DESIGN AND SCALE MODEL TESTING OF THE NuPac 125-B RAIL CASK*

DESIGN AND SCALE MODEL TESTING OF THE NuPac 125-B RAIL CASK. The NuPac 125-B package was developed for defuelling the damaged Three Mile Island Unit II (TMI-2) reactor. The nature and imM.ct of these requirements on the design and licensing of a transport package are discussed. Loading and unloading of the NuPac 125-B differs from conventional fuel cask handling procedures owing to facility features and limitations at both TMI-2 and the receiving station. All transfers are 'dry' and the cask is never placed in a conventional fuel loading pool. In addition, the cask design was affected by the unique requirements for double containment of the TMI-2 fuel material, an accelerated development schedule, and limits imposed on impact loads experienced by the fuel debris canisters. Licensing activities involved analyses correlated with drop and puncture tests conducted on a 1/4 scale cask model. All structural details of the NuPac 125-B were accurately represented in these tests and analyses. Excellent correlation was found between analytical predictions and model behaviour on the impact events, and basic structural design and analysis assumptions were validated. Used together, integrated test and analysis demonstrations are shown to accelerate the design and licensing process.