ML19257A221
| ML19257A221 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 07106697 |
| Issue date: | 11/29/1979 |
| From: | Cunningham G GENERAL ELECTRIC CO. |
| To: | Macdonald C NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL SAFETY & SAFEGUARDS (NMSS) |
| References | |
| 14966, NUDOCS 8001030084 | |
| Download: ML19257A221 (14) | |
Text
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ppa 7/-#O GENER AL h ELECTRIC
' ^ " " " " " "
ENGINEERING GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, P.O. BOX 460. PLEASANTON. CALIFORNIA 94568 D1 VISION November 29,1979 C. E. MacDonald, Chief Transportation Branch Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards U.S. Nuclear Regulatcry Commission Washington, D.C., 20555 Ref: Certificate of Compliance No. 6697
Dear Mr. MacDonald:
General Electric has for several years shipped large quantities of radio-isotopes as normal form material in the G.E. Model 3500 shipping container. General Electric hereby requests that the Certificate of Compliance No. 6697 for that container be renewed. In support of this request a consolidated application for certification is enclosed with this letter. Some minor changes, either editorial or reflecting the current cask drawings, have been made and are designated by vertical lines.
Also enclosed is a check for $150.00 for the renewal fee.
As the current certificate expires on December 31,1979, General Electric requests that the certificate be extended pending completion of the renewal review.
Sincerely, Y
f-G. E. Cunningham Senior Licensing Engineer GEC/jh 1666 075 Enclosures (2)
$6610 300S'/
GENERAL ELECTRIC SHIELDED CONTAINER - MODEL 8500 1.0 PACKAGE DESCRIPTION - PACKAGING (a) General All containers of this model, for purposes of constructing additional containers of this model, will have dimensions of plus or minus 5% of the container dimensions specified in this application, and all lifting and/or tiedown devices for additional containers of this model, if different from the lifting and/or tiedown devices described in this application, will satisfy the requirements of 10CFR71.31(c)(d). The Model 8500 is detailed in GE drawings 277E696, 277E712,174F482: 289E795,195F169, and 289E796, all attached.
Shape An upright circular cylinder shielded cask and an upright circular cylinder protective jacket of solid plywood faminations in two approximately equal parts bolted to a wooden pallet.
Size Cask - 7 inches diameter by 12-7/16 inches high.
Protective jacket 1/4 inches diameter by 20-3/4 inches high.
Construction The cask is depleted uranium metal encased in a stainless steel welded vessel. The interface between the uranium and steel is plated with a minimum of 0.004 inches of copper.
Weight The cask weighs approximately 205 pounds. The protective jacket and pallet weigh approximately 80 pounds.
(b) Cask Body Outer Shell '
1/8-inch stainless steel. 7 inches diameter by 10-1/2 inches high including a 3/16-inch bottom plate and a 3/8-inch top flange.
Cavity A 1/8-inch thick stainless steel wall, 2-7/8 inches inner diameter by 6-1/8 inches deep with a 1/8-inch stainless steel bottom plate.
Shielding Thickness 1 13/16 inches of decleted uranium surrounds the cask cavity.
Pene&adon None.
Filters None.
Lifting Devices Looped 3/8-inch diameter stainless steel rod welded to the lid.
Primary Coolant Air.
(c) Cask Lld Shape A right chaular cylir. der attached to flat top and bottom plates.
Size Top plate is 6-3/4 inches diameter by 3/8-inch thick. Bottom plate is 4-3/4 inches diameter by 1/8-inch thick. Rignt cylinder is 4-3/4 inches outer diameter by 1-13/16 inches high.
1666 076
Construction Depleted uranium steel clad cylinder welded to circular steel plates.
Closures Six 3/8-inch - 16 UNC-2A by 1-inch long steel bolts equally spaced 60* apart on an 5-13/16 inch diameter bolt circle.
Closure Seal A minimum 1/8-inch thick by 6-3/4 inch outer diameter by 4-13/16 inch inner diameter flat neoprene rubber gasket between body and lid.
Penetrations None.
Shielding Expansion Void None.
Lifting Devices Looped 3/8-inch diameter stain!sss steel rod welded to the lid.
(d) Liners None.
(e) Protective Jacket Scdy and Base Shape Basically a right circular cylinder consisting of two haives.
Size The exterior is 20-1/2 inches high by 15-1/4 inches diameter. '
The cavity is 11 inches high by 7-1/4 inches diameter. The minimum jacket thickness is 4 inches.
Construction Ptywood sheets, discs and rings 13ninated and nailed.
