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Packages for the transport of radioactive material are designed to en-dure severe accidents. Packages for the transportation of radioactive material must demonstrate that the package can withstand certain prescribed tests from the IAEA Regulations [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 signifi-cantly 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 nozzles 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 corresponding 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 igni-tion of the wood filled impact limiters within the prescribed 30 minutes of the IAEA Regulations [1]. From a series of experiments, two experiments are pre-sented 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 temperature data, other data such as wind speed and wind direction are also recorded to explain subsequent effects in the measurement data in a comprehen-sible manner.
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.
Packages for the transport of radioactive material are designed to en-dure severe accidents. Packages for the transportation of radioactive material must demonstrate that the package can withstand certain prescribed tests from the IAEA Regulations [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 signifi-cantly 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 nozzles 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 corresponding 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 igni-tion of the wood filled impact limiters within the prescribed 30 minutes of the IAEA Regulations [1]. From a series of experiments, two experiments are pre-sented 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 temperature data, other data such as wind speed and wind direction are also recorded to explain subsequent effects in the measurement data in a comprehen-sible manner.
Germany had been transporting spent fuel to the reprocessing plant in Sellafield and La Hague for decades until around 2005. Resulting from the obligation to take back the vitrified high-level waste from reprocessing six CASTOR® HAW28M filled with 168 canisters with radioactive waste in vitrified form were transported from Sellafield to the interim storage facility Biblis in 2020. Rail wagons were used for the transport to the port in Barrow-in-Furness, where they were loaded into a dedicated seagoing vessel, certified as INF Class 3 according to the INF Code. This was the first time that vitrified high level waste with considerable heat load was transported under a German design approval certificate.
BAM was involved in the authority assessment of the conditions for the sea transport. For the first transport BAM required among others, assessment of temperature distribution during transport, logging of temperatures of cargo bays and graphical imaging of temperatures of the bay with the cask in order to ensure compliance with temperature specifications, e.g. maximal neutron absorber and gasket temperatures. Special interest was taken in the identification of possible events exceeding the specified temperatures considering the different philosophies of IMDG code and its supplement INF code regarding temperature control of hatches. Results show compliance with assumed conditions.
Germany had been transporting spent fuel to the reprocessing plant in Sellafield and La Hague for decades until around 2005. Resulting from the obligation to take back the vitrified high-level waste from reprocessing six CASTOR® HAW28M filled with 168 canisters with radioactive waste in vitrified form were transported from Sellafield to the interim storage facility Biblis in 2020. Rail wagons were used for the transport to the port in Barrow-in-Furness, where they were loaded into a dedicated seagoing vessel, certified as INF Class 3 according to the INF Code. This was the first time that vitrified high level waste with considerable heat load was transported under a German design approval certificate.
BAM was involved in the authority assessment of the conditions for the sea transport. For the first transport BAM required among others, assessment of temperature distribution during transport, logging of temperatures of cargo bays and graphical imaging of temperatures of the bay with the cask in order to ensure compliance with temperature specifications, e.g. maximal neutron absorber and gasket temperatures. Special interest was taken in the identification of possible events exceeding the specified temperatures considering the different philosophies of IMDG code and its supplement INF code regarding temperature control of hatches. Results show compliance with assumed conditions.
The BAM-GGR 016 explains the requirements of ADR, RID, ADN and IMDG for management systems for design, manufacturing, testing, documentation, use, maintenance, and inspection of packagings for package designs for the transport of radioactive material not requiring competent authority approval for all designs of exempted packages, packages type IP-1, IP-2, IP-3 and type A.
Evaluation of Heat Fluxes in Fire Reference Test Conducted in BAM Propane Gas Fire Test Facility
(2024)
Packages for the transport of intermediate- and high-level radioactive waste are designed to withstand severe accidents. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has established specific mechanical and thermal tests. Packages for the transport of radioactive material must withstand these tests to comply with the Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Materials IAEA [IAEA (2018)]. A fire reference package was developed with the primary objective to demonstrate that the fire meets the regulatory requirements. Another aim is to characterise the boundary conditions of the actual fire as input parameters for thermo-mechanical simulations. A simple method to characterise the boundary conditions of a real steady state fire with a fire reference package is presented. The thermal test mainly consists of a 30 minute fully engulfing 800°C pool fire or an equally severe fire, such as a propane gas fire. The fire reference tests are performed prior to the actual fire test with the real package. The heat fluxes into the package depend substantially on the fire characteristics and the surface temperature of the package. To investigate local and overall heat fluxes over a wide range of surface temperatures in this test facility a fire reference package was designed for repeated use. The fire reference package presented in this paper represents the outer geometry of a small transport container for radioactive material and is used as a device in civil engineering. It is designed as a closed steel sheet cylinder with a wall thickness of 10 mm, a length of 182 mm and a diameter of 102 mm. The package was instrumented with thermocouples and filled with heat resistant insulation material. Open-air fire tests were performed in a BAM propane gas fire test facility with the fire reference package. The measured temperatures are used to determine the changes of heat fluxes into the fire reference package in relation to the package surface temperature. The calculated heat fluxes allow its fitting to express the thermal exposure as simple mathematical boundary condition. Therefore, in a first approach, fire properties such as adiabatic surface temperature (AST) as proposed by Wickström et al. (2007), convection coefficient and emissivity are determined mathematically fitting the heat flux development presented in this paper. The evaluated results provide an initial picture of local fire characteristics of the conducted propane gas fire and are a further development of previous works from Feldkamp et al. (2020). The results can be used in thermal and thermo-mechanical models to simulate the load on the real transport package in fire. The test shows that the examined propane gas fire covers the IAEA-fire over a wide range of surface temperatures with the chosen test stand parameters.
Evaluation of Heat Fluxes in Fire Reference Test Conducted in BAM Propane Gas Fire Test Facility
(2024)
Packages for the transport of intermediate- and high-level radioactive waste are designed to withstand severe accidents. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has established specific mechanical and thermal tests. Packages for the transport of radioactive material must withstand these tests to comply with the Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Materials IAEA [IAEA (2018)]. A fire reference package was developed with the primary objective to demonstrate that the fire meets the regulatory requirements. Another aim is to characterise the boundary conditions of the actual fire as input parameters for thermo-mechanical simulations. A simple method to characterise the boundary conditions of a real steady state fire with a fire reference package is presented. The thermal test mainly consists of a 30 minute fully engulfing 800°C pool fire or an equally severe fire, such as a propane gas fire. The fire reference tests are performed prior to the actual fire test with the real package. The heat fluxes into the package depend substantially on the fire characteristics and the surface temperature of the package. To investigate local and overall heat fluxes over a wide range of surface temperatures in this test facility a fire reference package was designed for repeated use. The fire reference package presented in this paper represents the outer geometry of a small transport container for radioactive material and is used as a device in civil engineering. It is designed as a closed steel sheet cylinder with a wall thickness of 10 mm, a length of 182 mm and a diameter of 102 mm. The package was instrumented with thermocouples and filled with heat resistant insulation material. Open-air fire tests were performed in a BAM propane gas fire test facility with the fire reference package. The measured temperatures are used to determine the changes of heat fluxes into the fire reference package in relation to the package surface temperature. The calculated heat fluxes allow its fitting to express the thermal exposure as simple mathematical boundary condition. Therefore, in a first approach, fire properties such as adiabatic surface temperature (AST) as proposed by Wickström et al. (2007), convection coefficient and emissivity are determined mathematically fitting the heat flux development presented in this paper. The evaluated results provide an initial picture of local fire characteristics of the conducted propane gas fire and are a further development of previous works from Feldkamp et al. (2020). The results can be used in thermal and thermo-mechanical models to simulate the load on the real transport package in fire. The test shows that the examined propane gas fire covers the IAEA-fire over a wide range of surface temperatures with the chosen test stand parameters.
Die BAM-GGR 016 erläutert die Anforderungen des ADR, RID, ADN und IMDG hinsichtlich notwendiger Maßnahmen zum Qualitäts- und Alterungsmanagement bei der Auslegung, Herstellung, Prüfung, Dokumentation, Gebrauch, Wartung und Inspektion von nicht-zulassungspflichtigen Versandstücken für radioaktive Stoffe für alle Bauarten von freigestellten Versandstücken, Industrieversandstücken des Typs IP-1, IP-2 und IP-3 und Versandstücken des Typs A.
The safety demonstration of heavy weight type B transport packages used for storing spent nuclear fuel (SNF) or radioactive waste is ensured by a combination of physical testing and numerical calculations. While experiments are performed in accordance with the IAEA regulations for selected drop scenarios, Finite-Element-Method (FEM) simulations are used to predict the most damaging case and to investigate additional drop positions. BAM as competent authority in Germany has performed different investigations of a welding seam for a typical large transport package made of A508 forged steel, where the bottom plate is welded to the cylindrical shell. The package has a mass of approx. 120 t. Results of physical drop tests with a full-scale model and accompanying preliminary FEM simulations are presented to determine the decisive stresses in the welding seam. A drop test only represents one set of a package and test parameters. A further parameter analysis is considered to account for allowable variations of packaging properties (e.g. resulting from the manufacturing process) and, based on IAEA requirements, the temperature dependence of the material behaviour. The results of the stress analyses from the drop test and the simulation form the basis and provide the input parameters for a fracture mechanics analysis. In addition to the IAEA specifications, further standards are taken into account for an in-depth investigation, see R6 [1], BS 7910 [2] and API 579-1/ASME FFS1 [3]. All the above-mentioned standards require a manufacturer-specific defect analysis with respect to size and position. Both result from the welding process and the following heat treatment regime. The maximum defect sizes are ensured with non-destructive test methods (such as ultrasonic or particle methods) as integral part of the manufacturing process of the welding seam. Another important parameter in the welding process is the residual stress (secondary stress). The combination of the primary and secondary stress determines the total stress in the welding seam. The most damaging case of the welding seam is determined and evaluated with help of the abovementioned standards and taking into account the IAEA requirements with respect to defect sizes, material properties, primary and residual stress, yield strength etc.
Experimental and numerical investigation of prestressed bolt connections under lateral displacements
(2022)
The containment system of transport packages for spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste usually includes bolted lids with metal gaskets. The packages are assessed to specific transport conditions which are specified in the IAEA safety standards SSR-6 (IAEA 2018). These transport conditions, especially the so-called accident conditions of transport, imply high dynamic loading on the lids and the bolt connections of the package. The response of the lid systems on the mechanical accident conditions is generally investigated by experimental drop tests or numerically, e.g., by finite element analyses. The interpretation of the drop test results for the verification of the numerical models is often not obvious due to the complex superposition of different effects in the real tests. BAM has started a research project to get a better understanding about the behavior of prestressed bolt connections under loadings typical for these drop tests. In this context an experimental test set-up was developed to investigate the response of a single bolt connection under a prescribed lateral displacement of clamped parts. The bolt is instrumented by strain gauges to get the pretensional, the torsional and the bending stress in the bolt shank. Furthermore, the lateral movement and the tilt of the bolt head is measured during the test. A finite element model of the test set-up has been created in Abaqus FEA (Simulia 2021). The very detailed instrumentation of the test set-up shall give the opportunity to investigate and validate the numerical model. The aim of this paper is to give an overview about the proposed research project and to present first results.
The presentation gives an overview about the current experiences of BAM regarding ageing management of transport packages in Germany.
The concept of the BAM-GGR 023 for ageing management of transport packagings will be described.
