Design Challenges for a New Packaging for the Shipment of Radioactive Waste

The design of a new packaging is a challenge regarding the ever increasing demands of the competent authorities to demonstrate full compliance of packagings with the safety regulations. CAROLINE-R80 is a new Type B(U) packaging, currently under design by Transnubel and Robatel Industries, for the shipment of large quantities of radioactive waste. This packaging will be designed, licensed and manufactured by mid-2017. Due to the large dimensions of the internal cavity (Ø785 x 1163 mm), the packaging will be able tophysically ship different kind of waste forms in 200l/400l drums or baskets, whether they areconditioned or not. The biggest challenge is to accommodate the packaging design for the variety of contents which need to be shipped in the near future, in terms of isotopes, activities, physical/chemical form... Furthermore the dose rate evaluation of the non-conditioned waste will be a major challenge regarding the safety demonstrations, as the content could potentially move during routine and normal conditions of transport. In order to load and unload the packaging in different kinds of nuclear facilities, many interface challenges have to be treated as well. Physical properties of the packaging such as dimensions and weight are limiting factors, as many facilities are not foreseen to handle such packagings. Different specific equipment will be designed in order to facilitate loading and unloading operations even by remote controlled operations to cope with high active content. Both a horizontal as a vertical (un)loading are foreseen.