Closures Six equally spaced 1/2-inch diameter - 13 UNC - 2A by 18 inches long threaded rods extend from the jacket base up through the body, to the top of the wooden protective jacket. Six 1/2-inch - 13 UNC - 28 hex nuts and washers hold the rods in place at the jacket parting line. Six 1/2-inch - 13 UNC - 2B hex nuts and washers secure the top of the jacket to the base half.
Ufting Devices None.
(f) Pallet Shape A right rectangular parallelepiped.
Size 18 inches by 24 inches by 5 inches high.
Construction Aluminum.
Attachment Four 3/8-inch - 13 UNC - 2A by 4-inch long equally spaced steel bolts on a 16-3/4 inch bolt circle connect the wooden pallet to the protective jacket base.
2.0 PACKAGE DESCRIPTION - CONTENTS (a) Type and Form Radioactve matenal in solid or fiquid form.
(b) Fisalle Content Not to exceed 15 grams fissite.
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(c) Radioactivity That quantity of radioactive material that does not spontaneously generate by radioactive decay more than the following watt loads:
Solid 50 W Liquid 10 W and which meets the requirements of 49CFR173.393 (i) or (j).
(d) Heat Totil maximum intemally generated heat load not to exceed 50 watts for solids or 10 watts for liquids. Equilibrium thermocouple temperature recordings from a GE shielded container Model 5500Pb with a 3120 curie Cobalt-60 intemal heat load (50 watts) are as follows:
Cask cavity wall
...148'F Extemal shell of cask, side..
120'F Extemal shell of cask, top...
.156*F Extemal shell of cask, bottom..
126*F Protective jacket, inside surface.
113*F Protective jacket, outside surface..
.75'F
... 75'F Ambient..
The Model 5500 Pb (no longer in use) is very similar to the Model 8500 except for the shielding thickness of 3-7/16 inches of lead versus 1-13/16 inches of depleted uranium for the Model 8500. Therefore, the temperature valves for the same watt load in the Model 8500 would not differ significantly from those listed abov'e.
Wooden jackets built to the specifications as outlined in this application were tested for drop and fire by Sandia and reported as "New Developments in Accident Resistant Shipping Containers for Radioactive Materials," by J. A. Sister at the symposium for Packaging and Transportation of Radioactive Materials, Albuquerque, New Mexico,1965. The results of the tests on casks having dimensions close to those of th6 models 5500 Pb and 5500 U indicate that the temperature in the intenor of the cask will not approach 200'F in the standard thirty-minute fire. The resulting maximum temperature based on a 50 watt load in the standard fire test would be less than 350*F.
The General Electnc Specification 2R container (GE 106D3830) has been tested to 950*F before vapor was released. A desenption of the inner container system for liquid shipments and the test procedures and results are documented as Attachment B to this application.
3.0 PACKAGE EVALUATION (a) General There are no componer'ts of the packaging or its contents whicn are subject to chemical or galvanic reaction; no coolant is usod dunng transport. The protective jacket is bolted closed dunng transport. If the pallet structure. which is used in the tiedown system and constitutes the pnncipal lifting device, failed in such a 1666 078 3
manner to allow the extemal cylinder to become detached from the pallet, the basic protective features of the protective jacket and the enclosed cask would remain.
The package (contents. cask, and protective jacket) regarded as a simple beam supported at its ends along its major axis, is capable of withstanding a static load, normal to and distnbuted along its entire bngth equal to five times its fully loaded weight, without generatirx] stress in any material of the packaging in excess of its yiek', strength. The packaging is adequate to retain all contents whr/ subjected to an extemal pressure of 25 pounds per square inct gauge.
The wooc%n protective jacket enclosing the cask provides a miniffwm of 4 inches of plywood wall around the cask. The
- .otective Jacket is designed with wooden nngs circumscribing the package to facilitate the handling of the protective jacket in its placement around and removal from the cask and to absorb a significant portion of the energy of any drop or fall.
Since the design of the wooden protective structure is based on concepts applied to packages (1) (2) that were successfully subjected to the impact and fire tests of 49CFR173.398(C) and 10CFR71.36, the General Electric Shielded Container - Model 8500 will provide an adequate and reasonable degree of safety.
(b) Normal Transport Conditions Thermal Packaging components, i.e., wood protective jackets, steel shells and uranium metal shielding, are unaffected by temperature extremes of -40*F and 130*F. Package contents, at least singly enclosed with liquids contained in specification containers, but not limited to special form, will not be affected by these temperature extremes.
Pressure The package will withstand an extemal pressure of 0.5 times standard atmospheric pressure.
Vibration Inspection of the Model 8500 casks used for Type B quantities since 1972 reveals no evidence of damage of significance to transport safety.
