ML22305A662
| ML22305A662 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 07103092 |
| Issue date: | 11/09/2022 |
| From: | Storage and Transportation Licensing Branch |
| To: | TN Americas LLC |
| Shared Package | |
| ML22305A660 | List: |
| References | |
| EPID L-2022-DOT-0006 | |
| Download: ML22305A662 (2) | |
Text
UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 SAFETY EVALUATION REPORT Docket No. 71-3092 Model No. TNF-XI Package French Certificate F/381/AF-96 Revision En
SUMMARY
By letter dated July 11, 2022 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System
[ADAMS] Accession No. ML22307A155), the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) requested that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff perform a review of the French Certificate of Approval No. F/381/AF-96, revision En for the TNF-XI transportation package and make a recommendation concerning the revalidation of the package regarding the modification of the authorized level of impurities of Content No. 2 and Content No. 9 as described in the French certificate.
The NRC reviewed the information provided to DOT by TN Americas LLC (the applicant) in its application for the Model No. TNF-XI package against the regulatory requirements of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Specific Safety Requirements No. SSR-6 (SSR-6),
Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material, 2012 Edition. Based on the statements and representations in the information provided by DOT and the applicant, the staff recommends the revalidation of the French Certificate of Competent Authority (CoA) No.
F/381/AF-96, Revision En, Model No. TNF-XI package, for shipment of the contents as described in this safety evaluation report.
GENERAL INFORMATION The design was most recently reviewed by the NRC on June 10, 2022 (ML22153A090), and the current French Certificate of Approval No. F/381/AF-96, Revision En was issued on March 17, 2022 (ML22307A244).
The applicant requested to modify the authorized level of impurities of Content No. 2 and Content No. 9 listed in the CoA for the Model No. TNF-XI. Content Nos. 2 and 9 consist of uranium oxides (UO2, UO3 or U3O8) in the form of powder, pellets, or scraps of pellets. The only significant changes to the package design are these revised impurity specifications for Content Nos. 2 and 9.
CRITICALITY EVALUATION The applicant describes a proposed revision to the allowed impurities in Chapter 5A of the safety analysis report (SAR). The additional impurities allowed in the uranium oxide contents include calcium, magnesium, chlorine, cobalt, copper, fluorine, nitrogen, phosphorous, silicon, tantalum, tin, vanadium, iron, chromium, and nickel. The combined impurity content for these elements is limited to 30,000 parts per million (ppm). This limit is in addition to previously defined limits on carbon, aluminum, and zinc impurities, separately evaluated in previous amendments. None of the additional impurity elements are significant neutron moderators at the concentration limits and are likely to decrease package reactivity due to neutron absorption. The staff finds that the addition of the impurity elements cited above will not increase package keff.
Enclosure
Evaluation Findings The staff finds that the proposed revised impurity specification for Content Nos. 2 and 9 in the TNF-XI package does not affect the ability of the package to remain subcritical for all routine, normal, and accident conditions of transport. The acceptance standard of a maximum keff of 0.95 was maintained for all analyzed scenarios and meets the requirement that the package maintain subcriticality under all conditions of routine, normal and accident conditions as required by the IAEA SSR-6, paragraphs 637(a) and 682. Therefore, the staff recommends revalidation of French Approval Certificate of a Package Design, Number F/381/AF-96 (Revision En).
CONCLUSION Based on the statements and representations presented in the SAR and supplemental information, the staff agrees that the package meets the standards in IAEA Safety Standards SSR-6, 2012 Edition. The staff recommends that DOT revalidate French Certificate of Approval No. F/381/AF-96, Revision En, for import and export use.
Issued with letter to R. Boyle, U. S. Department of Transportation.
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