Dynamic calculation of the TN 28 VT package during 9 meter drop

International regulations require that a packaging for the transport of radioactive material has to withstand a 9-meter drop onto an unyielding target. It has to be shown that the containment of the radioactive contents is guaranteed. For some packagings the trunnions are not only used during handling and transport but serve also to absorb the energy of the shock during a 9-meter drop. An LS-DYNA3D model of an angular sector of a trunnion has been developed taking into account the rupture of the structure. The finite element analysis has been validated by successfully calibrating it with an actual drop test. The cask consists of a main cylindrical steel body equipped with thermal fins and additional neutron shielding encased in an external thin steel shell. During transport, two shock absorbers made of wood in a steel shell are attached to the top and the bottom of the main body. There are two pairs of trunnions to allow fixing and handling of the packaging. A comparative view of the actual and the simulated deformed structure shows that the residual deformation of the finite element analysis coincides almost perfectly with the one observed after the test. Comparing the acceleration, as a function of time, measured at the top and the bottom between the reduced scale model and the finite element model some differences are observed although the general shape of the signals is similar.