The fundamentals of BAM-GGR 023 will be shown, including the following key aspects:
-the organization of an Ageing Management System (AMS),
-the issue of an Ageing Management Plan (AMP),
-the ageing evaluation as a part of the AMP,
-the Ageing Surveillance Program (ASP) as a part of the AMP,
-the Ageing Management Documentation (AMD).
Die Regelwerksanforderungen für Verpackungen für den Transport radioaktiver Stoffe basieren auf den Empfehlungen der IAEA und werden über die verkehrsträgerspezifischen internationalen Regelwerke in nationales Recht umgesetzt.
Um die Anforderungen des Regelwerkes zu erläutern, entwickelt die Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM) Gefahrgutregeln (BAM-GGR), welche die Entwickler, Hersteller und Betreiber von Behältern über die von der BAM angewandten Verfahren bei der Umsetzung gesetzlicher Bestimmungen informieren und unterstützen sollen.
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.
BAM acts as authority and for service in safety assessment of packages for transport and storage of radioactive materials. We offer extensive test capabilities and application of analytical methods for design verification and simulation for all types of packages for the transport and storage of radioactive materials according with the international IAEA Regulations for the safe transport and for national storage acceptance criteria. BAM operates several test facilities for drop and stacking testing, leak testing and thermal testing. The large drop test tower allows dropping full-scale specimens up to 200,000 kg in any drop orientation as requested. The comprehensive test facilities combined with long-term experience, newest equipment and measurement devices according to the latest state-of-the-art technology ensures realisation of complex test campaigns for package safety evaluation.
Beyond that, non-destructive and destructive material test devices and experts are available. Equipment and application of all kinds of typical measurement categories can be offered for testing campaigns.
In recent years we performed testing of full-scale type B package models with complex handling and preparation procedures. The results were contributed for different package design approval procedures. Type A packages mainly designed for medical related transport purposes, were continuously tested according to the transport regulations over recent years as well. Moreover, we work on research topics with relevance to package safety. The mechanical behaviour of lid closure systems under transport and storage conditions and the thermal behaviour of impact limiters were recently of special importance for the assessment competencies of BAM and were investigated under use of our test facilities.
The paper describes the test facilities and capabilities for package design safety evaluation at BAM and shows examples from our recent work.
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 (AMP). Therefore, an ageing surveillance program (ASP) and, if necessary, a gap analysis program has to 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.
BAM acts as authority and for service in safety assessment of packages for transport and storage of radioactive materials. We offer extensive test capabilities and application of analytical methods for design verification and simulation for all types of packages for the transport and storage of radioactive materials according with the international IAEA Regulations for the safe transport and for national storage acceptance criteria. BAM operates several test facilities for drop and stacking testing, leak testing and thermal testing. The large drop test tower allows dropping full-scale specimens up to 200,000 kg in any drop orientation as requested. The comprehensive test facilities combined with long-term experience, newest equipment and measurement devices according to the latest state-of-the-art technology ensures realisation of complex test campaigns for package safety evaluation.
Beyond that, non-destructive and destructive material test devices and experts are available. Equipment and application of all kinds of typical measurement categories can be offered for testing campaigns.
In recent years we performed testing of full-scale type B package models with complex handling and preparation procedures. The results were contributed for different package design approval procedures. Type A packages mainly designed for medical related transport purposes, were continuously tested according to the transport regulations over recent years as well. Moreover, we work on research topics with relevance to package safety. The mechanical behaviour of lid closure systems under transport and storage conditions and the thermal behaviour of impact limiters were recently of special importance for the assessment competencies of BAM and were investigated under use of our test facilities.
The paper describes the test facilities and capabilities for package design safety evaluation at BAM and shows examples from our recent work.
BAM-GGR 023 was published in June 2022
BAM-GGR 023 gives guidance to applicants regarding ageing management for competent authority approved package designs
Ageing management with evaluation of ageing mechanisms according to para 613A of IAEA SSR-6 (Rev. 1) and their effects are part of the general management system.
Essential items are: AMS (systemic-related), AMP (package design-related) and AMD (package-related)
There are different requirements for organization and extent of ageing management depending on type of use
There are also different requirements for ageing evaluation depending on type of use for packaging/package, classification of components and their accessibility and replaceability
Wood is widely used in impact limiters of Transport casks for radioactive material. Encapsulated by an outer and inner Steel structure, spruce wood is offen applied in layers of altemating direction. The friction at the interfaces between these layers is of crucial importance for the impact and energy absorption e.g., at an accidental impact of a cask against a hard component.
In order to get detailed Information for corresponding numerical calculations, in this study the friction coefficient for the combinations wood-wood and wood-steel was measured in the temperature ränge between -40 °C and 90 °C according to the relevant stress conditions for such casks. Results show decreasing friction with increasing temperature, ranging from 0.43 at -40 °C to 0.22 for 90 °C for wood-steel combinations and from 0.3 at -40 °C to 0.24 at 90 °C to for a wood-wood combination.
In accordance with the IAEA transport regulations, the design of special form radioactive material (SFRM) shall resist a severe transport accident without undue loss or dispersal of radioactive material. The safety assessment for design approval includes besides the program for physical tests (impact, percussion, bending and heat test) also the evaluation of the management system for design, manufacture, testing, documentation, use, maintenance, and inspection.
SFRM source design plus management system shall ensure, that every specimen of the approved design is able to survive the severe mechanical and thermal tests at any time of its SFRM-working life.
Due to the long-term use of SFRM designs in most cases, the assessment of the source ageing behavior is an important aspect in the approval procedure. Different fields of application imply a wide range of environmental conditions, from clean room atmosphere to highly aggressive industrial conditions. Besides of radioactive content, corrosion is a main factor for possible SFRM design degradation.
Although the IAEA Advisory Material SSG-26 already implies an indication of the need for considering ageing mechanisms, suitable amendments in the regulatory requirements of SSR-6 should be introduced to make the approval procedure more transparent and help to reduce rounds of questions by the authority. A supplementary requirement for considering of ageing mechanisms could be a helpful contribution to an international harmonization of the approval procedure.
This paper will describe major influencing factors to be considered to assess the ageing behavior of a SFRM design and will identify the need for a regulatory specification of a SFRM-working life as basis for the assessment of the SFRM design regarding time-dependent weakening. A proposal for an explicit requirement for consideration of ageing mechanisms in safety assessment of SFRM, which should be considered in the ongoing SSR-6 revision cycle, will be explained.
In accordance with the IAEA transport regulations, the design of special form radioactive material (SFRM) shall resist a severe transport accident without undue loss or dispersal of radioactive material. The safety assessment for design approval includes besides the program for physical tests (impact, percussion, bending and heat test) also the evaluation of the management system for design, manufacture, testing, documentation, use, maintenance, and inspection.
SFRM source design plus management system shall ensure, that every specimen of the approved design is able to survive the severe mechanical and thermal tests at any time of its SFRM-working life.
Due to the long-term use of SFRM designs in most cases, the assessment of the source ageing behavior is an important aspect in the approval procedure. Different fields of application imply a wide range of environmental conditions, from clean room atmosphere to highly aggressive industrial conditions. Besides of radioactive content, corrosion is a main factor for possible SFRM design degradation.
Although the IAEA Advisory Material SSG-26 already implies an indication of the need for considering ageing mechanisms, suitable amendments in the regulatory requirements of SSR-6 should be introduced to make the approval procedure more transparent and help to reduce rounds of questions by the authority. A supplementary requirement for considering of ageing mechanisms could be a helpful contribution to an international harmonization of the approval procedure.
This paper will describe major influencing factors to be considered to assess the ageing behavior of a SFRM design and will identify the need for a regulatory specification of a SFRM-working life as basis for the assessment of the SFRM design regarding time-dependent weakening. A proposal for an explicit requirement for consideration of ageing mechanisms in safety assessment of SFRM, which should be considered in the ongoing SSR-6 revision cycle, will be explained.
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.
The decommissioning or refurbishment of nuclear facilities necessitates either the storage or disposal of large radioactive components such as steam generators, pressurizers, reactor pressure vessels and heads, and coolant pumps, to list the major contributors. These components or objects are large in size and mass, measuring up to approximately 6 meters in diameter, up to 20 meters in length, and weighing over 400 000 kg. In many situations, the components are transported off-site to a storage, disposal or recycling/treatment facility. Previously, many large objects had to be transported under special arrangement.
The decommissioning or refurbishment of nuclear facilities necessitates either the storage or disposal of large radioactive components such as steam generators, pressurizers, reactor pressure vessels and heads, and coolant pumps, to list the major contributors. These components or objects are large in size and mass, measuring up to approximately 6 meters in diameter, up to 20 meters in length, and weighing over 400 000 kg. In many situations, the components are transported off-site to a storage, disposal or recycling/treatment facility. Previously, many large objects had to be transported under special arrangement
Packages for the transport of radioactive materials shall fulfil the requirements of the IAEA regulations for the safe transport. The requirements define mechanical and thermal test conditions including criteria ensuring the package design’s ability to withstand severe accidents and provide a high level of technical safety. Different methods can be used for safety demonstration showing compliance with the regulations.
The central part of a safety demonstration which is presented in this paper was a comprehensive drop test program with a full-scale model of a transport package accompanied by pre- and post-test FE analyses. Using full-scale drop test models allow the benefit that similarity and scaling issues become a significant smaller issue, additional material investigations can be limited and analyses for transferring test results to the original package design are reduced. Additionally, experience for the future serial packaging manufacturing and handling procedures can be collected in a very early state of the design approval process. The pre-test finite element analyses derived and justified the drop test program consisting of several drop sequences with different drop orientations of the specimen. The performance and the results of the drop test sequences shows the manageability and the advantage e.g., in view of the direct availability of test results for the package licensing. On the other hand, the drop test performance shows the difficulties during handling and the need for additional equipment during preparation of the specimen.
The package presented was intended for the transport and storage of compacted radioactive waste from reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel assemblies - designed and applied for approval by the AGC consortium. The project ended in 2021. The package design was characterized by a cask body made of a forged thick stainless-steel shell, a bolted double lid system with metallic gaskets and wood filled shock absorbers at both ends. The total mass of the entire transport package including content was 120,000 kg, the total length was about 7000 mm and the diameter approximately
3000 mm, both measures include the shock absorbers.
The paper provides an insight into the performance of a full-scale drop testing campaign within the package safety evaluation and shows some selected test results.
Packages for the transport of radioactive materials shall fulfil the requirements of the IAEA regulations for the safe transport. The requirements define mechanical and thermal test conditions including criteria ensuring the package design’s ability to withstand severe accidents and provide a high level of technical safety. Different methods can be used for safety demonstration showing compliance with the regulations.
The central part of a safety demonstration which is presented in this paper was a comprehensive drop test program with a full-scale model of a transport package accompanied by pre- and post-test FE analyses. Using full-scale drop test models allow the benefit that similarity and scaling issues become a significant smaller issue, additional material investigations can be limited and analyses for transferring test results to the original package design are reduced. Additionally, experience for the future serial packaging manufacturing and handling procedures can be collected in a very early state of the design approval process. The pre-test finite element analyses derived and justified the drop test program consisting of several drop sequences with different drop orientations of the specimen. The performance and the results of the drop test sequences shows the manageability and the advantage e.g., in view of the direct availability of test results for the package licensing. On the other hand, the drop test performance shows the difficulties during handling and the need for additional equipment during preparation of the specimen.
The package presented was intended for the transport and storage of compacted radioactive waste from reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel assemblies - designed and applied for approval by the AGC consortium. The project ended in 2021. The package design was characterized by a cask body made of a forged thick stainless-steel shell, a bolted double lid system with metallic gaskets and wood filled shock absorbers at both ends. The total mass of the entire transport package including content was 120,000 kg, the total length was about 7000 mm and the diameter approximately
3000 mm, both measures include the shock absorbers.
