TRANSFER SHUTTILE FOR VlTRIFIED RESIDUE CANISTERS CONTROL OF RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH EXTERNAL EXPOSURE AND BEAT RELEASE

In the La Hague COGEMA's plant area, nuclear residue isolated by reprocessing are transported by means of specific transfer shuttles between the different processing and/or conditioning facilities and the storage ones. These shuttles are designed by reference to the applicable dose equivalent rate (DER) limits for transport on the site and the thermal behavior limitations of certain mechanical components which guarantee the containment of the transported waste. This paper describes an example of a study conducted on a transfer shuttle for vitrified residue canisters. Concerning the control of risks associated with external exposure and with heat releases, these were handled by the ' Shielding-Criticality-Dispersion' and 'Process Modelling and Simulation' Sections of the Technical Division of SGN. The dose profiles around the shuttle, as a function of the shielding heterogeneities and possible radiation leakage, as well as the thermal fields within the shuttle, were calculated using 3D models. These design studies ultimately helped to select and validate the optimal solutions.