Crash testing of nuclear fuel shipping containers. [Computational techniques]

Conference · Mon Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1977

OSTI ID:5265161

Jefferson, R M; Yoshimura, H R

In an attempt to understand the dynamics of extra severe transportation accidents and to evaluate state-of-the-art computational techniques for predicting the dynamic response of shipping casks involved in vehicular system crashes, the Environmental Control Technology Division of ERDA undertook a program with Sandia to investigate these areas. The program encompasses the following distinct major efforts. The first of these utilizes computational methods for predicting the effects of the accident environment and, subsequently, to calculate the damage incurred by a container as the result of such an accident. The second phase involves the testing of /sup 1///sub 8/-scale models of transportation systems. Through the use of instrumentation and high-speed motion photography the accident environments and physical damage mechanisms are studied in detail. After correlating the results of these first two phases, a full scale event involving representative hardware is conducted. To date two of the three selected test scenarios have been completed. Results of the program to this point indicate that both computational techniques and scale modeling are viable engineering approaches to studying accident environments and physical damage to shipping casks.

• Research Organization: Sandia Labs., Albuquerque, N.Mex. (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: EY-76-C-04-0789
• OSTI ID: 5265161
• Report Number(s): SAND-77-1462C; CONF-780107-1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
420204* -- Engineering-- Shipping Containers
ACCURACY
ANALYTICAL SOLUTION
CASKS
CONTAINERS
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
IMPACT TESTS
MATERIALS TESTING
MECHANICAL TESTS
MOCKUP
SCALING LAWS
SIMULATION
SPENT FUEL CASKS
STRUCTURAL MODELS
TESTING