Intermodal transfer of spent fuel

Conference · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1991

OSTI ID:7202070

Neuhauser, K. S. ^[1]; Weiner, R. F. ^[2]

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1. Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
2. Western Washington Univ., Bellingham, WA (United States)

As a result of the international standardization of containerized cargo handling in ports around the world, maritime shipment handling is particularly uniform. Thus, handier exposure parameters will be relatively constant for ship-truck and ship-rail transfers at ports throughout the world. Inspectors' doses are expected to vary because of jurisdictional considerations. The results of this study should be applicable to truck-to-rail transfers. A study of the movement of spent fuel casks through ports, including the loading and unloading of containers from cargo vessels, afforded an opportunity to estimate the radiation doses to those individuals handling the spent fuels with doses to the public along subsequent transportation routes of the fuel. A number of states require redundant inspections and for escorts over long distances on highways; thus handlers, inspectors, escort personnel, and others who are not normally classified as radiation workers may sustain doses high enough to warrant concern about occupational safety. This paper addresses the question of radiation safety for these workers. Data were obtained during, observation of the offloading of reactor spent fuel (research reactor spent fuel, in this instance) which included estimates of exposure times and distances for handlers, inspectors and other workers during offloading and overnight storage. Exposure times and distance were also for other workers, including crane operators, scale operators, security personnel and truck drivers. RADTRAN calculational models and parameter values then facilitated estimation of the dose to workers during incident-free ship-to-truck transfer of spent fuel.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 7202070
• Report Number(s): SAND--91-2602C; TTC--1120; CONF-920905--29; ON: DE93000720
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

050900 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Transport
Handling
& Storage
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
42 ENGINEERING
420203* -- Engineering-- Handling Equipment & Procedures
CASKS
CONTAINERS
DOSES
LAND TRANSPORT
MARITIME TRANSPORT
MATERIALS HANDLING
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY
RADIATION DOSES
RAIL TRANSPORT
REGULATIONS
SAFETY
SPENT FUEL CASKS
TRANSPORT
US NRC
US ORGANIZATIONS