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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Assessment of accident thermal testing and analysis procedures for radioactive materials shipping package

Conference ·
OSTI ID:6872583

Currently, Type-B packages for transporting radioactive materials are required by regulations to survive exposure to an engulfing 30-min, 800/sup 0/C thermal source. This requirement is specified as a test, but allowances are provided to permit the requirement to be met by analyses. Various test methods, including pool fires and furnaces, are used when testing of packages is desired. The exposure of packages to pool fires, with and without wind deflectors and/or transportation vehicle structure is reviewed, with the goals of: (1) defining appropriate boundary conditions for analytically assessing package response in various fire environments; and (2) assessing the level of protection afforded by the regulations. Specific test data obtained with lead-shielded casks in open pool fires in both the United States and Japan are used to assess fire source temperatures, nonuniformities, wind effects and convective and radiative coefficients. 9 figures.

Research Organization:
Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA); Texas Univ., Austin (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
AC04-76DP00789
OSTI ID:
6872583
Report Number(s):
SAND-80-0060C; CONF-800723-24
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English