DEVELOPMENT OF THE TRU WASTE TRANSPORTATION FLEET--A SUCCESS STORY
Since March 1999, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), located in southeastern New Mexico, has been operated by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Carlsbad Field Office (CBFO), as a repository for the permanent disposal of defense-related transuranic (TRU) waste. More than 1,450 shipments of TRU waste for WIPP disposal have been completed, and the WIPP is currently receiving 12 to 16 shipments per week from five DOE sites around the nation. One of the largest fleets of Type B packagings supports the transportation of TRU waste to WIPP. This paper discusses the development of this fleet since the original Certificate of Compliance (C of C) for the Transuranic Package Transporter-II (TRUPACT-II) was issued by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in 1989. Evolving site programs, closure schedules of major sites, and the TRU waste inventory at the various DOE sites have directed the sizing and packaging mix of this fleet. This paper discusses the key issues that guided this fleet development, including the following: While the average weight of a 55-gallon drum packaging debris could be less than 300 pounds (lbs.), drums containing sludge waste or compacted waste could approach the maximum allowable weight of 1,000 lbs. A TRUPACT-II shipment may consist of three TRUPACT-II packages, each of which is limited to a total weight of 19,250 lbs. Payload assembly weights dictated by ''as-built'' TRUPACT-II weights limit each drum to an average weight of 312 lbs when three TRUPACT-IIs are shipped. To optimize the shipment of heavier drums, the HalfPACT packaging was designed as a shorter and lighter version of the TRUPACT-II to accommodate a heavier load. Additional packaging concepts are currently under development, including the ''TRUPACT-III'' packaging being designed to address ''oversized'' boxes that are currently not shippable in the TRUPACT-II or HalfPACT due to size constraints. Shipment optimization is applicable not only to the addition of new packagings, but also to the addition of new payload containers (used inside the NRC-approved Type B packaging) with revised design limits. For example, to address the shipment of specific TRU waste forms, a series of pipe overpack payload containers have been designed and approved by the NRC. The ''standard'' pipe overpack configuration is designed to allow the shipment of higher fissile gram containers, each with a maximum fissile gram equivalent (FGE) loading of 200 grams (g). For shipments of waste packaged in the standard pipe overpack, the FGE limit is 2,800 g per TRUPACT-II and 1,400 g per HalfPACT. The ''S100'' and ''S200'' pipe overpack configurations allow the use of shielded configurations of the pipe overpack for shipment of specific gamma- and neutron-emitting waste forms. The 72-B Cask and the 10-160B Cask have been approved by the NRC for the transportation of remote-handled (RH) TRU waste, which comprises a small fraction of the overall inventory that will be shipped to WIPP.
- Research Organization:
- Washington TRU Solutions, LLC, 6100 Seagull Lane NE, Suite 202, Albuquerque, NM 87109; U.S. Department of Energy, Carlsbad Field Office, P.O. Box 3090, Carlsbad, NM 88220 (US)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- US Department of Energy (US)
- OSTI ID:
- 826249
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Waste Management 2003 Symposium, Tucson, AZ (US), 02/23/2003--02/27/2003; Other Information: PBD: 27 Feb 2003
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Nuclear Criticality Safety Assessment of Criticality Control Containers without Moderation Control at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant
Repackaging of High Fissile TRU Waste at the Transuranic Waste Processing Center - 13240