Development Status of the GA-4 and GA-9 Casks

Conference · Sun Apr 12 00:00:00 EDT 1992

OSTI ID:10166173

Grenier, Robert M. ^[1]

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1. General Atomics, San Diego, CA (United States)

General Atomics (GA) has developed two legal-weight truck spent fuel shipping casks for transporting commercial reactor spent fuel. The GA-4 Cask carries four pressurized-water reactor (PWR) assemblies, and the GA-9 Cask carries nine boiling-water reactor (BWR) assemblies. Depleted uranium and a borated polymer are the gamma and neutron shielding materials. Type XM-19 stainless steel is the structural material used for the cask body, closure and the structure which supports the fuel assemblies. The impact limiters are made of aluminum honeycomb. Solid boron carbide, contained in the removable fuel support structure, provides poison for criticality control. The GA-4 Cask uses burnup credit to maintain criticality safety with spent fuel assemblies having enrichments greater than 3 wt% U-235. GA has conducted an extensive test program for the neutron shield material and the aluminum honeycomb impact limiters. Additional planned testing includes verification testing of a half-scale model to confirm the structural design, full-scale high and low temperature leak testing of the closure seal design, and endurance testing of the semitrailer design.

• Research Organization: General Atomics, San Diego, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP); USDOE Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management
• DOE Contract Number: AC07-88ID12698
• OSTI ID: 10166173
• Report Number(s): EGG-M-91402; CONF-920430-101; ON: DE92017854
• Resource Relation: Conference: 3. International High Level Radioactive Waste Management (IHLRWM) Conference, Las Vegas, NV (United States), 12-16 Apr 1992; Other Information: PBD: [1992]
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
SPENT FUEL CASKS
PERFORMANCE TESTING
SPENT FUELS
ROAD TRANSPORT
DESIGN
BURNUP
CRITICALITY
IMPACT SHOCK
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
Pressurized-Water Reactor (PWR) Assemblies
Boiling-Water Reactor (BWR) Assemblies
Spent Fuel
Cask Design
Neutron Shield Material Tests
420204
050900
SHIPPING CONTAINERS
TRANSPORT, HANDLING, AND STORAGE