Performance of a type IP-2 packaging system in accident conditions of transport

Abstract

Paper presented to the 10th International Conference on Heat Transfer, Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics, Florida, 14-16 July 2014.

A package to be used for the transport of hazardous /radioactive materials must demonstrate to fulfil the International standards requirements in order to provide protection to the human being and environment even under accident conditions, such as rigorous fire events. In these conditions, the system (package or cask), constituted, in general, by a massive sealed steel vessel, must thus demonstrate to be robust, safe and reliable so to guarantee both structural strength and radiation shielding. The present study deals with the evaluation of the thermostructural response and performance of an Italian design type IP-2 packaging system, provided by Sogin, that should be adopted for the transportation of low and intermediate level radioactive solid/solidified wastes. To evaluate its performance, a FEM model has been set up and implemented in a rather refined way taking into account all the packaging system components. Numerical simulations addressed fire scenarios as specified in the IAEA regulations: packaging subjected to an engulfing fire of 800 °C for 30 minutes. All the heat transfer mechanisms, inside the system and between the system itself and the environment, have been considered in the thermal analyses performed. The results of the thermal analyses are presented and discussed. Analysing the results obtained it is possible to conclude that although any potential damage the integrity of IP2 packaging system is assured.