The paper provides an insight into the performance of a full-scale drop testing campaign within the package safety evaluation and shows some selected test results.
Fire Influence to Wood Filled Impact Limiters - Implications for the Package Design Safety Case
(2023)
Impact limiters with wooden components are widely used in the design of packages for transportation of radioactive material. In most designs, the wood is encapsulated with steel sheets. Impact limiters mainly determine the mechanical and thermal behaviour of the package in accident conditions of transport in accordance with the IAEA Regulations.
In context with research and development for package design approval competence, the thermal behaviour of heavy-weight packages was investigated at BAM with an artificially pre-damaged generic impact limiter design. Within this first investigation, the pre-damaged impact limiter with a diameter of 2.3 meters was mounted on a water tank simulating the thermal capacity of a cask during the fire test. The water tank is part of a water circulating system built of several components such as pump, heater, cooler, sliding valve, flow meter, thermocouples and control unit in order to measure the heat flux.
Furthermore, the investigations focus on the effects this additional heat generation would have on the cask and especially on the lid-closure system with the gasket.
The results of these experiments could find consideration in the safety case of the transport packages of radioactive material using wood filled impact limiters.
German spent nuclear fuel and high level waste is stored in dry conditions in interim storage facilities until a final repository will be ready for operation in the future. Dual purpose casks are used for the packaging of the materials to ensure transportability at any time during long-term interim storage and fulfilling both requirements from interim storage as well as transport. Germany’s 2011 decision to phase out utilization of nuclear energy has led to a high demand for casks for decommissioning power plants as quickly as possible. Cask serial production will continue at a high level for the next few years. In the process, a system of quality assurance measures ensures that every cask reliably complies with design specification according the transport approval certificate and storage license.
When the first casks were manufactured in Germany about 40 years ago, quality assurance was oriented towards pressure vessel and general nuclear manufacturing. The system was continuously adapted to the state of the art. In particular serial production, globalization of manufacturing and deep supplier chains had to be taken into account. The system of quality assurance measures applied today for cask manufacturing shall be presented here.
The quality assurance measures can be categorized as system-related and design-related. With respect to transport regulations for example, they are independently approved and monitored by the competent authority BAM and its authorized inspection experts. The qualification of the applicant is reviewed first in the context of the design approval procedure and then periodically. The qualification of component and cask manufacturers is also checked at the start of manufacturing and then periodically. Before the start of manufacturing documents such as quality plans are pre-assessed. Manufacturing and inspection are then performed according to the pre-assessed documents. Cask manufacturing is completed by a final inspection before commissioning. Periodic inspections during operation ensure preservation of the properties specified in the approval certificate over package life time. The type and the time interval of periodic inspections depend on the use of the package. For transport after interim storage a system of specific tests and inspections is prescribed.
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 [1] 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 [1] 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 [1] 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 [2]. 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 [1] 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 [2] 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.
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.
Friction coefficients for wood-wood and wood-steel interfaces in impact limiters for transport casks
(2023)
Wood is widely used in impact limiters of transport casks for radioactive material. Encapsulated by an outer and inner steel structure, spruce wood is often applied in layers of alternating direction. The friction at the interfaces between these layers is of crucial importance for the impact and energy absorption e.g., at an accidental impact of a cask against a hard target. In order to get detailed information for corresponding numerical calculations, in this study the friction coefficient for the combinations wood-wood and wood-steel was measured in the temperature range between -40°C and 90°C according to the relevant stress conditions for such casks. Results show decreasing friction with increasing temperature, ranging from 0.43 at -40°C to 0.22 for 90°C for wood-steel combinations and from 0.3 at -40°C to 0.24 at 90°C to for a wood-wood combination.
The safety demonstration of heavy weight type B transport packages used for storing spent nuclear fuel (SNF) or radioactive waste is ensured by a combination of physical testing and numerical calculations. While experiments are performed in accordance with the IAEA regulations for selected drop scenarios, Finite-Element-Method (FEM) simulations are used to predict the most damaging case and to investigate additional drop positions.
BAM as competent authority in Germany has performed different investigations of a welding seam for a typical large transport package made of A508 forged steel, where the bottom plate is welded to the cylindrical shell. The package has a mass of approx. 120 t. Results of physical drop tests with a full-scale model and accompanying preliminary FEM simulations are presented to determine the decisive stresses in the welding seam. A drop test only represents one set of a package and test parameters. A further parameter analysis is considered to account for allowable variations of packaging properties (e.g. resulting from the manufacturing process) and, based on IAEA requirements, the temperature dependence of the material behaviour. The results of the stress analyses from the drop test and the simulation form the basis and provide the input parameters for a fracture mechanics analysis. In addition to the IAEA specifications, further standards are taken into account for an in-depth investigation, see R6 [1], BS 7910 [2] and API 579-1/ASME FFS1 [3].
All the above-mentioned standards require a manufacturer-specific defect analysis with respect to size and position. Both result from the welding process and the following heat treatment regime. The maximum defect sizes are ensured with non-destructive test methods (such as ultrasonic or particle methods) as integral part of the manufacturing process of the welding seam. Another important parameter in the welding process is the residual stress (secondary stress). The combination of the primary and secondary stress determines the total stress in the welding seam. The most damaging case of the welding seam is determined and evaluated with help of the above-mentioned standards and taking into account the IAEA requirements with respect to defect sizes, material properties, primary and residual stress, yield strength etc.
The safety demonstration of heavy weight type B transport packages used for storing spent nuclear fuel (SNF) or radioactive waste is ensured by a combination of physical testing and numerical calculations. While experiments are performed in accordance with the IAEA regulations for selected drop scenarios, Finite-Element-Method (FEM) simulations are used to predict the most damaging case and to investigate additional drop positions.
BAM as competent authority in Germany has performed different investigations of a welding seam for a typical large transport package made of A508 forged steel, where the bottom plate is welded to the cylindrical shell. The package has a mass of approx. 120 t. Results of physical drop tests with a full-scale model and accompanying preliminary FEM simulations are presented to determine the decisive stresses in the welding seam. A drop test only represents one set of a package and test parameters. A further parameter analysis is considered to account for allowable variations of packaging properties (e.g. resulting from the manufacturing process) and, based on IAEA requirements, the temperature dependence of the material behaviour. The results of the stress analyses from the drop test and the simulation form the basis and provide the input parameters for a fracture mechanics analysis. In addition to the IAEA specifications, further standards are taken into account for an in-depth investigation, see R6, BS 7910 and API 579-1/ASME FFS1.
All the above-mentioned standards require a manufacturer-specific defect analysis with respect to size and position. Both result from the welding process and the following heat treatment regime. The maximum defect sizes are ensured with non-destructive test methods (such as ultrasonic or particle methods) as integral part of the manufacturing process of the welding seam. Another important parameter in the welding process is the residual stress (secondary stress). The combination of the primary and secondary stress determines the total stress in the welding seam. The most damaging case of the welding seam is determined and evaluated with help of the above-mentioned standards and taking into account the IAEA requirements with respect to defect sizes, material properties, primary and residual stress, yield strength etc.
Friction coefficients for wood-wood and wood-steel interfaces in impact limiters for transport casks
(2023)
Wood is widely used in impact limiters of transport casks for radioactive material. Encapsulated by an outer and inner steel structure, spruce wood is often applied in layers of alternating direction. The friction at the interfaces between these layers is of crucial importance for the impact and energy absorption e.g., at an accidental impact of a cask against a hard target. In order to get detailed information for corresponding numerical calculations, in this study the friction coefficient for the combinations wood-wood and wood-steel was measured in the temperature range between -40°C and 90°C according to the relevant stress conditions for such casks. Results show decreasing friction with increasing temperature, ranging from 0.43 at -40°C to 0.22 for 90°C for wood-steel combinations and from 0.3 at -40°C to 0.24 at 90°C to for a wood-wood combination.
A small cylindrical fire reference package was designed. A fire test setup was created using the fire reference package in accordance with IAEA standards. Four propane gas fire tests were conducted to determine heat fluxes into the fire reference package. The initial test setup was modified to create the final design of the fire test facility. This allowed for the heat flux to be adjusted to meet the regulatory IAEA fire qualification criteria. Furthermore, a numerical model of the fire reference package was created using boundary conditions derived from the experimental data. The simulation results demonstrated good agreement with the experimental data and provided additional insights.
Übersicht über die gefahrgutrechtlichen Anforderungen zur Bauartprüfung und dem Qualitätsmanagement für Verpackungen für nicht zulassungspflichtige Versandstücke.
The friction at the interfaces between pieces of wood and steel is of crucial importance for the impact and energy absorption in impact limiters of transport casks for radioactive material. Here, the friction coefficient for the combinations wood-wood and wood-steel was measured in the temperature range between -40°C and 90°C. Results show decreasing friction with increasing temperature, ranging from 0.43 at -40°C to 0.22 for 90°C for wood-steel combinations and from 0.3 at -40°C to 0.24 at 90°C for a wood-wood combination.
Für die Beförderung von umschlossenen radioaktiven Stoffen (Strahler) können Transporterleichterungen gelten, wenn das Strahlerdesign nachweislich unfallsicher ausgelegt ist und eine Zulassung als radioaktiver Stoff in besonderer Form vorliegt. Die in Deutschland zuständige Behörde für die Prüfung und Zulassung radioaktiver Stoffe in besonderer Form ist die Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und –prüfung (BAM).
Eine oft langfristige Nutzung der Strahler kann eine alterungsbedingte Schwächung der Umschließung des radioaktiven Stoffes zur Folge haben. Jeder Strahler einer zugelassenen Bauart muss jedoch im Beförderungsfall zu jeder Zeit, auch nach längerer Nutzung, den vorgeschriebenen Prüfanforderungen genügen. Die Alterungsbewertung auf der Grundlage einer vom Antragsteller zu spezifizierenden Nutzungsdauer des radioaktiven Stoffes in besonderer Form ist seit langer Zeit Bestandteil des Zulassungsverfahrens in Deutschland. Ein von Deutschland eingebrachter Vorschlag im Rahmen der anstehenden Revision der IAEA Empfehlungen für die sichere Beförderung von radioaktiven Stoffen (SSR-6) soll die Lesbarkeit des Regelwerkes bezüglich der Alterungsbewertung verbessern, Klarheit über die damit verbundenen Anforderungen erzeugen und damit zu einer Harmonisierung der Zulassungsverfahren auf internationaler Ebene beitragen. In diesem Beitrag sollen wichtige Einflussfaktoren auf das Alterungsverhalten von radioaktiven Stoffen in besonderer Form aufgezeigt und die Notwendigkeit für die Spezifikation einer Nutzungsdauer als Grundlage für die Alterungsbewertung begründet werden. Der deutsche Vorschlag für die Revision des IAEA Regelwerks zum sicheren Transport radioaktiver Stoffe (SSR-6) wird vorgestellt und erläutert.
With our experiments we want to simulate a load situation which can result from a cask vertical drop test. The lid can lift a little for a very short moment and that can perhaps result in a little movement of the seal, a little rotation or a little lateral movement, so that the contact section can change. The aim of the project is to learn more about the sealing efficiency after the seal is compressed again. What we know from former component tests with non-aged seals is, that the leakage rate measured after one or more decompression /compression cycles with seal movement becomes significant higher. And this result is considered for specification of design leakage rates for release calculation in safety cases.
