Frank T1 - Shipment of SCO-II – Authority assessment of mechanical aspects and quality management N2 - The decommissioning of nuclear facilities necessitates either the storage or disposal of large radioactive components such as steam generators, pressurizers, reactor pressure vessels and heads, or coolant pumps. These components or objects are large in size and mass with up to 6 meters in diameter and 20 meters in length and a weight of up to 400 tons. They are often transported to a storage, disposal, or recycling facility. Large components from nuclear facilities may often not be packed and need to be transported unpackaged due to size and weight. T2 - PATRAM 2025 CY - San Antonio, TX, USA DA - 27.07.2025 KW - radioaktive Stoffe, Rückbau kerntechnischer Anlagen, Transport, Gefahrgut PY - 2025 SP - 1 EP - 10 AN - OPUS4-63878 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Schubert, Sven A1 - Komann, Steffen A1 - Neumann, Martin A1 - Reichardt, Adrian A1 - Müller, Lars A1 - Wille, Frank T1 - Ageing management measures of transport packages for radioactive materials N2 - The consideration of ageing mechanisms is with integration into the IAEA-requirements now obligatory for the design of transport packages. For packages intended to be used for shipment after storage the consideration of the effects of ageing mechanisms during storage in safety analyses and the implementation of corresponding instructions for operation and maintenance are required. Therefore, these packages have been maintained during storage in a manner that all requirements specified in the IAEA-requirements and in the applicable certificates of approval have been fulfilled. BAM is the competent authority in Germany for evaluating the thermal and mechanical design of packages for the transport of radioactive materials. In this context, BAM also evaluates the aging mechanisms and aging effects occurring during the long-term storage period of such transport packages. BAM has developed a guideline for the implementation of ageing assessment and of the measures for ageing management into the approval procedure based on IAEA-requirements. The goal of the presented paper is to introduce this guideline and the general approach for ageing management requirements and to describe the application to a specific package design. The type and amount of the ageing management not only depend on the use of the packaging, but also on the accessibility of the components that are considered in the ageing assessment. The different operating phases of a packaging are considered for the ageing assessment, such as loading, interim storage or transport. The implementation of measures for ageing management is divided into three levels – systemic measures, package design related measures and documentation. The systemic measures are attributed to the general management system and define the whole activities for organization of ageing management like structure, responsibilities, documentation, reports and evaluation. The package design related measures are defined in an ageing management plan. These measures shall ensure that the anticipated changes of the package design under consideration of ageing effects still complies with the design approval specification. Therefore, an ageing surveillance program and, if necessary, a gap analysis program shall be developed. The ageing management documentation ensures the continuous documentation of the compliance of a specific package to the approved package design, comprising mainly records resulting from operation and surveillance. T2 - RAMTRANS 2024 CY - London, United Kingdom DA - 15.05.2024 KW - Radioactive Materials KW - Ageing Management KW - Transport Packages KW - Dual Purpose Casks PY - 2024 VL - 2024 SP - 1 EP - 8 PB - Nuclear Institute CY - London AN - OPUS4-60186 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Schönfelder, Thorsten A1 - Müller, Lars A1 - Komann, Steffen A1 - Wille, Frank ED - Schönfelder, Thorsten T1 - Design assessment of a dual purpose cask for damaged spent nuclear fuel N2 - German package design approvals were granted recently for dual purpose casks (DPC) intended for loading with encapsulated damaged spent nuclear fuel (DSNF). Comprehensive assessment procedures were carried out by the authority BAM with respect to the mechanical and thermal package design, the activity release of radioactive material and quality assurance aspects for manufacturing and operation of each packaging. The objective of each procedure was to verify the Package Design Safety Report (PDSR) and the relevant guidelines fulfils the requirements of the IAEA regulations. Previous approvals of German SNF package designs consider mainly standard fuel assemblies with defined specifications and properties for transport and interim storage. Due to the nuclear power phase-out in Germany all kinds of SNF, e.g. damaged spent fuel rods shall be packed in DPC now. Therefore specific requirements shall be considered in accordance with international experiences including IAEA technical reports. The main requirement for DSNF is a tight encapsulation with specific defined properties under transport and storage conditions. Due to the interim storage period of currently up to 40 years the encapsulation with DSNF in the casks shall also be long term durable. Thus specific loading and drying procedures are necessary and had to be qualified during the approval process. BAM assessed these drying procedures and could confirm the long-term behaviour of the encapsulation and the suitability of the drying equipment. This special equipment was qualified in a “cold handling”. In addition, it was shown that the behaviour of the test equipment used in the qualification process was comparable with the original equipment, e.g. test fuel rods or test encapsulation. In the development of the drying process, experience was obtained in how to put the requirements of the IAEA regulations and related IAEA technical reports into practice. The paper gives an overview of approval assessment and testing experience made by BAM and point out the main resulting requirements on drying processes for these kinds of encapsulations with DSNF. T2 - Proceedings of the 19th International Symposium on the Packaging and Transportation of Radioactive Materials PATRAM 2019 CY - New Orleans, USA DA - 04.08.2019 KW - Assessment KW - Dual purpose cask KW - Spent nuclear fuel PY - 2019 SP - Paper 1204, 1 EP - 10 AN - OPUS4-48685 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Linnemann, Konrad A1 - Müller, Lars A1 - Schönfelder, Thorsten A1 - Komann, Steffen A1 - Wille, Frank T1 - Authority Experience during Design Approval Procedure for Packages Loaded with Special Encapsulations for Damaged Spent Nuclear Fuel N2 - The first German package design approval certificate for a dual purpose cask intended for loading with damaged spent nuclear fuel was issued recently. BAM as part of the competent authority system in Germany carried out a comprehensive assessment procedure with respect to the mechanical and thermal design, the release of radioactive material and the quality assurance aspects of manufacturing and operation. Packages for the transport and storage of radioactive material have been assessed by BAM for many years, thus the common assessment procedure is well-known and good practice. Up to now only SNF without defects or HLW with well-defined properties were designated for long-term Interim storage and transports afterwards. Due to Germany’s nuclear phase out all other kinds of spent nuclear fuel in particular damaged spent nuclear fuel shall be packed as well. Damaged spent nuclear fuel needs a tight closure with Special encapsulations and clearly defined properties in Germany. In addition, these encapsulations shall be long-term durable, because they are not accessible after loading in a packaging within periodical inspections. The main difference to Standard package components is that encapsulations with a permanent closure achieve their specified conditions not after manufacturing but only during operation, after loading and closing. To ensure compliance with the specific conditions, special measures for quality assurance are necessary during operation of each encapsulation, e.g. drying and sealing, which were assessed by BAM. The present paper gives an overview of the conducted assessment from BAM and point out the findings concerning to the special closure lid of the approved encapsulation, which is screwed and welded. A wide verification concept is necessary to show the specific tightness under transport conditions. Together with quality assurance measures during first operation steps these encapsulations with damaged spent nuclear fuel can be handled like standard fuel assemblies in approved package designs. T2 - International Conference on the Management of Spent Fuel from Nuclear Power Reactors CY - Vienna, Austria DA - 24.06.2019 KW - Transport package KW - Design approval KW - Spent nuclear fuel KW - Special encapsulation PY - 2019 SP - 1 EP - 9 AN - OPUS4-48749 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -