Puncture evaluation of Shippingport package
A puncture evaluation of a 900-ton type B category II shipping package was performed. The package consisted of the decommissioned Shippingport reactor pressure vessel (RPV) with its neutron shield tank (NST) in a concentric arrangement. The space inside the RPV and in annulus between the RPV and the 1-inch-thick NST was filled with concrete. The package was assumed to drop 40 inches into a 6-inch-diameter puncture bar of sufficient length to reach the RPV. The objective was to evaluate the puncture potential of the RPV. A nonlinear dynamic finite element analysis was performed. The NST and the concrete in the annulus were assumed to provide little resistance to puncture because the NST shell is thin and the concrete strength is low. In addition to the dynamic finite element evaluation of the package, a simple buckling analysis of the puncture bar was also performed. The buckling analysis was based on the tangent modulus theory of inelastic buckling. It was found that the puncture bar will not penetrate the RPV under the most severe stress state during the impact process. It was also found that the puncture bar will buckle long before this most severe stress state in the RPV can be reached. The package possesses so much kinetic energy before impact, a small fraction of this energy is sufficient to either buckle or overstress the puncture bar before the stresses in the RPV become critical. 5 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 6161971
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-99652; CONF-890631-51; ON: DE89013777
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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