140-B Rail/Barge Spent Fuel Cask Development

Development of the 90,700 Kg (100 ton) 140-B Rail/Barge cask for OCRWM requires satisfying at least the following simultaneous and sometimes conflicting requirements. o The payload of PWR and BWR fuel assemblies and/or consolidated fuel rods should be as large as possible to minimize life cycle costs and total radiation exposures for the entire transportation system This may mean that the cask cost alone may not be the minimum o Exceed neither the 90,700 Kg crane hook capacity or the 119,300 Kg (263,000 pound) railcar gross weight limits. o Provide a thermal path to dissipate heat outward from fuel assemblies but also not conduct enough heat inward during the hypothetical accident fire to exceed fuel pin peak cladding or seal temperatures in either case. o Interface satisfactorily with a large number of uti lity and repository facilities and equipment with rapid turnaround times while keeping radiation exposures of personnel and the public as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA). o Assure subcriticality with a large number and variety of fuel assembly designs in fuel pool loading, shipment or accident conditions. Fuels may be enriched up to 4-1/2\\. o Be licensed by NRC to 10 CFR 71, requiring survival of hypothetical accident drops, puncture tests, and fires without loss of containment or damage to fuel. o Withstand submergence requirements of IAEA Safety Series 6. The preliminary design of the 140~B Rail/Barge Cask is about 60\\ complete and incorporates several innovative features which extend current cask design techniques.