A NEW TYPE C PACKAGING FOR AIR TRANSPORT OF FRESH MOX FUEL ASSEMBLIES

With the aim to transport fresh MOX fuel assemblies by air starting in 2001, COGEMA asked Transnucleaire to develop a global transportation system based on the use of a totally new packaging concept. The concept study was made in accordance with the new type C packaging requirements defined in the 1996 revision of the IAEA regulations and with the requirements set forth by the NRC in 10 CFR Part 71. This type of packaging must, in particular, be demonstrated to withstand high speed impact tests of 90 rn/s for the IAEA and 129 rn/s for the NRC regulations. A new drop test onto a truncated cone-shaped punch was also introduced. In order to comply with operational and transport constraints, new principles have been considered in the design of this packaging. A large number of numeric simulations were carried out to define the basic concept and to assess its behavior under variable impact angles. The numeric models, some of which included more than I 00,000 elements, were readjusted by means of real impact tests performed on scale models throughout the whole development period. This preliminary study allowed to define the impact angle for the qualification test which will be performed at the end of 1999.