Thermal Analyses of a Generic Rail Cask Model and Thermal Response of a Test Article Using Different High-Temperature Boundary Conditions*

Over the past several years, there have been ongoing discussions about the attempt to compare the thermal hypothetical accident environment in 10CFR71, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulations for the packaging and transportation of radioactive materials and the thermal qualification test conditions in 49CFR179, the Department of Transportation's (Don thermal insulation specifications for tank cars. Titis paper discusses the purposes and differences of each test environment and shows the relative magnitude of error that can occur when applying these regulations inappropriately.