Impact Limiter Design for a Lightweight Tritium Hydride Vessel Transport Container*

Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) has designed an impact-limiting system for a small, lightweight radioactive material shipping container. The Westinghouse Savannah River Company (WSRC) is developing this Type B package for the shipment of tritium, replacing the outdated LP-50 shipping container. Regulatory accident resistance requirements for Type B packages, including this new tritium package, are specified in 10 CFR 71 (NRC I 983). The regulatory requirements include a 9-meter free drop onto an unyielding target, a 1-meter drop onto a mild steel punch, and a 30-minute 800° C fire test. Impact limiters are used to protect the package in the free-drop accident condition in any impact orientation without hindering the package's resistance to the thermal accident condition.