In the recent years we all have learned more about the significant influence of temperature and time on seal behavior and so the plan was to do similar experiments with aged seals, just to get an idea about seal behavior and achievable leakage rates.
What we did in detail is:
We compressed Helicoflex-seals of both design types, with Aluminum and Silver outer jackets, in testflanges and aged them in an oven at a temperature of 125°C for 3 months to produce seal properties comparable with properties after several years use at more typical operating temperatures between 90 and 100°C.
After this ageing procedure we opened the flanges completely, moved the seal a little to vary the contact area and compressed the flanges again. What we measured during all compression and decompression cycles was the load, the deformation and -as long as possible- the leakage rates.
Untersuchung einer Schweißnaht mit verschiedenen Codes. Vergleiche von experimentellen und numerischen Ergebnissen
Packages for the transport of Spent Nuclear Fuel and high active radioactive waste are designed to withstand severe accidents. Specific mechanical and thermal tests are defined in the IAEA Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Materials in order to cover these hypothetical severe accidents. The thermal test mainly consists of a 30 minute fully engulfing fire. Components such as the package impact limiters can lead to supplementary energy release during the thermal test as they might continue burning after the fire phase. Local heat flux into the package can occur. Measurement of heat flux into the package is of importance to evaluate component temperatures and review their acceptance. The usability of heat flux sensors and temperature measurement equipment has to be tested to apply them in impact limiter fire testing. Further questions arise such as :“Is the infrared camera a useful tool to determine heat flux at the boundary surface?”
Falltürme sind Bauwerke, die als Versuchsanlagen sehr speziellen, impulsartigen Belastungen ausgesetzt sind. Am Fallturm auf dem Testgelände Technische Sicherheit (TTS) der BAM wurde bei Routineinspektionen eine Abnahme der strukturellen Integrität in Form von Vorspannungsverlusten in den Bolzen der Stahlverbindungen festgestellt. Um ein Verständnis für die zugrundeliegenden Trag- und Schädigungsmechanismen zu erlangen, wurde ein umfassendes Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) System geplant und am Bauwerk installiert unter Nutzung von digitalen Bauwerksmodellen. Für die Auslegung des Überwachungssystems, insbesondere aber zur Unterstützung der Untersuchung des Schädigungsprozesses, wurden Finite-Elemente-Modelle erstellt. Um sicherzustellen, dass die FE-Modelle das reale Tragwerksverhalten mit ausreichender Genauigkeit abbilden, mussten sie jedoch in Bezug auf die gemessenen Antworten des Tragwerks kalibriert werden. Der vorliegende Beitrag beschreibt experimentelle und numerische Untersuchungen zur Identifizierung des strukturellen Systems des Stahlrohrgitterturms in Vorbereitung einer Überwachungskampagne. Die Auswertung von gemessenen Schwingungen unter ambienter Anregung ermöglichte die Identifizierung der Eigenfrequenzen mehrerer globaler Schwingungsmoden des Fallturms. Zur Modellvalidierung wurde zunächst eine Sensitivitätsanalyse durchgeführt, um die Parameter mit dem größten Einfluss zu ermitteln. Anschließend wurde ein evolutionärer Algorithmus (EA) zur Optimierung nach dem Prinzip der Minimierung der Differenzen zwischen gemessenen und simulierten charakteristischen Antworten eingesetzt. Das aktualisierte Modell wurde schließlich an der dynamischen Reaktion der Turmstruktur infolge einer realen Falltest-induzierten Stoßbelastung validiert. Die Ergebnisse zeigten eine gute Übereinstimmung zwischen numerischen und experimentellen Ergebnissen.
The decommissioning or refurbishment of nuclear facilities necessitates either the storage or disposal of large radioactive components such as steam generators, pressurizers, reactor pressure vessels and heads, and coolant pumps, to list the major contributors. These components or objects are large in size and mass, measuring up to approximately 6 meters in diameter, up to 20 meters in length, and weighing over 400 000 kg. In many situations, the components are transported off-site to a storage, disposal or recycling/treatment facility. Previously, many large objects had to be transported under special arrangement.
The latest 2018 edition of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material, No. SSR-6 [1], incorporates regulations for the shipment of large objects as a new category of surface contaminated object, SCO-III, based on the IAEA “performance package” concept. This paper provides background and practical guidance on these regulations.
Additionally, the experiences of BAM with the appoval of two steam converters of the NPP Lingen are presented as the first approval process for SCO-III objects in Germany.
The primary additions to SSR-6 include SCO-III classification and requirements, approval and administrative requirements for the new classification, and the addition of SCO-III to the proper shipping
name for UN 2913. Advisory material drafted for the new requirements will be included in the next revision of SSG-26, Advisory Material for the IAEA Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material, expected to be published soon.
Note that at this time the proposed provisions for large objects do not include components such as reactor vessels, due to the more limited experience and greater radioactivity levels. The SCO-III concept lays the groundwork and may be extended to cover other large objects that are classified as low specific activity (LSA) material in the future.
Experimental and numerical investigation of prestressed bolt connections under lateral displacements
(2022)
The containment system of transport packages for spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste usually includes bolted lids with metal gaskets. The packages are assessed to specific transport conditions which are specified in the IAEA safety standards SSR-6 (IAEA 2018). These transport conditions, especially the so-called accident conditions of transport, imply high dynamic loading on the lids and the bolt connections of the package. The response of the lid systems on the mechanical accident conditions is generally investigated by experimental drop tests or numerically, e.g., by finite element analyses. The interpretation of the drop test results for the verification of the numerical models is often not obvious due to the complex superposition of different effects in the real tests. BAM has started a research project to get a better understanding about the behavior of prestressed bolt connections under loadings typical for these drop tests. In this context an experimental test set-up was developed to investigate the response of a single bolt connection under a prescribed lateral displacement of clamped parts. The bolt is instrumented by strain gauges to get the pretensional, the torsional and the bending stress in the bolt shank. Furthermore, the lateral movement and the tilt of the bolt head is measured during the test. A finite element model of the test set-up has been created in Abaqus FEA (Simulia 2021). The very detailed instrumentation of the test set-up shall give the opportunity to investigate and validate the numerical model. The aim of this paper is to give an overview about the proposed research project and to present first results.
Neue SCO-III Regularien für den Transport grosser Gegenstände als oberflächenkontaminierte Objekte
(2022)
The decommissioning or refurbishment of nuclear facilities necessitates either the storage or disposal of large radioactive components such as steam generators, pressurizers, reactor pressure vessels and heads, and coolant pumps, to list the major contributors. These components or objects are large in size and mass, measuring up to approximately 6 meters in diameter, up to 20 meters in length, and weighing over 400 000 kg. In many situations, the components are transported off-site to a storage, disposal or recycling/treatment facility. Previously, many large objects had to be transported under special arrangement.
The latest 2018 edition of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material, No. SSR-6 [1], incorporates regulations for the shipment of large objects as a new category of surface contaminated object, SCO-III, based on the IAEA “performance package” concept. This paper provides background and practical guidance on these regulations. Additionally, the experiences of BAM with the appoval of two steam converters of the NPP Lingen are presented as the first approval process for SCO-III objects in Germany.
The primary additions to SSR-6 include SCO-III classification and requirements, approval and administrative requirements for the new classification, and the addition of SCO-III to the proper shipping name for UN 2913. Advisory material drafted for the new requirements will be included in the next revision of SSG-26, Advisory Material for the IAEA Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material, expected to be published soon. Note that at this time the proposed provisions for large objects do not include components such as reactor vessels, due to the more limited experience and greater radioactivity levels. The SCO-III concept lays the groundwork and may be extended to cover other large objects that are classified as low specific activity (LSA) material in the future.
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.
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.
CASTOR-Behälter sollen den Auswirkungen schwerster Unfälle standhalten und müssen dabei ihre Sicherheitsfunktionen beibehalten. Dazu zählen der sichere Einschluss des radioaktiven Inventars mit nachgewiesener Behälterintegrität und -dichtheit, die ausreichende Abschirmung der radioaktiven Strahlung, die Ableitung der von den Brennelementen ausgehenden Wärme und der Ausschluss des Entstehens einer nuklearen Kettenreaktion, d.h. die Kritikalitätssicherheit sind zu gewährleisten.
Zum Nachweis dieser Fähigkeiten werden die Behälter gegen Stoß, Aufprall, Durchstoßen, Feuer sowie beim Eintauchen in Wasser geprüft. Durch diese Tests werden Beanspruchungen aus potentiellen schweren Unfällen abdeckend simuliert. Die hierfür erforderlichen experimentellen Tests, aber auch die Prüfung und Entwicklung komplexer rechnerischer Simulationen des Behälterverhaltens unter Anwendung der Finite-Elemente-Methode erfolgen bei der Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM).
Die Basis bildet das Regelwerk der Internationalen Atom- und Energieorganisation (IAEO) zum sicheren Transport von radioaktiven Stoffen, welches international harmonisierte Schutzziele und Prüfanforderungen definiert. Die seit 60 Jahren praktizierte stetige Weiterentwicklung der Sicherheitsanforderungen trägt aktuellen Erkenntnissen, Erfahrungen und Risikoanalysen Rechnung. Die Brennelementbehälter werden mechanischen Prüfungen sowie Brand- und Wasserdruckprüfungen unterzogen. Hierdurch wird nachgewiesen, dass sie den Auswirkungen eines schweren Unfalls standhalten können.
Nur Behälter die zweifelsfrei die kumulativen mechanischen und thermischen Tests und auch die Wasserdruckprüfung mit Erfüllen aller Schutzziele bestehen, bekommen eine Zulassung, die es erlaubt die Behälter zu transportieren.
Investigation of the internal impact during a 9 m drop test of an accident-safe waste package
(2021)
The safety assessment of packages for the transport of radioactive material follows the IAEA regulations and guidance. The specified regulatory tests cover severe accidents and demonstrate the package containment system integrity.
Special attention must be drawn to the behaviour of the content which could move inside the package due to unpreventable gaps caused by the loading procedure and the structure of the content. A possible internal impact of the content which occurs during the drop tests onto the lid system is investigated. The IAEA regulations SSR-6 and the Guidance SSG-26, revised recently, consider input from Germany and France related to the significance of internal gaps.
In the context of a waste package design assessment, a model was equipped with a representative content to conduct a drop test with an internal impact. The weight and kinetic impact of this content covered all possible real contents. The objective of the test was to maximize the load onto the lid system and to prove the mechanical integrity by complying with the required leak tightness. The test was conducted
conservatively at a package temperature lower than -40 °C at the BAM Test Site Technical Safety.
This paper gives an overview of efforts to address internal gaps and their consequences, and the BAM efforts with the implementation of this topic into IAEA regulations and guidance material. The paper then focuses on the conduction of a drop test and investigation of internal component impact.
Investigation of the internal impact during a 9 m drop test of an accident-safe waste package
(2021)
The safety assessment of packages for the transport of radioactive material follows the IAEA regulations and guidance. The specified regulatory tests cover severe accidents and demonstrate the package containment system integrity. Special attention must be drawn to the behaviour of the content which could move inside the package due to unpreventable gaps caused by the loading procedure and the structure of the content. A possible internal impact of the content which occurs during the drop tests onto the lid system is investigated. The IAEA regulations SSR-6 and the Guidance SSG-26, revised recently, consider input from Germany and France related to the significance of internal gaps.
In the context of a waste package design assessment, a model was equipped with a representative content to conduct a drop test with an internal impact. The weight and kinetic impact of this content covered all possible real contents. The objective of the test was to maximize the load onto the lid system and to prove the mechanical integrity by complying with the required leak tightness. The test was conducted conservatively at a package temperature lower than -40 °C at the BAM Test Site Technical Safety.
