Latest cask designs for international Use in Support of Medical and Research Reactors Stakeholders: TN®OGL , Flying Pig, TN®LC

Research reactors and laboratories are centers of innovation and productivity for nuclear science and technology. Their work is essential for new developments in nuclear power, radioisotope production, nuclear medicine, material characterization and testing, and various other analyses. They are extremely valuable training and research tools. However, in terms of nuclear material transportation and package needs, they represent a small niche market with extremely specific requirements: • There are 246 research reactors in 56 countries involving transportation between multiple countries with variations in regulatory practices. • Materials for research purposes are typically with various characteristics (dimensions, material and isotopes) making package content standardization very challenging. • New needs for transport packages emerge due to developments in the nuclear medical field and to new innovative therapies. This paper presents three new cask designs being developed and licensed by the AREVA Logistics Unit in support of international needs for research reactors, laboratories and AREVA subsidiaries: • The TN®OGL is a type A package for solid contents. By taking into account air transport regulations, the TN®OGL is able to transport isotopes with a short life duration worldwide. Its lightness (22 kg) and its compactness (diameter 40 cm and height 60 cm) make it very attractive relative to other Type A packages. • The cask of the “Flying Pig” project is a B(U) package design to transport small quantities of irradiated material coming from various worldwide laboratories. With its low weight (≅ 2.5 tons), small dimension (cavity diameter 150 mm, length 300 mm), and non-fissile material (<15g), the cask is able to travel easily throughout the world by air, sea or road. Furthermore, the transportable contents will be maximized due to its content definition (isotopes table). • The TN® LC is a new type B(U)-F package for versatile contents that will accommodate full-length commercial 14-ft irradiated fuel assemblies or pins, or up to 180 research-reactor irradiated assemblies of different designs or other irradiated content. Its weight will be light enough to be used in the research reactor environment (25 tons) and to be transported by all modes. It will be available for US domestic and international shipments by end 2014.