Safety analysis and evaluation of transport and storage container for very Low-Level liquid radioactive waste

Abstract

Safe temporary storage and transportation of the very low-level liquid radioactive waste generated during the Decommissioning and Decontamination (D&D) of nuclear power plants (NPPs) must be ensured. This study proposes a composite shielding transport container for very low-level liquid radioactive waste, which adheres to the industrial package (IP)-2 technical standards for packaging and transportation of radioactive materials. A shielding container based on barium sulfate (BaSO4) (a shielding material harmless to the human body) and a structurally reinforced frame were developed. Then, to confirm the structural safety of the container according to the regulations on the packaging and transportation of radioactive materials under drop weight and stacking tests, the Abaqus/Explicit program was used and on-site evaluations were performed. The maximum strains of about 8.8% and 2.2% were obtained in the drop-weight and stacking performance tests, respectively. Compared to the strain values of 40% at which high-density polyethylene (HDPE) could break, it was derived to be about 22% and 5.5%, respectively. The test satisfaction standard, that is, no loss or dispersion of radioactive contents and no shielding loss that could increase the radiation dose rate by more than 20% on the outer surface, were satisfied, confirming the safety of the container.