Drop testing conducted to benchmark the Shippingport reactor pressure vessel package safety analysis

Abstract

The decommissioned Shippingport reactor pressure vessel and its integral neutron shield tank were transported from Shippingport, Pennsylvania, via barge to Richland, Washington, for burial in the Hanford Site radioactive waste disposal area. To ensure that the reactor pressure vessel/neutron shield tank assembly could be shipped safely without undue risk to the public or the environment, the reactor pressure vessel/neutron shield tank assembly was certified by the U.S. Department of Energy as a type B package. A safety analysis report for packaging was prepared in accordance with U.S. Department of Energy requirements to provide the technical basis for the U.S. Department of Energy certification. The reactor pressure vessel/neutron shield tank package is a monolithic structure of lightweight concrete and steel. Its estimated weight is 844 t (930 tons). To substantiate multidimensional inelastic analyses, a series of 11 drop tests was conducted on 7 benchmark models from heights of 30.5 cm (1 ft), 9.14 m (30 ft), and 13.7 m (45 ft). Technical evaluation and correlation of the test data were performed in conjunction with the structural analysis and assessment of the package. This paper provides a comprehensive discussion on the benchmark drop models and specific drop tests and also addresses the results obtained from comparing technical data with analytical data.