This paper gives an overview of efforts to address internal gaps and their consequences, and the BAM efforts with the implementation of this topic into IAEA regulations and guidance material. The paper then focuses on the conduction of a drop test and investigation of internal component impact.
Stoßdämpfer, die zum Schutz von Behältern zum Transport radioaktiver Stoffe eingesetzt werden und welche häufig aus von Stahlblech ummantelten, geschichtetem Holz bestehen, reduzieren bei einem etwaigen Unfall die auf den Behälterkörper wirkende mechanische Belastung erheblich. In Zulassungsverfahren muss die Sicherheit der jeweiligen Behälterkonstruktion nachgewiesen werden, wobei u. a. der Nachweis erbracht werden muss, dass die Behälter definierten Prüfbedingungen widerstehen. Diese beinhalten Aufprallsequenzen aus verschiedenen Höhen und Positionen sowie ein anschließendes das Versandstück 30 min lang allumhüllendes Feuer bei 800°C. Falls Stoßdämpfer infolge der 30-minütigen Feuerbeanspruchung in Brand geraten, dürfen diese unter den Prüfbedingungen nicht gelöscht werden. Die Auswirkungen auf die Sicherheit des Behälters sind hierbei zu untersuchen. Das ist die Basis für die in dieser Arbeit durchgeführten Untersuchungen zum Brandverhalten von stahlblechumkapselten Holzstrukturen mit dem Ziel der Bewertung der daraus resultierenden zusätzlichen thermischen Belastung auf den Behälter. Ein wesentlicher Bestandteil war die Durchführung eines Großbrandversuchs, bei dem ein originalgroßer Stoßdämpfer auf dem Brandprüfstand während einer 30-minütigen Feuerphase entzündet wurde. Der Stoßdämpfer hatte ein Volumen von 3m³ und war mit aus den Prüfbedingungen resultierenden Vorschädigungen versehen. Es wurde ein Prüfstand zur Messung der variablen Wärmeleistung des brennenden Stoßdämpfers entwickelt. Die Wärme wird dabei in den Energieaufnahmebehälter (EAB) eingetragen. Aufgrund der entwickelten Temperaturregelung konnte die Wärmeleistung mit geringen Messfehlern bestimmt werden. Dabei wurde der EAB um maximal 10 K erwärmt. Im Großbrandversuch wurde gezeigt, dass der vorgeschädigte Stoßdämpfer 72 h lang brannte und dass eine signifikante Wärmeleistung in den EAB eingetragen wurde. Die während des Stoßdämpferbrands erzeugte Energie betrug ein Vielfaches im Vergleich zur Wärmeleistung, die allein durch das IAEA-Feuer eingetragen wird. Temperaturen von bis zu 1100°C wurden erreicht. Im Versuch wurde Flammenschlagen im Stoßdämpferinnern und das Glühen der Stoßdämpferstahlblechummantelung beobachtet. Bewusst dessen, dass ein einzig durchgeführter Brandversuch nur unzulängliche Aussagekraft hat, um das Brandverhalten von Stoßdämpfern zu beschreiben, wurde in weiteren Kleinbrandversuchen die Parameterabhängigkeit beim Brand von stahlblechumkapselten Holzstrukturen untersucht. Dafür wurde das Brandverhalten von 8 zylinderförmigen 0,07m³ großen Probekörpern bei variabler Schadstellengröße getestet. In der Bewertung der Kleinbrandversuche konnte gezeigt werden, dass eine kritische Schadstellengröße existiert und welche Streubreite in den Kleinbrandversuchen vorliegt. Die Kleinbrandversuche können damit Aufschluss darüber geben, welche Abweichungen in weiteren Großbrandversuchen zu erwarten wären.
With integration of the new para 613A into SSR-6 [1] the consideration of ageing mechanisms is now obligatory for the design of packages and their approval. In addition, para 809(f) of SSR-6 [1] requires consideration of the effects of storage on ageing mechanisms, safety analyses and operation and maintenance instructions.
German competent authorities Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM) and Bundesamt für die Sicherheit der nuklearen Entsorgung (BASE) are considering the aspect of ageing in approval procedures. Ageing assessment is mainly focused on dual purpose casks (DPC) package designs which are long-term stored in interim storage facilities.
Transport containers with radioactive material are usually shipped in Germany with wooden-filled impact limiters. Alternative energy-absorbing materials for this purpose can be polyurethane foam, for example. In order to adequately determine the characteristics for a selected PU foam, various experimental investigations must be carried out. Classically, PU foam specimens are tested under uniaxial compression, confined compression and a tensile test. Using the experimental data and selected material models from the literature, the parameters can be determined to describe and apply material models.
Transport containers with radioactive material are usually shipped in Germany with wooden-filled impact limiters. Alternative energy-absorbing materials for this purpose can be polyurethane foam, for example. In order to perform adequate simulations with PU foam, experimental and numerical investigations must be carried out. With the help of a series of experimental test runs, a material model is developed, tested and compared in LS-Dyna.
The containment system of transport packages for spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste usually includes bolted lids with metal gaskets. The specified transport condition imply high loading on the lids and the bolt connections of the package. The response of the lid systems on these load conditions is generally investigated by drop tests or numerically. BAM has started a research project to get a better understanding about the behavior of prestressed bolt connection under loadings typical for drop tests.
The presentation gives an overview over three current fire testing activities for testing transport packages for the transport of high-level radioactive material. Packages for the transport of high-level radioactive material must withstand severe hypothetical accidents. Regulatory test conditions shall cover these severe accident conditions and consist of mechanical tests and a following thermal test. To withstand the mechanical tests heavy weight packages are often designed with impact limiters consisting of wood encapsulated in steel sheets. The thermal test is defined precisely in the IAEA-regulations as a 30 minute fully engulfing 800 °C fire. After the fire phase a pre-damaged impact limiter might continue burning or smoldering and influence the cask thermal behavior with its energy release. The energy transferred from the impact limiter to the cask is of importance for the safety of transport packages. A full-scale fire test with an impact limiter of 2.3 m in diameter and filled with spruce wood was designed and performed. The impact limiter continued burning for 3 days. Energy transfer and temperature measurements were performed. A new test is designed to examine pressure build up and possible mechanical failures in an undamaged impact limiter with a diameter of 1.9 m. The test is designed to measure heat flux from the impact limiter in case of its ignition and burning. To furthermore examine the burning behavior of steel encapsulated wood piles, tests are prepared with wood fire containers and an infrared ignition source. A fire reference package for calorimetric tests was designed. The fire reference package design consists of a closed steel sheet cylinder with a length of 1,500 mm, an exterior diameter of 1,050 mm, and a wall thickness of 10 mm. The cylinder was filled with refractory insulation material and instrumented with thermocouples distributed all over the cylinder. The measured local steel sheet temperatures allow the determination of local as well as overall integral heat fluxes versus time and versus surface temperature. Currently, tests are planned with a new and relatively small fire reference package design. The new design will have a steel sheet cylinder with a length of 182 mm, an exterior diameter of 120 mm. Additionally heat flux sensors will be used in the new fire reference package test design. The propane gas fire will be adjusted with respect to the outcome of the fire tests to meet the requirements of the IAEA-fire.
With integration of the new para 613A into SSR-6 [1] the consideration of ageing mechanisms is now obligatory for the design of packages and their approval. In addition, para 809(f) of SSR-6 [1] requires consideration of the effects of storage on ageing mechanisms, safety analyses and operation and maintenance instructions.
German competent authorities Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM) and Bundesamt für die Sicherheit der nuklearen Entsorgung (BASE) are considering the aspect of ageing in approval procedures. Ageing assessment is mainly focused on dual purpose casks (DPC) package designs which are long-term stored in interim storage facilities. For these package designs, the evaluation of ageing management is now mandatory for the maintenance of the package design approvals with a validity period of 5 years and beyond. The ageing management includes amongst others a gap analysis, the assessment of ageing effects and operational experiences during operation and interim storage.
BAM works on the compilation of a guideline for implementation of paras 613A, 809(f) and 809(k) for packages requiring competent authority approval at the application procedure in Germany. The paper describes essential items of ageing mechanisms and will give a foresight to the ageing management evaluation by BAM.
With integration of the new para 613A into SSR-6 [1] the consideration of ageing mechanisms is now obligatory for the design of packages and their approval. In addition, para 809(f) of SSR-6 [1] requires consideration of the effects of storage on ageing mechanisms, safety analyses and operation and maintenance instructions.
German competent authorities Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM) and Bundesamt für die Sicherheit der nuklearen Entsorgung (BASE) are considering the aspect of ageing in approval procedures. Ageing assessment is mainly focused on dual purpose casks (DPC) package designs which are long-term stored in interim storage facilities. For these package designs, the evaluation of ageing management is now mandatory for the maintenance of the package design approvals with a validity period of 5 years and beyond. The ageing management includes amongst others a gap analysis, the assessment of ageing effects and operational experiences during operation and interim storage.
BAM works on the compilation of a guideline for implementation of paras 613A, 809(f) and 809(k) for packages requiring competent authority approval at the application procedure in Germany. The paper describes essential items of ageing mechanisms and will give a foresight to the ageing management evaluation by BAM.
Numerical Analysis for an Electro‐Magneto‐Mechanical Phenomenon with High‐Order Accurate Methods
(2021)
This paper establishes an axisymmetric model for a levitation device. Therein, the Maxwell equations are combined with the balance of linear momentum. Different possible formulations to describe the MAXWELL equations are presented and compared and discussed in the example. A high order finite element discretization using GALERKIN's method in space and the generalized NEWMARK‐α method in time are developed for the electro‐magneto‐mechanical approach. Several studies on spatial and temporal discretization with respect to convergence will be investigated. In addition, the boundary influences and the domain size with respect to the levitation device are also examined.
Packages for the transport of spent nuclear fuel shall meet the International Atomic Energy Agency regulations to ensure safety under different transport conditions. The physical state of spent fuel and the fuel rod cladding as well as the geometric configuration of fuel assemblies are important inputs for the evaluation of package capabilities under these conditions. Generally, the mechanical behavior of high burn-up spent fuel assemblies under transport conditions shall be analyzed with regard to the assumptions which are used in the containment and criticality safety analysis. Considering the complexity of the interactions between the fuel rods as well as between the fuel assemblies, basket, and cask containment, the exact mechanical analysis of such phenomena is nearly impossible. The gaps in Information concerning the material properties of cladding and pellet behavior, especially for the high burn-up fuel, make the analysis more complicated additionally. As a result, enveloping analytical approaches are usually used by BAM within the safety assessment of packages approved for transport of spent nuclear fuel.
To justify the safety margins of such approaches additional analyses are necessary. In this paper, numerical simulations of a spent fuel assembly Segment are presented. The segment modeled represents the part of a generalized BWR fuel assembly between two spacers.
Dynamic and quasi-static finite element calculations are performed to simulate the spent fuel behavior under regulatory defined accident conditions of transport. Beam elements are used for the modeling of the fuel rods representing the compound consisting of claddings and fuel pellets. The dynamic load applied is gathered from an experimental drop test with a spent fuel cask performed at BAM. A hot cell bending test performed at JRC Karlsruhe is the basis for obtaining the material behavior of the fuel rods. The material properties are determined by simulating the test setup of JRC and optimizing the results to fit the experimental load deflection curve. The simulations of the fuel assembly segment are used to get a better understanding about the loads on fuel rods under accident conditions of transport.
