Logistics preparation for the Multi-Modal Surrogate Spent Nuclear Fuel Transportation Test using the ENUN 32P cask

Equipos Nucleares S.A., S.M.E. (ENSA) together with the support of the national labs from Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and the transport engineering company COORDINADORA, was in charge of preparing the logistics for the Multi-Modal Surrogate Spent Nuclear Fuel Transportation Test, using the ENUN 32P dual-purpose cask. In order to accommodate all the instrumentation to measure the accelerations and the strains in the surrogate fuel assemblies, ENSA designed, manufactured and assembled several components in his factory in the north of Spain. The basket of the cask was loaded with 3 surrogate fuel assemblies and with 29 “dummy” assemblies, constituted by blocks of steel filled with concrete that represented the dimensions and the weight of 17x17 spent fuel assemblies. A specific lid, that substituted the original two lid closure system, was specifically manufactured for the test. The new lid included a big penetration to extract all the cables of the accelerometers and the strain gages from the inner cavity of the cask. In addition, the original impact limiters designed to protect the cask during transportation were replaced by surrogate ones. Finally, an extension was welded to the transport cradle, to place the batteries and the data acquisition system necessary to collect all data during the entire test. After providing support to SNL and PNNL for the instrumentation of the cask and the surrogate fuel assemblies, several handling tests were performed at ENSA with different crane operators, to tune and adjust the sensors and the data acquisition system. Together with COORDINADORA, ENSA’s team provided support during the first part of the test, the heavy-haul truck test across the north of Spain, and later on the transference to a barge from Santander (Spain) to Zeebrugge (Belgium), and then to Baltimore by ship. After performing the rail tests across the U.S. (from Baltimore to Pueblo (Colorado) and at TTCI testing facilities), all the test equipment was returned back to ENSA. ENSA’s team disassembled all the equipment and prepared the cask to be used for its original purpose: store and transport PWR spent fuel from Almaraz and Trillo NPPs in Spain