TY - CONF A1 - Rolle, Annette A1 - Neumeyer, Tino A1 - Ballheimer, Viktor A1 - Wille, Frank T1 - Investigations of Aged Metal Seals for Transport Package Safety Assessment N2 - Acceptable limits for activity release from transport casks for high-level radioactive material specified in the IAEA regulations must be kept by the integrity of cask body and the cask sealing system. BAM as the German competent authority for mechanical, thermal and containment assessment of packages liable for approval verifies the activity release compliance with the regulatory limits. One of the fundamental aspects in assessment is the specification of conservative package design leakage rates. To ensure the required package tightness for both, storage, and transport of the cask before and after storage usually metal seals of the Helicoflex® Type are used. Due to the long-term use the seal behavior is influenced by temperature and time. The mechanical and thermal loadings associated with the routine, normal and accident conditions of transport specified in the regulations can have a significant effect on the leak tightness of the sealing system. Whereas the safety for application of new, non- aged Helicoflex® seals is verified sufficiently, there are still technical data gaps concerning the efficiency of aged Helicoflex® seals. BAM performed experiments to learn more about the sealing efficiency of aged Helicoflex® seals with Aluminum and Silver outer jackets. The seals were compressed in test-flanges and for artificial ageing the complete flange systems were stored in an oven for several month at a high temperature. During the compression and decompression tests after the aging, load-deformation characteristics of the seals, and leakage rates were measured. With these tests a load situation was simulated, which can occur in the regulatory drop test of the cask: Under high impact loads the bolted lid can lift a little for a short moment, allowing a little movement of the seal, so that the contact area can change before compressing again. The poster presentation will show details about test conditions and first results. T2 - Interdisciplinary research symposium on the safety of nuclear disposal practices safeND2023 CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 13.09.2023 KW - Radioactive material KW - Sealing KW - Ageing KW - Leaktightnes PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-58436 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Rolle, Annette A1 - Neumeyer, Tino A1 - Ballheimer, Viktor A1 - Wille, Frank T1 - Investigations of Aged Metal Seals for Transport Package Safety Assessment N2 - Acceptable limits for activity release from transport casks for high-level radioactive material specified in the IAEA regulations must be kept by the integrity of cask body and the cask sealing system. BAM as the German competent authority for mechanical, thermal and containment assessment of packages liable for approval verifies the activity release compliance with the regulatory limits. The specification of conservative package design leakage rates is one of the most important aspects in assessment. Metal seals of the Helicoflex® Type are usually used to ensure the required package tightness for both, storage, and transport of the cask before and after storage. Due to the long-term use the seal behavior is influenced by temperature and time. The mechanical and thermal loadings associated with the routine, normal and accident conditions of transport specified in the regulations can have a significant effect on the leak tightness of the sealing system. Whereas the safety for application of new, non- aged Helicoflex® seals is verified sufficiently, there are still technical data gaps concerning the efficiency of aged Helicoflex® seals. BAM performed experiments to learn more about the sealing efficiency of aged Helicoflex® seals with Aluminum and Silver outer jackets. The seals were compressed in test-flanges and for artificial ageing the complete flange systems were stored in an oven for several month at a high temperature. After this ageing procedure the flanges were opened completely, the seals were moved a little to vary the contact area, and the flanges were compressed again. During the compression and decompression tests after the aging, load-deformation characteristics of the seals, and leakage rates were measured. With these tests a load situation was simulated, which can occur in the regulatory drop test of the cask: Under high impact loads the bolted lid can lift a little for a short moment, allowing a little movement of the seal, so that the contact area can change before compressing again. Details about test conditions and first results will be presented in the poster. T2 - RAMTrans 2024, 12th Internatiopnal Conference on the Transport , Storage and Disposal of Radioactive Materials CY - London, UK DA - 15.05.2024 KW - Seals KW - Ageing KW - Radioaktiv PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-60112 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 - JOUR A1 - Rolle, Annette A1 - Neumeyer, Tino T1 - Prüfung und Zulassung von radioaktiven Stoffen in besonderer Form N2 - Radioaktive Stoffe in besonderer Form (SFRM) sind nicht dispergierbare feste radioaktive Stoffe oder dichte Kapseln, die radioaktive Stoffe enthalten /1/. SFRM sind eine Kategorie innerhalb der verkehrsrechtlichen Vorschriften. Für die Beförderung zu Anwendern in der Industrie, Medizin und Forschung werden umschlossene radioaktive Stoffe (Strahler) gemäß ihrem aktivitätsabhängigen Gefahrenpotenzial verpackt. Strahler mit einer hohen Aktivität (> A2) erfordern entsprechend der verkehrsrechtlichen Vorschriften eine Beförderung in Typ B (U) Versandstücken, die als unfallsicher gelten. Alternativ besteht bis zu einer Aktivität < A1 die Möglichkeit der Beförderung in nicht unfallsicheren Typ A Versandstücken, wenn die Strahler nachweislich unfallsicher ausgelegt sind und eine Zulassung als SFRM vorliegt. Die Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und –prüfung (BAM) ist gemäß GGVSEB §8 (2) /2/ in Deutschland die zuständige Behörde für die Prüfung und Zulassung radioaktiver Stoffe in besonderer Form. KW - Zulassung KW - Radioaktiv KW - Beförderung KW - Strahlenschutz PY - 2020 SN - 0947-434 X IS - 1 SP - 14 EP - 16 PB - TÜV Media CY - Köln AN - OPUS4-50763 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Neumann, Martin A1 - Quercetti, Thomas A1 - Wille, Frank A1 - Gröke, Carsten A1 - Neumeyer, Tino T1 - Design assessment, approval of management systems and ageing aspects of transport packages for radioactive material not requiring competent authority approval of design N2 - Most transports of radioactive materials are carried out with packages not requiring competent authority approval of design. These encompass – in accordance with the IAEA SSR-6 regulations – packages of the classification excepted, Industrial packages Type 1, 2 and 3 and Type A packages. Currently an upsurge in number and variation of these package designs can be seen in Germany, resulting from the phase out of nuclear energy in Germany as well as e. g. increased use of radioactive material for medical purposes. A design assessment regarding the package safety is required in the international IAEA SSR-6 regulations. BAM operates facilities for the performance of all regulatory tests required such as drop towers for a wide range of package masses and dimensions, fire test, leak tightness measurements and pressure test facilities. Experiences with several package types are shown. Additionally, IAEA SSR-6 requires the establishment of a management system for design, manufacture, maintenance, and repair of the packaging as well as for the preparation, consigning, loading, carriage, unloading and receipt of the package. Relevant for Germany, BAM has published guidance material on the process of management system acceptance in the technical guide BAM-GGR 016. The requirements encompass quality management plans for the manufacturing of packages including independent manufacturing surveillance and specific instructions for operation, maintenance, and repair of packagings. Examples for management system specifics and requirements are given. Since the latest edition of the IAEA SSR-6 regulations an ageing evaluation including systematic ageing management measures are required for all kind of package types. BAM is going to update the guidance material BAM-GGR 016 to support the stakeholders with relevant information to fulfil the ageing aspect for packages not requiring competent authority approval. The paper explains how the ageing aspect may be included in the safety evaluation process and the management system measures and will give an outlook for the future guidance material. T2 - 20th International Symposium on the Packaging and Transportation of Radioactive Materials (PATRAM 22) CY - Juan-Les-Pins, Antibes, France DA - 11.06.2023 KW - Typ KW - Radioactive material KW - Non-approved PY - 2023 SP - 1 EP - 8 AN - OPUS4-57703 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 -