Packages for the transport of spent nuclear fuel shall meet the International Atomic Energy Agency regulations to ensure safety under different Transport conditions. The physical state of spent fuel and the fuel rod cladding as well as the geometric configuration of fuel assemblies are important inputs for the evaluation of package capabilities under these conditions. Generally, the mechanical behavior of high burn-up spent fuel assemblies under Transport conditions shall be analyzed with regard to the assumptions which are used in the containment and criticality safety analysis. In view of the complexity of the interactions between the fuel rods as well as between the fuel assemblies, basket, and cask containment, the exact mechanical analysis of such phenomena is nearly impossible. The gaps in information concerning the material properties of cladding and pellet behavior, especially for the high burn-up fuel, make the analysis more complicated additionally. As a result, enveloping analytical approaches are usually used by BAM within the safety assessment of packages approved for transport of spent nuclear fuel.
To justify the safety margins of such approaches additional analyses are necessary. In this paper, numerical simulations of a segment of a spent fuel assembly are presented. The segment modeled represents the part of a generalized BWR fuel assembly between two spacers. Explicit dynamic finite element calculations are performed to simulate the spent fuel behavior under regulatory defined accident conditions of transport. A beam element formulation is used for the modeling of the fuel rods representing the compound consisting of claddings and fuel pellets. The load applied is gathered from experimental drop tests with spent fuel casks performed at BAM. A hot cell bending test performed at JRC Karlsruhe is the basis for obtaining the material behavior of the fuel rods. The material properties are determined by
simulating the test setup of JRC and optimizing the results to fit the
experimental load deflection curve. The simulations of the fuel Assembly segment are used to get a better understanding about the loads on fuel rods under accident conditions of transport.
An established method for characterizing cladding material is the Ring Compression Test (RCT), where a small, cylindrical sample of the cladding tube is subjected to a compressive load. This test is a laboratory representation of a fuel rod load case and has shown a high susceptibility to failure under the occurrence of radial hydrides. Certain hydride morphologies and low temperature might even lead to brittle fracture at very small loads. The BAM research project BRUZL (Fracture mechanical analysis of spent fuel claddings during long-term dry interim storage) aims to study the results of quasi-static RCTs and to establish numerical models to gain an in-depth understanding of the stress state during such experiments. Using a fracture mechanical approach, cases of sudden failure during the RCT procedure are used to characterize the material behaviour and establish a failure criterion.
As an integral part of the project BRUZL, quasi-static Ring Compression Tests have been performed to identify all experimental details, which might be helpful for numerical modelling. Unirradiated samples of the cladding material ZIRLO® have been subjected to hydrogen charging and a thermo-mechanical treatment for radial hydride reorientation. Sample preparation, testing procedures, and analysis results are presented. A numerical model has been established and an elastic-plastic material model was derived from as-received RCT samples by inverse finite element analyses. Cohesive zone modelling has been implemented to reproduce sudden load drops during RCT.
The project is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) under contract no. 1501561.
Spent nuclear fuel which is generated in the operation of nuclear reactors needs to be safely managed following its removal from the reactor core. On-site power reactor storage pools were designed on the assumption that after a short period of time spent nuclear fuel would be removed for reprocessing and disposal or further storage elsewhere. The amount of highly radioactive spent fuel that needs to be stored over longer periods of time is growing and additional storage capacity is required. One of the widely used options for additional storage capacity is the use of casks for dry storage of spent fuel. Among various existing dry storage concepts, several Member States are utilizing a concept of dual purpose casks (DPCs). This publication provides practical advice on the structure and contents of a DPC integrated safety case with reference to existing IAEA requirements relevant to the licensing and use of transport and storage casks for spent fuel.
Outcomes of Three Large-Scale Fire Reference Tests Conducted in Propane Gas Fire Test Facility
(2020)
Packages for the transport of high-level radioactive material are designed to withstand severe accidents. Hypothetical severe accident conditions are defined in the IAEA Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Materials. One of these accident conditions is the thermal test, mainly consisting of a 30 minute fully engulfing 800°C pool fire or an equally severe fire test. The heat fluxes into the package depend substantially on the fire characteristics and the surface temperature of the package. Fire tests can be performed at BAM on a propane gas fire test facility. In order to investigate the heat fluxes over a wide range of surface temperatures in this test facility a fire reference package was designed for multiple use. The package represented the outer geometry of a specific transport cask for radioactive waste. The fire reference package is a closed steel sheet cylinder with a wall thickness of 10 mm, a length of 1500 mm and a diameter of 1050 mm. The package was instrumented with thermocouples and filled with heat resistant insulation material. Three open-air fire tests were performed in the BAM propane gas fire test facility. The flames exposure time period varied slightly for the fire tests. The wind direction as well as the wind speed were measured and changed between and during the tests. Test stand parameters such as wind shield location and propane gas volume flow were chosen constant for the three tests. The locally measured fire reference package steel sheet temperatures were used for the calculation of heat fluxes as function of time and surface temperature. The measured temperatures allowed further calculations. In a first approach effective fire characteristics of the propane gas fire, including the flame temperature, the fire convection coefficient and a radiation exchange coefficient mathematically describing the determined average heat flux over the surface temperature were calculated.
In Germany, spent nuclear fuel and vitrified high active waste is stored in dual purpose casks (DPC) at interim storage facilities. In order to ensure the transportability of the DPC to a final repository in future, the maintenance of the package design approval is realized. Therefore, the assessment of possible ageing effects during interim storage is necessary to ensure an evaluation of the transportability. The lecture presents BAM's current ageing evaluation concept in the field of trasnport law.
The containment system of transport packages for spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste usually includes bolted lids with metal gaskets. The specified transport condition imply high loading on the lids and the bolt connections of the package. The response of the lid systems on these load conditions is generally investigated by drop tests or numerically. BAM has started a research project to get a better understanding about the behavior of prestressed bolt connection under loadings typical for drop tests.
Packages for the transport of high-level radioactive material are designed to withstand severe accidents. Hypothetical severe accident conditions are defined in the IAEA Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Materials. One of these accident conditions is the thermal test, mainly consisting of a 30 minute fully engulfing 800°C pool fire or an equally severe fire test. The heat fluxes into the package depend substantially on the fire characteristics and the surface temperature of the package. Fire tests can be performed at BAM on a propane gas fire test facility. In order to investigate the heat fluxes over a wide range of surface temperatures in this test facility a fire reference package was designed for multiple use. The package represented the outer geometry of a specific transport cask for radioactive waste. The fire reference package is a closed steel sheet cylinder with a wall thickness of 10 mm, a length of 1500 mm and a diameter of 1050 mm. The package was instrumented with thermocouples and filled with heat resistant insulation material. Three open-air fire tests were performed in the BAM propane gas fire test facility. The flames exposure time period varied slightly for the fire tests. The wind direction as well as the wind speed were measured and changed between and during the tests. Test stand parameters such as wind shield location and propane gas volume flow were chosen constant for the three tests. The locally measured fire reference package steel sheet temperatures were used for the calculation of heat fluxes as function of time and surface temperature. The measured temperatures allowed further calculations. In a first approach effective fire characteristics of the propane gas fire, including the flame temperature, the fire convection coefficient and a radiation exchange coefficient mathematically describing the determined average heat flux over the surface temperature were calculated.
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.
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.
As part of the evaluation of a package for the safe transport of radioactive waste the regulations of the IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency shall be fulfilled. The regulations define requirements for the package and specify mechanical and thermal test conditions. Different methods are allowed for the test performance to demonstrate compliance with the regulations. Next to calculational approaches and the use of models of an appropriate scale, the performance of full-scale testing with prototype packages respectively full-scale models is applied.
The use of full-scale models has several advantages within the complete safety assessment procedure for a transport package approval. Scaling and corresponding similarity questions don’t have to be considered, additional material investigations can be limited and analyses to transfer test results to the original package design are reduced in number and complexity. Additionally, experience for future serial design procedures can be built up during manufacturing and assembling of the test model.
BAM operates different drop and fire test facilities south of Berlin, Germany. BAM has started to perform a drop test campaign with a full-scale model of 120 metric tons weight for a transport package approval procedure. The paper describes experience with test preparation, drop performance and additional analyses. The measurement concept is explained and test goals regarding the package safety assessment and evaluation of safety margins are introduced.
Packages for the transport of high-level radioactive material must withstand severe hypothetical accidents. Regulatory test conditions shall cover these severe accident conditions and consist of mechanical tests and a following thermal test. To withstand the mechanical tests heavy weight packages are often designed with impact limiters consisting of wood encapsulated in steel sheets. The thermal test is defined precisely in the IAEA-regulations as a 30 minute fully engulfing 800 °C fire. After the fire phase a pre-damaged impact limiter might continue burning or smouldering and influence the cask thermal behaviour with its energy release. The energy transferred from the impact limiter to the cask is of importance for the safety of transport packages. A full-scale fire test with an impact limiter of 2.3 m in diameter and filled with spruce wood was designed and performed. The impact limiter continued burning for 3 days. Energy transfer and temperature measurements were performed.
Packages for the transport of high-level radioactive material are designed to withstand severe accidents. Hypothetical severe accident conditions are defined in the IAEA Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Materials.
One of these accident conditions is the thermal test, mainly consisting of a 30 minute fully engulfing 800°C pool fire or an equally severe fire test. The heat fluxes into the package depend substantially on the fire characteristics and the Surface temperature of the package.
Fire tests can be performed at BAM on a propane gas fire test facility. In order to investigate the heat fluxes over a wide range of surface temperatures in this test facility a fire reference package was designed for multiple use. The package represented the outer geometry of a specific transport cask for radioactive waste. The fire reference package is a closed steel sheet cylinder with a wall thickness of 10 mm, a length of 1500 mm and a diameter of 1050 mm. The package was instrumented with thermocouples and filled with heat resistant insulation material.
Three open-air fire tests were performed in the BAM propane gas fire test facility. The flames exposure time period varied slightly for the fire tests. The wind direction as well as the wind Speed were measured and changed between and during the tests. Test stand parameters such as wind shield location and propane gas volume flow were chosen constant for the three tests. The locally measured fire reference package steel sheet temperatures were used for the calculation of heat fluxes as function of time and surface temperature. The measured temperatures allowed further calculations. In a first approach effective fire characteristics of the propane gas fire, including the flame temperature, the fire convection coefficient and a Radiation exchange coefficient mathematically describing the determined average heat flux over the surface temperature were calculated.
Packages for the transport of high-level radioactive material are designed to withstand severe accidents. Hypothetical severe accident conditions are defined in the IAEA Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Materials.
One of these accident conditions is the thermal test, mainly consisting of a 30 minute fully engulfing 800°C pool fire or an equally severe fire test. The heat fluxes into the package depend substantially on the fire characteristics and the Surface temperature of the package.
Fire tests can be performed at BAM on a propane gas fire test facility. In order to investigate the heat fluxes over a wide range of surface temperatures in this test facility a fire reference package was designed for multiple use. The package represented the outer geometry of a specific transport cask for radioactive waste. The fire reference package is a closed steel sheet cylinder with a wall thickness of 10 mm, a length of 1500 mm and a diameter of 1050 mm. The package was instrumented with thermocouples and filled with heat resistant insulation material.
Three open-air fire tests were performed in the BAM propane gas fire test facility. The flames exposure time period varied slightly for the fire tests. The wind direction as well as the wind Speed were measured and changed between and during the tests. Test stand parameters such as wind shield location and propane gas volume flow were chosen constant for the three tests. The locally measured fire reference package steel sheet temperatures were used for the calculation of heat fluxes as function of time and surface temperature. The measured temperatures allowed further calculations. In a first approach effective fire characteristics of the propane gas fire, including the flame temperature, the fire convection coefficient and a Radiation exchange coefficient mathematically describing the determined average heat flux over the surface temperature were calculated.
