Effect of the Payload Configuration on the Performance of a 205 Litre Drum During Impact Testing

LLW Repository Ltd is a waste management company that provides services in the UK to treat and dispose of low level radioactive waste. On behalf of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, they manage the national Low Level Waste Repository in West Cumbria and oversee a national Low Level Waste programme to ensure that lower activity waste is managed effectively. Work was conducted in late 2012 by Onet Technologies UK on behalf of the LLWR to approve a heavy duty 205 litre drum for a variety of radioactive waste materials up to SCO-II/LSA-II limits. The payloads varied from rubble to wood and metals and were configured for maximum packing efficiency and not for their behaviour during an impact test. However, during the testing an unexpected failure occurred. This was investigated, the payload reconfigured to take account of the effect the payload had on the impact test, and another test conducted. This paper reports on the findings of the tests for the various payloads, describe the failure, the investigation and the subsequent limits put on the payload configuration. The paper discusses the criteria for meeting the 'no loss of contents' requirement of the IAEA Safety Standards TS-R-1 Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material 2009 Edition, within the context of the results. The paper also considers the implications and issues arising when using UN drums (which are generally tested with homogenous payloads) to transport decommissioning waste (heterogeneous solids).