ONTARIO HYDRO TRITIATED HEAVY WATER TRANSPORTATION PACKAGE

Ontario Hydro currently operates 15 heavy water moderated reactors generating 10 GW of electrical power. As the moderator thermalizes neutrons, a small fraction of these neutrons is absorbed by the heavy water thus forming tritiated heavy water. To minimize occupational dose due to the accumulated tritium in the moderator heavy water, heavy water will be routinely removed from the reactor moderators and transported to the Darlington Tritium Facility where tritium is removed from the heavy water and the processed heavy water will be returned to the reactors for use. For the efficient and safe transport of the tritiated heavy water from the nuclear generating stations to the Tritium Removal Facility, Ontario Hydro has designed and licensed a new Type B(U) package for bulk shipment use. The tritiated heavy water transportation package consists of a stainless steel container and an overpack. The package is licensed as a Type B(U) package and is capable of carrying up to 5000 kg of tritiated heavy water with a ITlBJcimum tritium content of 20 PBq. To support the licensing application, engineering evaluation and computer analyses supported by benchmark tests were used to demonstrate that the package will comply with all the tested and accident conditions as required by the AECB (Atomic Energy Control Board (of Canada)) Transport Packaging of Radioactive Materials Regulati on to discus' compliance with the regulations. the materials. property testing and the computer program benchmarking. Finally there is a discussion about manufacturing of the package and then its operation.