ML20128H633
| ML20128H633 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 01/15/1993 |
| From: | Rathbun D NRC OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL AFFAIRS (OCA) |
| To: | Graham B, Lehman R, Murkowski F, Sharp P, Stevens T, Young D HOUSE OF REP., HOUSE OF REP., ENVIRONMENT & PUBLIC WORKS, SENATE, SENATE, ENVIRONMENT & PUBLIC WORKS |
| References | |
| CCS, NUDOCS 9302170108 | |
| Download: ML20128H633 (9) | |
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January 15, 1993 The Honorable Bob Graham, Chairman Subcommittee on Nuclear Regulation Committee on Environment and Public Works United States Senate Washington, D.C.
20510
Dear Mr. Chairman:
Enclosed is a copy of the Abstract and Executive Summary from the report " Feasibility Studies for the Controlled, Cruise-Altitude Drop, and Aircraft Crash Tests" for the Plutonium Air Transport Certification Program.
In Phase One of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission program for certifying plutonium air transport packages in accordance with.
Public Law 100-203, draft criteria for the specified tests (Cruise-Altitude Package Drop Test, Aircraft Crash' Test, and controlled Test) were developed by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for the NRC.
At the conclusion of this effort, Phase One was extended to perform feasibility studies for conducting the tests.
This report describes the results'of the studies.
If I can be of further assistance, please contact me.
Sincerely,
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f Dennis K. Rathbun, Director Office of Congressional Affairs
Enclosure:
As Stated cc:
The Honorable Alan K.
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January 15, 1993 The Honorable Richard H. Lehman, Chairman Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources Committee on Natural Resources United States House of Representatives Washington, D.C.
20515
Dear Mr. Chairman:
Enclosed is a copy of the Abstract and Executive Summary from the report " Feasibility Studies for the Controlled, Cruise-Altitude Drop, and Aircraft Crash Tests" for the Pluton 2um Air Transport Certification Program.
In Phase One of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission program for certifying plutonium air transport packages in accordance with Public Law 100-203, draft criteria for the specified tests (Cruise-Altitude Package Drop Test, Aircraft Crash Test, and Controlled Test) were developed by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for the NRC.
At the conclusion of this effort, Phase One was extanded to perform feasibility studies for conducting the tests.
This report describes the results of the studies.
If I can be of further assistance, please contact me.
Sincerely, a
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f Dennis K. Rathbun, Directo'J Office of Congressional Affairs
Enclosure:
As Stated cc:
The Hon (csble Barbara Vucanovich
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January 15, 1993 Thr$ Honorable Philip Sharp Chairman Subcot. tee on Energy and Power Commit!#- on Energy and Commera United Sutes House of Representatives Washington, D.C.
20515
Dear Mr. Chairman:
Enclosed is a copy cf the Abstract and Executive Summary from the report " Feasibility Studies for the Controlled, Cruice-Altitude Drop, and.Tircraft Crash Tests" for the Plutonium Air Transport Certificatiot Program.
In Phase one of the Nuclear Regulatory Conunission program for certifying plutonium air transport packages in accordance with Public Law 100-203, draft criteria for the spe,1fied tests (Cruise-Altitude Package Drop Test, Aircraft Crash Test,'and Controlled Test) were developed by Lavrence Livermore IRtional Laboratory for the NRC.
At the conclusion of this effort, Phase one was extended to perform feasibility _ studies for conducting the tests.
This report describes the results of the studies.
If I can be of further assistance, please contact me.
Si:.cerely, f,lb-'l
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Dennis K. Pathbun, Director office of Congressional Affairs
Enclosure:
As Stated cc:
The Honorable Michael Bilirakis
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January 15, 1993'
.The Honorable Frank Murkowski United States Senate Washington, D.C.
20510
Dear Senator Murkowski:
Enclosed is a copy of the Abstract and-Executive Summary from the report. " Feasibility Studies for. the Controlled, Cruise-Altitude-:
Drop, and Aircraft Crash Tests" for the Plutonium Air Transport-Certification Program.
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In Phase One of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission ~ program'.for=
certifying plutonium air' transport packages in accordanceiwith' Public Law 100-203, draft criteria for.the specified tests (Cruise-Altitude Package. Drop Test, Aircraft-Crash.-Test, and-c.ontrolled ' Test) were developed' by Lawrence Livermorei National-Laboratory for;the'NRC, At the conclusionLof this effort, Phase
'One was extended'to perform feasibility studies for. conducting'
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the tests.
This report describes the results ofEthe' studies.
If I can be of further assistance, please-contact me.
Sincerely,
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,c,h n,s j b ' s' Dennis;K. Rathbun, Director.
Office of Congressional Affairs;
Enclosure:
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.....J January 15, 1993 The Honorable Ted Stevens United States Senate Washington, D.C.
20510
Dear Senator Stevens:
Enclosed is a copy of the Abstract and Executive Summary from the report " Feasibility Studies for the Controlled, Cruise-Altitude Drop, and Aircraft Crash Tests" for the Plutonium Air Transport Certification Program.
In Phase One of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission program for certifying plutonium air transport packages in accordance with Public Law 100-203, draft criteria for the specified_ tests (Cruise-Altitude Package Drop Test, Aircraft-Crash Test, and Controlled Test) were developed by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for the NRC.
At the conclusion of this. effort, Phase One was extended to perform fusibility studies for conducting the tests.
This report describes the results of the studies.
