THE DE25 PACKAGE AND ITS OPERATING TOOLS

The CEA (French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission) has developed a new package (called DE25) for transportation of medium and high-level radioactive wastes. The wastes consist in a variety of solid nuclear materials (metals, papers, plastics…) with possible hydrogen production due to radiolysis phenomenon. The DE25 package complies, as a type B(M), with the regulatory requirements for road transport. It is currently being assessed by the French Nuclear Authority: if the design of the packaging is validated, the definitions of the contents need complementary assessment to take into account uncertainties of the radioactive wastes characterizations. In order to cope with existing facilities configurations and exploitation constraints, the package mass (9.2 tons) was limited due to the mechanical strength of facilities hot cells roofs, while keeping the same quantities of transported materials (80 kilograms) as in older packages, and with much more stringent objectives in terms of safety. The DE25 package provides integral shielding with mainly stainless steel. It is 1.8 m in diameter and 2 m high. The loading operations take place vertically by the bottom of the packaging on a hot cell roof or in a pool. As for the DE25 packaging, the development of the operating tools had to cope with the various facilities configurations, facilities stringent constraints in terms of space limitation and radiation protection. These activities have led to the definition of operating scenarios for each facility and the definition of the tools specifications with a constant concern about reliability and easy use. The main tool is called the winching set: it ensures on the one hand, wastes loading/unloading in the DE25 packaging by means of an external winch, and, on the other hand, the DE25 handling by means of facilities traveling cranes.