Water Spray and Free Drop Since the container is constructed of metal and plywood faminations, there is no damage to containment resulting from dropping the container through the standard drop heights after being subjected to water spray.
Penetration There is no effect on containment or overall spacing from dropping a 13 pound by 3-1/4 inch diameter bar from four feet onto the most vulnerable exposed surface of the packaging.
(1) sister J.A.,"New cove.coments m Accd9nt Pesastance Shopog Containers for Radoacave Matenals." P oceedngs. Intemational Symocsium for Packagmg and Transportanon of Racoactve Matentus. January 12-15.1965.
(2) ENers. R. J., "Evaluanon of Emstmg sNppeg Containers for Off-s.te SNoments of Aadoacave isotcces." cougtas unned Nuclear. Iric.. June 3, 1968.
1666 079 4
Compression The loaded container is capable of withstanding a compressive load equal to 5 times its weight with no change in spacing.
Summary and Conclusions The tests or assessments set forth above provide assurance that the product contents are contained in the shielded container during transport and there is no reduction in effectiveness of the package.
(c) Hypothetical Accident Conditions General The effectiveness of plywood laminations, as protective jackets around shielded shipping casks, for maintaining the package integrity, thereby, containing the package contents after being subjected to the drop and thermal tests as described in 10CFR71.36 and 49CFR173.398(C) is well documented.
The General Electnc Company references these documentations (1) (2) as being proof of the integnty of the container desenbed in this application after being subjected to the accident conditions.
A summary of these results is contained in Attachment A of this application.
Drop Test References (1) and (2).
Puncture Test References (1) and (2).
The.nal Test References (1) and (2).
Water immersion References (1) and (2).
Summary and Conclusions The accident tests or assessments described above demonstrated that the package is adequate to retain the product contents and that there is essentially no change in spacing, therefore, it is concluded that the General Electric Shielded Container - Model 8500 is adequate as packaging for the contents specified in this application.
4.0 PROCEDURAL CONTROLS Vallecitos Site Safety Standards have been established and implemented to assure that shipments leaving the Vallecitos Nuclear Center (VNC) comply with all certificates and regulatory requirements for the various shipping container models utilized by the VNC in the normal conduct of its business. Routine audits are performed to assure compliance.
Each cask is inspected and radiographed prior to first use to ascertain that there are no cracks, pinholes, uncontrolled voids or other defects which could significantly reduce the effectiveness of the packaging.
After appropriate U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Department of Transportation approvals each package will be identified with a steel plate in accordance witn the laceling requirements of 10CFR71 and any other information as required by the DOT.
5.0 FISSILE CLASS - EXEMPT The package contents will not exceed 15 grams fissile.
5
6.0 MODES OF TRANSPORTATION All modes of transportation are requested.
1666 081 6
ATTACHMENT A
SUMMARY
INFORMATION ON WOODEN JACKET TESTING Wooden jackets built to the present specification were tested for drop and fire by Sandia and reported as "New Developments in Accident Resistant Shipping Containers for Radioactive Materials," by J. A. Sisler at the Symposium for Packaging and Transportation of Radioactive Materials, A'buquerque New Mexico,1965.
The significant data for the 1-hour fire tests are listed in Appendices B and C, and the results of the tests on casks having dimensions close to those of the prirsent submission are abstracted below:
Construction Max. Temp.
Material Dimensions Reached Remarks Solid Douglas 14 in. o.d.
200*F Container badly solit and cracked. It was_ also in the Fir Cylinder 4 in, wall coolest spot in fire.
Redwood Plywood 16 in. o.d.
200*F Inside temperature rose gradually to 190*F at end of Cylinder 4 in. wall at 1.4 h test. It continued to rise to 200*F and then level off.
Temperature was only 75'F at 1/2 hour. Container successfully passed test although wood charred all the way through at one side of lid joint.
Douglas Fir 16 in. o.d.
265'F Inside temperature of container rose steadily from Plywood Cylinder a in. wall 265'F the start of the test according to the thermocouples.
This is unusual and probably indicates a leak around the thermocouples. Normally 5 wood shell designs of this type, there is a considerable delay between the time the heat is applied to the outside and the time the temperature starts to rise inside.
Examination of the lid joint after the test revealed that such a leak was possible. The container stil survived the test successfully.
Inspection of the curves shown in Appendix C reveals that the temperatures at a depth of 4 inches in three of the four test blocks registered only slight increases above the initial values. In the other there was a sharp rise at 24 minutes to less than 200*F which then stabilized at this value for the rest of the one-hour fire.