Packages for the transport of spent nuclear fuel shall meet the International Atomic Energy Agency regulations to ensure safety under different transport conditions. The physical state of the spent fuel and the fuel rod cladding as well as the geometric configuration of fuel assemblies are important inputs for the evaluation of the package capabilities under these conditions. The mechanical behavior of spent fuel assemblies shall be analyzed with regard to the assumptions which are used in the containment and criticality safety analysis. 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 makes it difficult to assume appropriate mechanical loads for the spent fuel inside the package. Another challenge is the assumption of material properties which represent the variation of the fuel rods regarding cladding material, burn-up and the operation history sufficiently. The objective of this paper is to give an overview about the current approaches and research for the evaluation of spent fuel behavior within the package design approval procedure. In this context, analytical, numerical and experimental results are discussed. The presented work is achieved within a collaboration of BAM with national and international partners.
Experimental and numerical analyses of spent nuclear fuel behavior under transport conditions
(2019)
Packages for the transport of spent nuclear fuel shall meet the International Atomic Energy Agency regulations to ensure safety under different transport conditions. The physical state of the spent fuel and the fuel rod cladding as well as the geometric configuration of fuel assemblies are important inputs for the evaluation of the package capabilities under these conditions. The mechanical behavior of spent fuel assemblies shall be analyzed with regard to the assumptions which are used in the containment and criticality safety analysis. 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 makes it difficult to assume appropriate mechanical loads for the spent fuel inside the package. Another challenge is the assumption of material properties which represent the variation of the fuel rods regarding cladding material, burn-up and the operation history sufficiently. The objective of this paper is to give an overview about the current approaches and research for the evaluation of spent fuel behavior within the package design approval procedure. In this context, analytical, numerical and experimental results are discussed. The presented work is achieved within a collaboration of BAM with national and international partners.
For disposal of the research reactor of the Technical University Munich FRM II a new transport and storage cask design was under approval assessment by the German authorities on the basis of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) requirements. The cask body is made of ductile cast iron and closed by two bolted lid systems with metal seals. The material of the lids is stainless steel. On each end of the cask the wood-filled impact limiters are installed to reduce impact loads to the cask under drop test conditions. In the cavity of the cask a basket for five spent fuel elements is arranged.
This design has been assessed by the Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM) in view to the mechanical and thermal safety analyses, the activity release approaches, and subjects of quality assurance and surveillance for manufacturing and operation of the package.
For the mechanical safety analyses of the package a combination of experimental testing and analytical/numerical calculations were applied. In total, four drop tests were carried out at the BAM large drop test facility. Two tests were carried out as a full IAEA drop test sequence consisting of a 9m drop test onto an unyielding target and a 1m puncture bar drop test. The other two drop tests were performed as single 9m drop tests and completed by additional analyses for considering the effects of an IAEA drop test sequence.
The main objectives of the drop tests were the investigation of the integrity of the package and its safety against release of radioactive material as well as the test of the fastening system of the impact limiters. Furthermore, the acceleration and strain signals measured during the tests were used for the verification of finite-element (FE) models applied in the safety analysis of the package design.
The nuclear phase out in Germany will lead to a challenge finding skilled staff for all areas in nuclear business. Transport of spent fuel and high-level nuclear waste is an ongoing task over the next decades during the decommissioning of nuclear power plants and after the interim storage. The international regulations were adapted and address the issue of transports after storage now. The topic of aging and assessment of the development of the state-of-art technology are in focus. German research funds are supporting the investigations of future challenges of transport and storage of the nuclear heritage. BAM is involved and works on several topics related to the aging issue of packages. The behaviour of spent fuel claddings, long-term behaviour of metal and elastomeric gaskets and sensor/monitoring techniques of waste disposal are examples of research fields.
This paper establishes different axisymmetric and two-dimensional models for a levitation device. Therein, the Maxwell equations are combined with the balance of linear momentum. Different possible formulations to describe the Maxwell equations are presented and compared and discussed in the example. A high order finite element discretization using Galerkin’s method in space and the generalized Newmark−alpha method in time are developed for the electro-magneto-mechanical approach. Several studies on spatial and temporal discretization with respect to convergence will be investigated. In addition, the boundary influences and the domain size with respect to the levitation device are also examined.
Nach der Reaktorkatastrophe in Fukushima 2011 hat die Bundesregierung beschlossen die Nutzung der Kernenergie bis zum Jahr 2022 zu beenden. Seitdem erfolgt der Rückbau und die Stilllegung der kerntechnischen Anlagen in Deutschland. Dieser Vortrag erörtert die Herausforderungen, die sich mit dem Transport und der Lagerung von Kernbrennstoffen ergeben und leitet daraus Anforderungen ab, die an Transportbehälter gestellt werden.
In this presentation the main requirements of BAM-GGR 016 regarding maintenance and periodic inspections were explained. BAM ensures during acceptance of the quality management program that specific and relevant instructions for maintenance and periodic inspections are developed and handed to the operator of the packaging. Examples are given.
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.
Fire testing is an essential part of the hypothetical, cumulative mechanical and thermal test conditions that shall guarantee package safety in severe accidents. Within regulatory approval of transport or storage packages for radioactive material, specific thermal load tests are required in accordance to licensing conditions and international standards, respectively. The specifications of these thermal tests are based on test conditions with equivalent heat input to that of a hydrocarbon fuel fire. In the past, light heating oil, diesel or kerosene was mostly used as the fuel to generate the pool fire. In accordance with IAEA regulations for a fire in an accident, the temperature of 800 °C over a period of 30 minutes must be fulfilled. Furthermore, the delivery acceptance criteria for containers in nuclear waste repositories could reach for example average temperatures of 800 °C during a period of one hour in combination with defined requirements on activity release. BAM as a scientific and technical German federal government institute operates an open air Technical Safety Test Site for experimental investigations of dangerous good and its containment. In this areal a large fire test facility is under operation. Liquid Propane is utilized as fuel which is pumped via pipelines from a central storage tank to the fire exposed test facility areas. In the ring burner system, the gas is released from nozzles, and ignited by ignition burners. The paper includes examples of fire test performance with prototypes of a transport package and a storage container, respectively. In preparation of the thermal load, calorimeter tests have been performed using test specimens of appropriate size and behavior. For the fire test scenario is demonstrated that the IAEA thermal test requirements are fulfilled.
The safety demonstrations realized by applicants in the case of approval request for the package designs containing enriched UF6 have to take into account some specific technical issues. Concerning the shipment of enriched UF6, the package designs consist in general of a filled 30B cylinder surrounded by an overpack.
The description of the content, considering the UF6 origin, i.e. natural or reprocessed, shall be clearly justified especially when the UF6 isotopic composition exceeds the limits specified in ASTM standards.
Concerning the containment of the UF6, the applicant shall demonstrate in all conditions of transport the leak-tightness of the valve and plug of the cylinders filled with enriched UF6. In this regard, when mechanical justifications are based on numerical calculations, the absence of contact between these components of the cylinder and the internal surfaces of the overpack after the regulatory drop tests shall be shown to respect the IAEA regulations.
Furthermore, the representativeness of the ballast used to simulate the behaviour of the UF6 loaded within the cylinder shall be justified if drop tests are performed. The representativeness of the ballast should also be justified for numerical calculations.
In addition, the applicant shall demonstrate that the melting temperature of the valve and the plug, including the tinned joint, will not be exceeded during the regulatory fire test.
Finally, specific provisions relative to the use of plugs and the maintenance of cylinders should be included in the safety analysis report.
For transport package design and operation according to the IAEA regulations, the package shall be securely stowed and its retention system shall be capable to withstand load conditions of routine transport. The supporting IAEA Advisory Material SSG-26 provides information how to do that.
Up to now package designers in different countries use other load factors for the design of attachment points than those specified in the IAEA guidance material. In particular the acceleration values vary between different countries and lead to difficulties during the validation of foreign approval certificates. Therefore the IAEA started a discussion process to review the existing guidance text. An international working group was constituted in 2013. Representatives came from different stakeholders, e.g. transport operators, competent authorities and modal organizations. The discussions concluded especially on the transport conditions which has to be considered for stowage design, including on the one hand the relevance of the load factors used for strength and fatigue analysis and on the other hand the criteria which have to be considered for the attachment points.
The proposed acceleration values will be compared to those measured during recent multi-modal testing by Sandia National Laboratories that measured the acceleration levels experienced by a spent fuel flask during heavy-haul truck, sea, and rail transport.
The ISO standard 10276 is dealing with the load attachment systems of packages as well. This standard considers the trunnion design, manufacturing and operational aspects. The regular standard revision phase started in 2017. An expert group discussed new state-of-the-art technology, different analysis approaches for strength and fatigue analysis and proposed revised text for the ISO standard for international discussion. The finite-element analysis approach incl. appropriate acceptance criteria are described and referenced.
The paper describes relevant tie-down aspects, gives background argumentation relevant to analysis approaches, and tries to support harmonized application of the revised IAEA guidance material and the future revised ISO standard.
Since 2005, several European countries, coordinated by the European Association of Competent Authorities (EACA), have been developing a guide on contents and structure of the documentation demonstrating the compliance with the regulations for packages for the transport of radioactive material (package design safety report, PDSR). This guide has been periodically improved, considering feedback from Designers and authorities.
Taking into account the successful application of this guide in Europe, in 2013 the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) decided to establish a similar guide as an IAEA document for promotion of worldwide use. The development of this IAEA guide started from the latest version of the European PDSR guide. In 2016/2017, during a 120-day review period, comments on the draft were received from member states and international organizations. These were incorporated into the draft in a series of meetings in 2017.
In another meeting in December 2018 the draft was updated to be in line with the latest revision of the IAEA Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material (SSR-6).
In this process the draft has been improved significantly, regarding structure as well as implementation of a graded approach depending on the package type, and clarified.
This paper points to the major considerations in developing the guide and important improvements over the last version of the European PDSR guide.
Fire testing is an essential part of the hypothetical, cumulative mechanical and thermal test conditions that shall guarantee package safety in severe accidents. Within regulatory approval of transport or storage packages for radioactive material, specific thermal load tests are required in accordance to licensing conditions and international standards, respectively. The specifications of these thermal tests are based on test conditions with equivalent heat input to that of a hydrocarbon fuel fire. In the past, light heating oil, diesel or kerosene was mostly used as the fuel to generate the pool fire. In accordance with IAEA regulations for a fire in an accident, the temperature of 800 °C over a period of 30 minutes must be fulfilled. Furthermore, the delivery acceptance criteria for containers in nuclear waste repositories could reach for example average temperatures of 800 °C during a period of one hour in combination with defined requirements on activity release. BAM as a scientific and technical German federal government institute operates an open air Technical Safety Test Site for experimental investigations of dangerous good and its containment. In this areal a large fire test facility is under operation. Liquid Propane is utilized as fuel which is pumped via pipelines from a central storage tank to the fire exposed test facility areas. In the ring burner system, the gas is released from nozzles, and ignited by ignition burners. The paper includes examples of fire test performance with prototypes of a transport package and a storage container, respectively. In preparation of the thermal load, calorimeter tests have been performed using test specimens of appropriate size and behavior. For the fire test scenario is demonstrated that the IAEA thermal test requirements are fulfilled.
