Session: 05-07: System Performance and Safety Enhancements

Paper Number: 136245

136245 - Thermal Performance Analysis of Radioactive Material Transport Containers 

Abstract: 

With the rapid development of nuclear energy, the number of packages for transporting radioactive materials has increased dramatically, and the safety of transporting radioactive materials has attracted more attention. Transport containers for radioactive materials are physical safety barriers for the transportation of radioactive materials. By evaluating the safety performance of transport containers for radioactive materials, they can effectively safeguard human health, protect the environment, and promote the development and peaceful use of nuclear energy and nuclear technology. The thermal safety evaluation of radioactive material transport containers is an important content of the safety performance evaluation of radioactive material transport containers.

The design of transportation containers can usually be verified by simulation analysis methods, test methods, or a combination of both. Considering the economy and reliability of the results, a combination of test and simulation analysis is often used. This article takes the thermal safety evaluation of Type-A transport containers as an example, and summarizes the experience of thermal safety evaluation of radioactive material transport containers in combination with daily work.

The thermal safety evaluation of radioactive material transportation containers is divided into two parts: simulation analysis and experimental verification. Firstly, based on the structural characteristics of transportation containers, normal transportation conditions, and transportation accident conditions, corresponding physical and mathematical models are established for simulation analysis and calculation. Then, a heat resistance test was conducted according to Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material (IAEA SSR-6 (Rev. 1) - 2018). The test results showed that the temperature at the inner cover of the transport container was less than 104 ℃, which was lower than the requirement of the acceptance criteria that the temperature at the inner cover should not be higher than 252 ℃, meeting the acceptance criteria. Comparing the simulation calculation results and test data of key components, it was found that the temperature data obtained from the simulation calculation and the test data were in good agreement, with a maximum temperature difference of less than 14%. The results show that using simulation analysis and experimental techniques to collect and analyze temperature data of key components of transportation containers can effectively evaluate the thermal safety performance of packages.

After summarizing several thermal safety evaluations of radioactive material transportation containers, it was found that the accuracy of simulation results depends on the rationality of the calculation model, the accuracy of boundary conditions, and the experience of computational personnel. The measurement method of heat resistance test can also affect the accuracy of test data. Therefore, simulation analysis should pay attention to the key points of modeling, boundary conditions, and result processing. Heat resistance testing should enrich measurement methods, reasonably select temperature measurement points, and further explore test results. Compare the measured values of multiple parameters with the simulation results to verify the reliability of the simulation calculation.

Presenting Author: Changwu Wang Chinese Institute for Radiation Protection

Presenting Author Biography: Changwu Wang, M.S., Assistant Researcher, works at the China Institute for Radiation Protection (CIRP) in the field of safety of transportation of radioactive materials.

Authors:

Changwu Wang Chinese Institute for Radiation Protection
Yuhang Zhang Chinese Institute for Radiation Protection
Yiren Lian Chinese Institute for Radiation Protection
Lei Chen Chinese Institute for Radiation Protection
Zhipeng Wang Chinese Institute for Radiation Protection
Qian Sun Chinese Institute for Radiation Protection
Dajie Zhuang Chinese Institute for Radiation Protection