From this review it will be seen that the temperature in the intenor of the cask for this application will not approach 200*F in the standard one-half hour fire, and hence there will be no significant pressure nse in the container with the isotope solution.
The elastomeric seal on the GE specification container is also emmy adequate for this temperature.
1666 082 A1
ATTACHMENT B For liquid shipments, several primary enclosures ensure a liquid-tight shipping bottle inside the General Electnc specification container. One approach utilizes a polyethylene cone in the bottle cap to form a polyethylene-to-polyethylene mechanical seal tested to a rupture pressure in excess of 70 psi. Another approach provides a layered cap-liner faminaton, part of which is integrally fused to the bottle finish by induction heating te form a tough impermeao!e seal. The resulting seal has a rupture pressure in excess of 70 psi and a melting point greater than or equal to the polyethylene bottle. The seal is protec'ed from physical damage by the cap which remains in placa dunng the shipment. General Electnc may, at its discretion, utilize either primary enclosure desenbed above or some other type of enclosure which ensures a liquid-tight shipping bottle inside the specification container.
Specifica* ions for the polyethylene bottles and leak testing problems are included in Attachments C and O to tnis application.
The specification container used in these shipments is a General Electric designed 2R type (GE drawings 161F443 Rev. 5, or 135C5982 Rev. 4, or 10603830 Rev.1 [used in conjunction with the liner 153C4613 Rev.1)).
The specification container has been used successfully in hundreds of shipments. The container design was tested prior to first use in the following manner-
"The container was filled approximately 3/4 full with water, assembled, and inverted in a bell jar. Pressure in the bell jar was reduced to approximately 200 microns ci mercury. No evidence of any leakage was observed in the twenty-minute test. The pressure in the bell jar simulated less than that found in the atmosphere at 50.000 feet altitude."
The container 0-rings are periodically replaced to assure continued sealing.
FIRST TEST On Saturday,2/15/69, a test was conducted to determine the effect of the temperature rise in a cask cavity during a DOT shipping container fire test. The cask cavity was simulated by an oven, preheated to the 500*F maximum predicted temperature.
Three of the standard specification containers were selected at random and loaded with polyethylene bottles containing solutions of nonirraciated moo and sodium or ammonium hydroxide per standard procedure. Each of the 3
three bottles was measured volumetncally and the loaded containers were weighed before and after the test. Results are listed in the following table.
Before Test After Test Solution Container No.
Volume (ml)
Weight (g)
Volume (ml)
Weight (g)
NaOH 5300 2R 4
64 646 64 646 NH.OH 5500 2R 2
193 1808 182 1808 NaOH 5500 2R 0
170 1810 165 1810 Minor variations in volumn are the result of inability to collect 100% of the condensate from the container and evaporation omween the upening and measunng (approximately 30 minutes).
The test was conducted as follows:
a.
Containers were loaded web bottles ct solution.
b.
The oven was staumzad at 500*F c.
The oven door was opened and the containers installed (temperature dropped to approxirtately 400*F).
d.
Controller raised and held temperature for 30 minutes.
1666 083
e.
Controller was shut down and oven door opened to allow containers to cool.
f.
Containers were opened and contents examined.
NOTES:
1.
No odors (ammonia, etc.) were notcod at any time.
2.
No physical evidence was noticed that would indicate any leakage.
3.
No attempt was made to determine temperature or pressure inside any container.
4.
The extemal temperature was measured using 2 thermocouples and one mechanical gage.
SPECIAL FORM TEST A GE specification container was subjected to the conditions of test as outlined by the Department of Transportation under Rules and Regulations, Section 173.398. A standard container was selected at random and loaded with a polyethyler.s bottle containing nonirradiated Moo and ammonium hydroxide per standard procedure.
n The bottle was measured volumetrically ard the loaded container weighed after each step of the test. The results of the test are shown in the following table:
Weight Before Weight After
' Date Test (g)
(g)
Significant Notes 8/27/69 Orop 642.3 642.3 Very slight deformaton of cap -
no mgor damage. (The container was droped twice since the first drop did not land on the cap.)
8/27/69 Percussion 642.3 642.3 No major damage. The rod was dropped on the container three times.
8/28/69 Heat 642.3 565.4 Vapor was released at 950'F
(~P = 8000 psi).
8/28/69 Immersion 565.4 565.4 Although the vapor Jid release.
water was unable to enter.
The ammonium-hydroxide solution is approximately 10% ammonia and water. Therefore, the pressure-temperature charactenstics can be approximated by the steam tables. However, the vapor pressures of water at elevated temperatures are entical.
