Abstract
The response of intact and damaged versions of a 125 ton Multi-Purpose Canister (MPC) rail package conceptual design to severe thermal events is simulated using finite element computer analysis. The ‘critical’ fire duration (the minimum duration that causes the fuel cladding temperature to reach 740°C) is calculated as a function of fire temperature and for different modelling assumptions. It is found that fire temperatures below 660°C cannot cause the cladding to reach 740°C, no matter how long they last. At higher fire temperatures, the critical duration versus fire temperature envelope is significantly affected by the presence of the external neutron shield (especially for fire temperatures > 720°C), and somewhat less affected by the assumed value for the fuel cladding temperature limit. It is insensitive to the fuel region thermal conductivity model. Due to the large mass of the MPC, significant safe margins exist between the conditions of the IAEA thermal event and all of the performance envelopes calculated in this work.
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