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Title: Radcalc for windows benchmark study: A comparison of software results with Rocky Flats hydrogen gas generation data

Conference ·
OSTI ID:797485

Radcalc for Windows Version 2.01 is a user-friendly software program developed by Waste Management Federal Services, Inc., Northwest Operations for the U.S. Department of Energy (McFadden et al. 1998). It is used for transportation and packaging applications in the shipment of radioactive waste materials. Among its applications are the classification of waste per the US. Department of Transportation regulations, the calculation of decay heat and daughter products, and the calculation of the radiolytic production of hydrogen gas. The Radcalc program has been extensively tested and validated (Green et al. 1995, McFadden et al. 1998) by comparison of each Radcalc algorithm to hand calculations. An opportunity to benchmark Radcalc hydrogen gas generation calculations to experimental data arose when the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site (RFETS) Residue Stabilization Program collected hydrogen gas generation data to determine compliance with requirements for shipment of waste in the TRUPACT-II (Schierloh 1998). The residue/waste drums tested at RFETS contain contaminated, solid, inorganic materials in polyethylene bags. The contamination is predominantly due to plutonium and americium isotopes. The information provided by Schierloh (1 998) of RFETS includes decay heat, hydrogen gas generation rates, calculated G{sub eff} values, and waste material type, making the experimental data ideal for benchmarking Radcalc. The following sections discuss the RFETS data and the Radcalc cases modeled with the data. Results are tabulated and also provided graphically.

Research Organization:
WMNW (US)
Sponsoring Organization:
OFFICE OF NUCLEAR ENERGY (US)
DOE Contract Number:
AC06-96RL13200
OSTI ID:
797485
Report Number(s):
HNF-3872-FP, Rev.0; TRN: US0201721
Resource Relation:
Conference: Conference title not supplied, Conference location not supplied, Conference dates not supplied; Other Information: PBD: 19 Jul 1999
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English