Radioactive Material Packages Research Articles

Overview of five decades of testing and evaluation of packages to environments beyond regulatory requirements

For decades, questions have frequently been asked whether the material and package test standards set forth in the IAEA Transport Regulations – the latest edition of which was issued in 2009 (IAEA, 2009) – are sufficient to provide a high level of protection to workers, the public and the environment. This paper assembles in a single location a summary of an extensive body of data and information that has been developed and published in the international journal Packaging, Transport, Storage & Security of Radioactive Material to address such questions. It provides guidance to interested parties on how to access further details on these studies in the Journal.

An overview of 20 years' Romanian experience on packaging and components testing according to national and international regulations

More than 20 years ago, the Institute for Nuclear Research (INR) Pitesti in Romania, through its Reliability and Testing Laboratory, was licensed by the Romanian Nuclear Regulatory Body – CNCAN to carry out qualification tests for packages intended for the transport and storage of radioactive materials. The radioactive material is placed in packaging which are designed in accordance with national and the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA's) Regulations for safe transport to the disposal centre. A broad range of verification and certification tests are performed at INR on radioactive material packages or component sections, such as packages used for the transport of radioactive sources to be used for industrial or medical purposes. This paper describes some of the various tests, which have been performed, and how they relate to normal conditions and minor mishaps during transport. Quality assurance and quality control measures taken in order to meet technical specification provided by design there are also presented.

Non-Governmental Organizations

"Non-Governmental Organizations." Packaging, Transport, Storage & Security of Radioactive Material, 20(2), p. 50

Review of the joint workshop on secure transport of nuclear and radioactive materials

"Review of the joint workshop on secure transport of nuclear and radioactive materials." Packaging, Transport, Storage & Security of Radioactive Material, 20(1), pp. 4–5

Global assessment of radioactive material package response to accident environments

Global assessment of radioactive material package response to accident environments

Communicating nuclear transportation

"Communicating nuclear transportation." Packaging, Transport, Storage & Security of Radioactive Material, 19(1), pp. 1–2

Life cycle management of radioactive materials packaging

Abstract The objective of life cycle management of radioactive materials packaging is to ensure the safety functions (i.e. containment of radioactivity, protection against radiation, and criticality safety for fissile contents) during the entire life cycle of the packaging in storage, transportation and disposal. A framework has been developed for life cycle management regarding type B radioactive and fissile materials packaging, drawing upon current US Department of Energy (DOE) storage standards and examples from interim storage of Pu bearing materials in model 9975 transportation packagings. Key issues highlighted during long term storage of Pu bearing materials included gas generation and stability of PuO2+x; other operation safety issues highlighted for interim storage of model 9975 transportation packagings included the need to consider a facility design basis fire event and the long term behaviour of packaging components such as Celotex and elastomeric O-ring seals. The principles of aging manageme...

PATRAM Awards – A history, and Awards for PATRAM 2007

The following summarises the history of awards that have been presented during the international symposia on Packaging and Transport of Radioactive Materials (PATRAM), documents the awards presented during PATRAM 2007 which was convened in Miami, Florida, USA, during October 2007 (including pictures of recipients), and summarises previous awards given.

Conference Summary: PATRAM 2007, Miami, Florida, October 2007

(2007). Conference Summary: PATRAM 2007, Miami, Florida, October 2007. Packaging, Transport, Storage & Security of Radioactive Material: Vol. 18, No. 4, pp. 181-188.

Early structural testing of Type B radioactive material packages in USA to environments beyond regulatory package structural test standards

During the 1950s to the 1970s, when many new packages were being designed for the transport of a wide variety of radioactive materials, methods to analyse the response of package structures to structural accident environments had not been well developed. During this period, a number of different package designs were tested to determine how they reacted to various structural insults. Test programmes, on obsolete and new casks, were undertaken on behalf of the US Department of Energy and the Japanese Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation (currently known as the Japan Atomic Energy Agency). At the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), studies focused on how such packages reacted to the structural test environments specified in the transport regulations. At Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), studies focused primarily on tests that went beyond those required by the regulations. Two of the cask designs tested at ORNL were also tested to extreme environments at SNL, which allowed direct comparison of results for the different test environments. In addition, SNL exposed other casks to test conditions that were more extreme than were required by the regulations. Unfortunately, much of the original documentation regarding these tests and their results is no longer readily available or is degrading with time. The documentation relating to these tests and their results have been surveyed; this paper presents a summary from this survey. The first part of this paper describes the structural testing of three casks in accordance with regulatory standards, two of which were obsolete casks, the third of which was a newly designed cask for the transport of fresh nuclear fuel. The latter testing subjected the cask to 9 m (30 ft) drop and 1 m (40 in) puncture and a 25˙8 m s–1 (84˙8 ft s–1) impact test of the truck system into a massive concrete barrier and permitted a direct comparison of the results. The second part of this report discusses structural testing of casks to various structural environments different from those specified in the Transport Regulations. Where possible, the results of the regulatory tests are compared with the results of the tests to the other environments.

