Fire protection device for LMFBR spent fuel shipping casks

Technical Report · Mon Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1977

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/7295026· OSTI ID:7295026

Moss, M.; Heckman, R. C.

This report describes the analysis and experimental evaluation of a device to provide fire protection for a shipping cask used to transport liquid metal fast breeder reactor (LMFBR) fuel rods. Thermal analyses of various fire protection schemes were conducted by means of the finite difference code, CINDA. The choice of materials for the cask body was determined to be less important than the dimensions and number of cooling fins attached to the cask. Of several protection methods considered, radiation/convection shields between the cooling fins looked most attractive; these were tested on a quarter-scale cask model. The shields consisted of bimetallic bands which expanded when heated, blocking the fire, and retracted when cooled. This automatic reversibility would allow the fins to dissipate internally generated heat of a full-size cask once the fire was out. Tests showed that, even in an asymmetric fire exposure, the bands expanded to provide protection to the cask. The directly exposed surface of the cask model, protected this way, reached a temperature of only 180/sup 0/C compared with 295/sup 0/C in the unprotected state, when subjected to a butane flame for 0.5 h at a distance of 15 cm. Greater relative effectiveness could be expected in an engulfing fire in which the bands would expand more symmetrically.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: EY-76-C-04-0789
• OSTI ID: 7295026
• Report Number(s): SAND-77-0723; TRN: 77-018091
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
CASKS
FIRE PREVENTION
LMFBR TYPE REACTORS
SPENT FUELS
TRANSPORT
BREEDER REACTORS
CONTAINERS
ENERGY SOURCES
EPITHERMAL REACTORS
FAST REACTORS
FBR TYPE REACTORS
FUELS
LIQUID METAL COOLED REACTORS
NUCLEAR FUELS
REACTOR MATERIALS
REACTORS
420204* - Engineering- Shipping Containers
050900 - Nuclear Fuels- Transport
Handling
& Storage