For transport package design and operation according to the IAEA regulations, the package shall be securely stowed and its retention system shall be capable to withstand load conditions of routine transport. The supporting IAEA Advisory Material SSG-26 provides information how to do that.
Up to now package designers in different countries use other load factors for the design of attachment points than those specified in the IAEA guidance material. In particular the acceleration values vary between different countries and lead to difficulties during the validation of foreign approval certificates. Therefore the IAEA started a discussion process to review the existing guidance text. An international working group was constituted in 2013. Representatives came from different stakeholders, e.g. transport operators, competent authorities and modal organizations. The discussions concluded especially on the transport conditions which has to be considered for stowage design, including on the one hand the relevance of the load factors used for strength and fatigue analysis and on the other hand the criteria which have to be considered for the attachment points.
The proposed acceleration values will be compared to those measured during recent multi-modal testing by Sandia National Laboratories that measured the acceleration levels experienced by a spent fuel flask during heavy-haul truck, sea, and rail transport.
The ISO standard 10276 is dealing with the load attachment systems of packages as well. This standard considers the trunnion design, manufacturing and operational aspects. The regular standard revision phase started in 2017. An expert group discussed new state-of-the-art technology, different analysis approaches for strength and fatigue analysis and proposed revised text for the ISO standard for international discussion. The finite-element analysis approach incl. appropriate acceptance criteria are described and referenced.
The paper describes relevant tie-down aspects, gives background argumentation relevant to analysis approaches, and tries to support harmonized application of the revised IAEA guidance material and the future revised ISO standard.
In accident scenarios of transport packages or hypothetical crashes of containers in a storage facility or repository, the materials resistance against dynamic failure of the involved components is a deciding factor for package and container integrity during the handling, transport and storage for each type of radioactive material. For example, different dynamic impact tests on containers and components like lid sealing systems and specimens made of ductile cast iron and shock-absorbing materials are carried out by BAM. In order to perform dynamic impact tests with packages and its parts BAM operates two free-fall drop test facilities with maximum capacities of 200 t and 55 t, and a test bench for guided drop tests. This latter drop test machine enables a clearly specified component loading by a precisely positioned test object or drop weight and has been used recently for numerous investigations. The paper gives an overview of the wide range of experimental testing methods carried out within guided Impact and bending tests. Examples of methodological challenges are presented, especially such experimental analysis of dynamic impact conditions. In addition to known applied methods of dynamic, non-contact displacement measurements like high-speed 3-D surface deformation a recently patented 2-D tracking method is presented. By means of in-situ determination of fracture parameters with relevance to the materials stress intensity factor, the method has been successfully applied for a typical specimen geometry. Also shown are the possibility of detecting in-situ He-leakage rates on laterally impact loaded lid sealing systems as well as a method of acceleration sensor-temperature control under test conditions in the low temperature range.
In accident scenarios of transport packages or hypothetical crashes of containers in a storage facility or repository, the materials resistance against dynamic failure of the involved components is a deciding factor for package and container integrity during the handling, transport and storage for each type of radioactive material. For example, different dynamic impact tests on containers and components like lid sealing systems and specimens made of ductile cast iron and shock-absorbing materials are carried out by BAM. In order to perform dynamic impact tests with packages and its parts BAM operates two free-fall drop test facilities with maximum capacities of 200 t and 55 t, and a test bench for guided drop tests. This latter drop test machine enables a clearly specified component loading by a precisely positioned test object or drop weight and has been used recently for numerous investigations. The paper gives an overview of the wide range of experimental testing methods carried out within guided Impact and bending tests. Examples of methodological challenges are presented, especially such experimental analysis of dynamic impact conditions. In addition to known applied methods of dynamic, non-contact displacement measurements like high-speed 3-D surface deformation a recently patented 2-D tracking method is presented. By means of in-situ determination of fracture parameters with relevance to the materials stress intensity factor, the method has been successfully applied for a typical specimen geometry. Also shown are the possibility of detecting in-situ He-leakage rates on laterally impact loaded lid sealing systems as well as a method of acceleration sensor-temperature control under test conditions in the low temperature range.
In accordance with IAEA SSR-6 para 306 a management system shall be established and implemented to ensure compliance with the relevant provisions of the IAEA regulations. BAM has issued an update of the guideline: the BAM-GGR 011. The new revision describes necessary quality assurance measures for design, manufacture, testing, documentation, use, maintenance and inspection of packagings for package designs requiring competent authority approval for the transport of radioactive material.
The measures can be categorised as system-related and design-related. They are independently approved and monitored by the German competent authority BAM and its authorised expert (BAM/T). The qualification of the organisation applying for the design approval certificate is reviewed in the context of the design approval procedure. The quality assurance measures for manufacture consist of three main steps. Pre-assessment of manufacturing documents such as quality plans, specifications etc., Manufacturing inspections according the pre-assessed documents and inspection before commissioning including documentation review. Periodic inspections during operation as well as relevant specifications for use and maintenance ensure that the properties specified in the approval certificate are preserved over the package life time. Special provisions for the return on
experience regarding operational feedback for design, manufacture, use, maintenance and inspection are given. Special focus shall be given here to the rearranged and meanwhile established system of manufacturing inspections. This includes more transparent roles for a) the Producers authorised inspection 11282 representative, b) the independent inspection expert (S), acting on behalf of the manufacturer with acceptance of BAM, and c) BAM or its authorised expert (BAM/T). Additional attention shall be drawn to the management of deviations during manufacturing and provisions for maintenance and periodic inspections.
In accordance with IAEA SSR-6 para 306 a management system shall be established and implemented to ensure compliance with the relevant provisions of the IAEA regulations. BAM has issued an update of the guideline: the BAM-GGR 011. The new revision describes necessary quality assurance measures for design, manufacture, testing, documentation, use, maintenance and inspection of packagings for package designs requiring competent authority approval for the transport of radioactive material.
The measures can be categorised as system-related and design-related. They are independently approved and monitored by the German competent authority BAM and its authorised expert (BAM/T). The qualification of the organisation applying for the design approval certificate is reviewed in the context of the design approval procedure. The quality assurance measures for manufacture consist of three main steps. Pre-assessment of manufacturing documents such as quality plans, specifications etc., Manufacturing inspections according the pre-assessed documents and inspection before commissioning including documentation review. Periodic inspections during operation as well as relevant specifications for use and maintenance ensure that the properties specified in the approval certificate are preserved over the package life time. Special provisions for the return on experience regarding operational feedback for design, manufacture, use, maintenance and inspection are given.
Special focus shall be given here to the rearranged and meanwhile established system of manufacturing inspections. This includes more transparent roles for a) the producers authorised inspection 11282 representative, b) the independent inspection expert (S), acting on behalf of the manufacturer with acceptance of BAM, and c) BAM or its authorised expert (BAM/T). Additional attention shall be drawn to the management of deviations during manufacturing and provisions for maintenance and periodic inspections.
For disposal of the German research reactor of the Technical University Munich FRM II a new transport and storage cask design was under approval assessment by the German authorities. The Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM) assessed the mechanical and thermal package safety and performed drop tests. The activity release approaches and subjects of quality assurance and surveillance for manufacturing and operation of the package were assessed by BAM as well.
The cask body is made of ductile cast iron and closed by two bolted lid systems with metal seals. The material of the lids is stainless steel. On each end of the cask a wood-filled impact limiter is installed to reduce impact loads to the cask under drop test conditions. In the cavity of the cask a basket for five spent fuel assemblies is arranged.
For the safety case a combination of experimental testing and analytical/numerical calculations were applied. In total, four drop tests were carried out at the BAM large drop test facility. Two tests were carried out as a full IAEA drop test sequence consisting of a 9m drop test onto an unyielding target and a 1m puncture bar drop test. The other two drop test were performed as single 9m drop tests and completed by additional analyses for considering the effects of an IAEA drop test sequence.
The main objectives of the drop tests were the investigation of the integrity of the package and its safety against release of radioactive material as well as the test of the fastening system of the impact limiters. Furthermore, the acceleration and strain signals measured during the tests were used for the verification of Finite-Element-Analysis (FEA) used for the safety analysis of the package design.
The finite-element models incorporated in the package design safety report include the cask body, the lid system, the inventory and the impact limiters with the fastening system. In this context special attention was paid to the modeling of the encapsulated wood-filled impact limiters.
Additional calculations using the verified numerical models were done by the applicant and assessed by BAM to investigate e.g. the brittle fracture of the cask body made of ductile cask iron within the package design approval procedure.
This paper describes the package design assessment from the view of the competent authority BAM including the applied assessment strategy, the conducted drop tests and the additional calculations by using numerical and analytical methods.
The containment systems of transport and storage casks for spent fuel and highlevelradioactive waste usually include bolted lids with metallic or elastomeric seals. The mechanical and thermal loadings associated with the routine, normal and accident conditions of transport can have a significant effect on the leak tightness of such containment system.
Scaled cask models are often used for providing the required mechanical and thermal tests series.Leak tests have been conducted on those models.
It is also common practice to use scaled component tests to investigate the influence of deformations or displacements of the lids and the seals on the standard leakage rate as well as to study the temperature and time depending alteration of the seals.
In this paper questions of the transferability of scaled test results to the full size design of the containment system will be discussed.
The containment systems of transport and storage casks for spent fuel and highlevelradioactive waste usually include bolted lids with metallic or elastomeric seals. The mechanical and thermal loadings associated with the routine, normal and accident conditions of transport can have a significant effect on the leak tightness of such containment system.
Scaled cask models are often used for providing the required mechanical and thermal tests series.Leak tests have been conducted on those models.
It is also common practice to use scaled component tests to investigate the influence of deformations or displacements of the lids and the seals on the standard leakage rate as well as to study the temperature and time depending alteration of the seals.
In this paper questions of the transferability of scaled test results to the full size design of the containment system will be discussed.
For disposal of the German research reactor of the Technical University Munich FRM II a new transport and storage cask design was under approval assessment by the German authorities. The Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM) assessed the mechanical and thermal package safety and performed drop tests. The activity release approaches and subjects of quality assurance and surveillance for manufacturing and operation of the package were assessed by BAM as well.
The cask body is made of ductile cast iron and closed by two bolted lid systems with metal seals. The material of the lids is stainless steel. On each end of the cask a wood-filled impact limiter is installed to reduce impact loads to the cask under drop test conditions. In the cavity of the cask a basket for five spent fuel assemblies is arranged.
For the safety case a combination of experimental testing and analytical/numerical calculations were applied. In total, four drop tests were carried out at the BAM large drop test facility. Two tests were carried out as a full IAEA drop test sequence consisting of a 9m drop test onto an unyielding target and a 1m puncture bar drop test. The other two drop test were performed as single 9m drop tests and completed by additional analyses for considering the effects of an IAEA drop test sequence.
The main objectives of the drop tests were the investigation of the integrity of the package and its safety against release of radioactive material as well as the test of the fastening system of the impact limiters. Furthermore, the acceleration and strain signals measured during the tests were used for the verification of Finite-Element-Analysis (FEA) used for the safety analysis of the package design.
The finite-element models incorporated in the package design safety report include the cask body, the lid system, the inventory and the impact limiters with the fastening system. In this context special attention was paid to the modeling of the encapsulated wood-filled impact limiters.
Additional calculations using the verified numerical models were done by the applicant and assessed by BAM to investigate e.g. the brittle fracture of the cask body made of ductile cask iron within the package design approval procedure.
This paper describes the package design assessment from the view of the competent authority BAM including the applied assessment strategy, the conducted drop tests and the additional calculations by using numerical and analytical methods.