Testing of radioactive materials packages – an industrial view

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Materials, TS-R-1, set the standards for the packages used in the transport of radioactive materials under both normal and accident conditions. The underlying philosophy is that safety is vested principally in the proper use of correctly designed and fabricated packages.There is a large body of evidence which demonstrates that the current IAEA tests for high duty Type B packages are severe tests which cover all the impact, fire and submergence accident situations in transport which can be realistically envisaged. This conclusion is also supported by over 50 years of safe and efficient operating experience. Packages designed for the transportation of radioactive materials in the past have also been subjected to a variety of tests which are different from those specified in the IAEA transport regulations. These tests have often taken the form of spectacular demonstrations such as high speed road or rail crashes, large drops greater than the regulatory requirement, for example from a helicopter, high temperature long duration fires and also explosions. However, such tests or tests more severe than the current IAEA tests could not be justified on quantitative cost/benefit safety grounds and would present an unnecessary economic burden on the radioactive material transport industry. Such tests should not be required as part of the regulatory process. It is vital that public/political confidence in the current regulatory regime should not be undermined. We must continue our efforts to reassure the public that radioactive material transport is a necessary, safe and secure operation. We must dispel exaggerated claims and irrational fears. Wider public dissemination of the relevance of the current IAEA regulations in ensuring safety under severe accident conditions and the results of other tests and public demonstrations to simulate real accidents could both be beneficial in this regard.

Early accident simulating testing of radioactive material packages in road vehicles

AbstractBeginning as early as the 1960s, concerns were voiced as to the adequacy of the package test standards imposed by the transport regulations promulgated by the International Atomic Energy Agency. One concern that was frequently raised and has continued to the present time is that the test standards do not necessarily simulate real accidents. The purpose of the crash tests described here that were done with typical packages carried in full scale vehicles was to assess the IAEA standards, their adequacy and to suggest changes to them that might be needed. It was also hoped that the tests, which were performed in the USA and in the UK, would show to regulators, to users of the regulations and to the public that current regulations already provide a very high level of safety for real world accidents. With time, much of the original information regarding these tests and their results has been lost. The few documents that remain have been surveyed and this paper presents summaries from this survey of the...

PATRAM 2007: 21–26 October 2007, Marriott Doral Golf Resort and Spa, Miami, FL, USA

"PATRAM 2007: 21–26 October 2007, Marriott Doral Golf Resort and Spa, Miami, FL, USA." Packaging, Transport, Storage & Security of Radioactive Material, 18(1), p. 43

Review of Waste Management Symposium 2007, Tucson, AZ, USA

Review of Waste Management Symposium 2007, Tucson, AZ, USA

The Journal has arrived!

"The Journal has arrived!." Packaging, Transport, Storage & Security of Radioactive Material, 18(1), pp. 1–2

Safety of transport of radioactive material July-December 2006

"Safety of transport of radioactive material July-December 2006." Packaging, Transport, Storage & Security of Radioactive Material, 17(4), pp. 189–190

Movements of radioactive material on nuclear licensed sites

The regulations governing the transport of radioactive materials are prepared by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and then introduced into modal regulations and national legislation. These regulations are based on a graded approach to contents limits for packages and conveyances and to performance standards applied to package designs depending upon the hazard of the radioactive contents.They apply to the transport of radioactive material in the public domain in which the packages can be conveyed by road, rail, sea, inland waterways or air transport modes and may share transport routes with movements of people and cargoes in close proximity.In contrast, the movement of radioactive materials on nuclear sites is a much more controlled operation. Normally, only road or rail transport is involved, there are much lower volumes of other traffic and any hazards during the movement are generally less severe than the test conditions in the IAEA transport regulations representing accident conditions of transport.Furthermore, there is no internationally accepted set of design standards applicable to packages intended purely for onsite movements.In the UK, suitable safety cases need to be prepared to demonstrate the acceptability of the onsite movement of radioactive material to the regulator, the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII). The safety case includes engineering substantiation against appropriate design standards. However, the criteria in the design standards do not need to be as demanding as those in the IAEA transport regulations because of the controlled environment within which onsite movements take place.The principles of the graded approach in the IAEA transport regulations can be applied to onsite movements of radioactive material. However, the high level of safety resulting from compliance with these regulations can be achieved for movements of radioactive material packages on a nuclear licensed site by amending limits and test criteria to take account of the stringent onsite controls and environment. Examples of this are increasing the package contents limits for a particular package type, reducing the package test requirements or a combination of the two.There are also general requirements in the IAEA transport regulations for all packagings and packages, and aspects of these can be applicable for packages used for onsite movements of radioactive material. However, there are aspects of these where the detailed implementation can be relaxed for onsite movements, such as the acceleration values experienced at the typically low speeds of onsite movements and the limited ambient temperature and pressure ranges for a specific site.The present paper discusses various differences between transport of radioactive material in the public domain and on nuclear licensed sites.

Advantages of using standardised review procedures in certifying Type B radioactive material packages

AbstractThis paper presents the advantages of adopting well documented standardised review practices for reviewing Type B package designs. The US experience using standardised review plans and guidance has shown them to be a valuable tool in achieving more consistent and efficient package reviews, in training and qualifying technical reviewers and in enhancing the understanding of the package certification process by the public and industry. In addition, the standardised review practices, as living documents, have proved to be an effective method of incorporating new technical advances into the review process, and have provided a vehicle to make that knowledge widely available to fellow reviewers, the public and industry. Canada implemented a new internal review process in early 2003 to standardise the review of applications for certification of Type B packages. Based on the similarity of these approaches, the USA and Canada have started discussions on a 'North American system' for the unilateral approval...

A change of publisher

"A change of publisher." Packaging, Transport, Storage & Security of Radioactive Material, 17(1), pp. 1–2

Abstracts on packaging, transport, storage and security of radioactive material

Abstracts on packaging, transport, storage and security of radioactive material