1666 084 82
ATTACHMENT C POLYETHELENE BOTTLE SPECIFICATIONS COMPONENT SPECIFICATION SPECIFICATION NO.
C-010 ITEM Bottle cap, polyporpylene or phenolic, with heat liner 24/400 GCMI Usage Primary seal and closure for radioisotope shipments Material Polypropylene or phenolic bottle cap with cap-seal brand
" Safe-Gard" 465 closure liners (3M Co.), FDA approved.
Description A short cylindrical shaped cao with external serrations, and standard 24 mm CD GCMI intemal threads. Inner seal is silver colored and equal in diameter to the minor diameter of a 24 mm bottle neck (21.5 mm).
Dimensions See attached drawing Compatibility Test Cap must fit on 24 mm standard bottle necks with no interference. Seal must be compatible with natural medium density polyethytene.
Critical Requirmnwnts 1.
Cap material 2.
Seal composition a.
Waxed pulpboard b.
0.002" aluminum foil c.
0.0045 polyester film 3.
Threads 4.
Test for seal compatibility 5.
Serrations on cap surface 6.
Composite seal adhesion; pulpboard remains attached to cap 7.
Waxed parting plane; seal parts correctly after sealing operation 8.
Seal lies flat ist cap with no wnnkles, bumps. or other defects in the seal surface Packaging Requirements Must be received clean and free of particles and foreign mater.
Must be encased in suitable sealed cartons, in uniform quantities.
Storage Requirements Must be stored inside a closed container in a clean area.
Sampling Requirements Mil-STD-105D Level i Inspection Requirements Cntical Defects - None allowed Major Defects - ACL 1.0 Minor Defects - AOL 4.0 1666 085 C1
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ATTACHMENT D LEAK TEST PROCEDURES LEAK TEST PROCEDURES FOR TYPE B RADIOACTIVE LlOUlD CONTAINERS 1.
INTRODUCTION This procudure desenbes the leak tests performed on all General Electric - Vallecitos Nuclear Center Type B quantity shipping packages. The tests are performed for each package and consist of leak testing the primary container (polyethylene bottle) and the metal secondary container.
2.
CONTAINER LEAK TESTING a.
Metal Container Laak Check The test of s.1 metal inner containers consists of sealing concentrated ammonium hydrcxide (NH.OH) inside the er,ntainer and heating it in a water bath at - 85'F to generate a pressure of ~ 15 psig inside the container. The leak check is performed by observing the presence or absence of air bubbles coming from the container. A con 7ol container with a pressure gauge installed in the base will be used simultaneously to monitor the pressure. The control container will be prepared in the same manner as the containers to be tested. Steps (5) and (6) in the procedure below will be observed and venfied by a second person.
Procedure (1)
Establish a constant temperature water bath controlled to 85'F to 95'F.
(2)
Adjust the water level so the methi containers will be completely covered when placed in the bath.
(3)
Piace 5 ml of concentrated NH.OH into each metal container to be leak checked and into the control container.
(4)
Pf6ce the lid on each container and close until the O-ring is seated.
(5)
Place the containers and the control into the water bath and monitor the pressure on the control.
Watch for air bubbles streaming from around the lid joints.
(6)
When the pressure reaches - 15 psig (- 5-10 minutes), identify the leakers and set them aside for repair.
(7)
Remove the good containers from the water bath and pour out the NH.OH. Dry the containers.
(8)
Reassemble the container and lid making certain that each leak checked set (base and lid) are kept together.
(9)
Assign a number from the log to each container passeig the leak test and mark the lid and base with the assigned number.
(10) Complete the leak check log for each container passing the test.
(11) Store the completed assemblies in the area identified for " leak checked" metal containers.
1666 087 D1
b.
Bottle Leak Check The botte containing radioactve liquid is sealed by fucing a polyester membrane over the bottle neck opening by inducton heating, to form a tough impermeable seal. The resulting seal has a rupture pressure in excess of 70 psi and a melting point greater than er equal to the polyethytene bottle. The seal is protected from physical damage by the cap which remains in place during the shipment. The leak check on the bottle is performed as desenbed below and each step is venfied by a second individual.
Procedure (1)
The sealed bette containing radioachve liquid is inverted over a beaker and an extemal squeeze of - 15 lbs is applied mechanically to the bottle for at least 10 seconds. Any visual indication of liquid around the sealing surface will indicate an improper seal.
(2)
A second person will verify step (1) as the test of the integrity of the bottle.
(3)
After venfication of the leak check is completed the cap is placed on the bottle securety, and the bottle is loaded into a previously leak checked metal container.
1666 088 D2 I(368