Package Performance Study: Developments Since PATRAM 13

The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) initiated a research program in 1999 to study the response of spent nuclear fuel transportation casks to extreme accident conditions. This confirmatory research program is called the Package Performance Study (PPS) and is founded on an enhanced public participatory process that is used to obtain public comments throughout all project phases. The study objectives are to: 1) assess the analysis tools and methods used to predict spent nuclear fuel transportation cask response to extreme mechanical and thermal environments, and 2) demonstrate the inherent safety in spent fuel cask design. Public outreach is a significant element in both of these objectives. The NRC Commission recently approved the full-scale testing of a single NRC certified spent nuclear fuel rail transportation cask [1]. To satisfy Commission direction, NRC staff has developed, for Commission approval, detailed test plans for conducting a full-scale demonstration test on a spent fuel rail transportation cask [2]. The staff proposes to perform a demonstration test involving the collision of a locomotive with a rail cask attached to a conveyance (i.e., railcar) and a subsequent fire test. Further, the staff plans to conduct detailed pre and post -test analysis to compare numerical calculations with data obtained from the test. This paper discusses the process for selection of this scenario and the uncertainties associated with demonstration testing and analysis predictions. The staff’s proposal is currently under review by the Commission.