If I can be of further assistence, please contact me.
Sincerely,
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' Dennis K. Rathbun, Director Office of Congressional. Affairs
Enclosure:
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January 15, 1993 The lionorable Don Young United States House of Representatives Washington, D.C.
20515
Dear Congressman Young:
Enclosed is a copy of the Abstract and Executive Summary from the report " Feasibility Studies for the Controlled, Cruise-Altitude Drop, and Aircraft Crash Tests" for the Pluton.ium Air Transport Certification Program.
In Phase One of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission program for.
certifying plutonium air transport packages in accordance with Public Law 100-203, draft criteria for the specified tests (Cruise-Altitude Package Drop Test, Aircraft Crash Test, and Controlled Test) were developed by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for the NRC.
At the conclusion of this effort,-Phase One was extended to perform feasibility studies for condacting the tects.
This report describes the results of the studies.
If I can be of further ascistance, please contact me.
Sincerely, Ji !
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/, 'l Tf, Dennis K. Rathbun, Director Office of Congressional-Affairs
Enclosure:
As Stated
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Plutonium Air Transport Certification (PATC) Program Phase One Extension Final Report Feasibility Studies for the Controlled,.
Cruise-Altitude Drop, and Aircraft Crash Tests Manuscript completed: December,1992 Prepared by:
J.H. VanSant, T.F. Chen, and LE. Fischer Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory 7000 East Avenue Livennore, C.i 94550 Prepared for:
Division of Safeguards and Transportation Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, DC 20555 NRC FIN No. L1056 I
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-ABSTRACT Section 5062 of Public Law 100-203 states that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) shall certify to Congress the safety of containers used in the air transport of plutonium through U.S. airspace from a foreign nation to a foreign nation by requiring testing as follows: (1) an actual drop test from a maximum cruising altitude of a full-scale sample of such container with test materials, and (2) an actual crash test of a cargo aircraft fully loaded with full-scale samples of such container loaded with test materials unless the Commission determines, after consultation with an independent scientific review panel, that stresses on the container produced by other tests used in developing the container exceed the stresses that occur during a worst-case plutonium air shipment accident. Under Phase One of the NRC program for Public Law 100-203, draft criteria for performing the specified tests were developed and published in References 1 and 2 of this report. Phase One was extended to perform feasibility studies for conducting these tests,. This report describes the results of the Phase One Extension activities. Facilities and organizations capable of conducting the tests are identified. Performance of a single test to satisfy the required cruise-altitude test and ' worst-case accident is discussed.
Finally, the feasibility of conducting tests at a lower velocity on an unyielding surface rather than soft rock is explained.
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s EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
s.
Section 5%2 of Public Law 100-203 states that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission-(NRC) shall certify to Congress the safety of containers used to air transport pluto-nium through U.S. airspace from a foreign nation to a foreign nation. Specifically, the law states that the NRC shall require testing with full-scale sampim of the plu-tonium container: (1) a drop test from the maxirnum cruising altitude of the cargo aircraft and (2) a crash test of a cargo aircraft fully loaded with sample containers, or other tests (also named Controlled Tests) that develop stresses in the container greater than would occur during the aircraft crash test. These requkements are in addition to those specified in Public Law 94-79.
In Phase One of the NRC program for certifying plutonium air transport (PAT) packages in accordance with Public Law 100-203, draft criteria for the spedfied tests (Cruise-Altitude Package Drop Test, Aircraft Crash Test, and Controlled Test) were developed by LLNL for the NRC. At the conclusion of this effort, Phase One was ex-tended to perform feasibility studies for conducting the tests (a task defined as Phase One Extension). This report describes the results of the Phase One Extension studies.
The principal task in the Phase One Extension progtam is Controlled Test feasibility studies. Included are computer analyses of model PAT packages and physical benchmark tests with package models, The primary objectives of the studies are to validate the methodology developed in Phase One to determine impact velocities on yielding and unyielding materials for equivalent package response'(i.e.,282 m/s impact on soft rock surface or equivalent velocity on unyielding surface). Also,- two methods for conducting Controlled Tests to certify actual PAT packages are re-viewed. Other tasks include a feasibility assessment of a single test satisfying both the Cruise-Altitude Package Drop Test and the Controlled Test requirements, and a status review of three technical issues pertaining to the Aircraft Crash Test: (1) al-ternative test aircraft, (2) flutter avoidance, and (3) flight control In the Controlled Test studies, only one energy 4'osorbing material is considered.
This material is grout, which is a specified mixture of sand and cement. Results of the studies indicate that a PAT container subjected to imp :ts on a yielding and an unyielding surface can experience equivalent maximum deceleration values.
However, package deformation patterns resulting from impacts on two surfaces would not be equivalent due to interaction with impact surfaces of different proper-ties. The test model used in the benchmark tests did not rupture when subjected to.
282 m/s impacts on simulated soft rock and 157 m/s on steel plate. Berchmark test results were incorporated into material property models to improve tne accuracy of analytical predictions of package response to impacts. Predicted decelerations and deformations nearly agree with test results, but additional improvements are needed, especially fer impacts on yielding targets.
Review of rocket-sled and air-drop test methods reveals that these methods un fea-sibly be used to conduct PAT package Controlled Tests. Finally,it appears that the required Cruise-Altitude Drop Test can be conducted such that it could also be demonstrated to an independent review panel that stresses in a p!utonium con-tainer would be greater than would occur in an actual Aircraft Crash Test.
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