Safety Considerations for the Addition of 1S and 2S UF6Cylinder Contents and Air Transport Capability for the Versa-Pac

The Versa-Pac is a certified Type A fissile packaging (USA NRC Certificate # USA/9342/AF-96), which has previously been used for the transport and disposal of waste materials. Continuous content additions have improved the versatility of the package resulting in expanded uses for the industry. The Versa-Pac is used directly or in conjunction with a pipe container (legacy 2R vessel), poly bottles, and a variety of other containers, inserts and vessels. An expansion of the authorized contents in the Versa-Pac aids the nuclear industry with the shipment of front-end feed materials in support of high assay low enriched uranium (HALEU) fuel development. The 2019 NRC license amendment adds new drop testing results and updated thermal analysis to support new contents, which include 1S and 2S UF6 cylinders, increased payload mass, expanded 235U enrichment loading, and the allowance to transport the package via air for any approved content. The addition of these capabilities for the Versa-Pac has presented a unique set of challenges in developing the safety basis for the package. The development of insulation and confinement components was required to satisfy all regulatory and ANSI N14.1 / ISO 7195 cylinder requirements. Additional consideration was also given to both criticality safety and public exposure due to the risks associated with air transport.