DESIGN METHODOLOGY TO ENSURE SIMILARITY BETWEEN SCALE MODEL AND PACKAGE MODEL: APPLICATION TO TN®843

The transportation of radioactive material requires a very high standard of safety of the packaging model imposed by international regulations. Particularly, a 9-meter free drop test onto an unyielding target is required. The justification of the good behavior of the packaging model under the 9-meter free drop test is generally based on drop test results of a scale model, the similarity of which is proven with regard to the packaging model. To facilitate the consideration of the drop test campaign results in the Safety Analysis Report, the design of the scale model relative to the packaging model must be as close as possible. The difficulty is to have a penalizing but still realistic scale model with regard to the packaging in terms of structural resistance. This paper describes the approach adopted to guarantee the penalizing aspect of the mock up. Specific geometry (gaps, tolerances,...) and materials for various components (containment, bolts, shock absorber,...) of the scale model is necessary. The scale model definition is explained by using the TN®843 packaging model as an example. This was one of the last packages to have undergone the 9-meter free drop. The TN®843 package has been developed for the transportation of compacted waste and requires a type B(U)F certificate of approval. Drop tests were performed using a TN®843 3:1 scale model.