RU2805239C1 - Transport packaging kit for transportation of uranium-containing fissile materials - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: packaging.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to packaging kits intended for the transportation and transit storage of radioactive materials by all modes of transport, including air. The transport packaging set includes a cask, a damper and is a two-case design. Each case is made in the form of a glass with a hermetically installed lid, whereas the lid of the inner case faces the bottom of the outer power case. The inner body of the cask comprises a cover with five nests designed to install two casks with uranium-containing fissile material one above the other. Free cavities of the cover are filled with neutron shielding material. The shock absorber is located on the outer surface of the outer load-bearing body of the cask and is a wood mass impregnated with a flame-retardant composition with an outer lining made of steel sheet, while “МБОР” fabric is laid between the damper and the lining. Four lugs are fixed by welding in the upper part of the steel sheet, and four supports are fixed in the lower part of the body.

EFFECT: invention provides improvement of operational qualities of transportation casks.

1 cl, 4 dwg

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to packaging sets intended for the transportation and transit storage of radioactive materials by all modes of transport, including air.

BACKGROUND ART

In accordance with radiation safety standards and IAEA recommendations, transport packaging sets (TPS) intended for the transportation and transit storage of radioactive materials must provide high radiation-protective and strength properties, including in emergency situations possible during transportation and storage radioactive materials, especially by air: In accordance with IAEA Safety Requirements No. SSR-6, packages for fissile materials intended for transport by air must undergo enhanced thermal testing, where the package is exposed to a thermal environment for 60 minutes, and a collision with a target at a speed of at least 90 m/s.

A container is known (see patent RU 2175457, G21F 5/00, E05G 1/024), intended for the transportation of dangerous items by air, containing an outer metal shell, in which thermal protection made of wood and an internal container made of a metal case and thermal protection are sequentially installed made of wood, equipped with a shell for transported cargo. The container has the following disadvantages:

- the container is not intended for the transportation of nuclear hazardous materials;

- the design of the container does not ensure the radiation and nuclear safety of the transported materials.

TUK is known for transporting spent nuclear fuel - fuel assemblies of a nuclear reactor by all means of transport, including air (see patent RU 2581648, G21F 5/00) - a prototype, which is a container consisting of an inner and outer casing, on which during transportation, removable shockproof dampers are installed, attached to the container using a bolted connection, while the dampers are made of titanium alloy and have a ribbed surface.

The disadvantages of this TUK include restrictions on the range of fissile material transported, associated with the design of its sealing system; low ease of use due to the need to install/remove damping devices when loading/unloading transported contents.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

The technical problem to be solved by the invention is the creation of a TUC design that does not allow the container body to open, leading to leakage, dispersion of transported fissile material, redistribution of material inside the package with loss of material spacing, thermal effects and ignition of TUC elements, while simultaneously increasing the manufacturability of the TUC use .

The technical result of creating such a TUK design is to ensure radiation and nuclear safety requirements during the transportation and transit storage of nuclear fissile materials and improve the operational qualities of the TUK.

The stated technical problem is solved by the fact that in a transport packaging set for transporting uranium-containing fissile materials, including a container equipped with a shock damper and representing a two-hull structure, each body of which is made in the form of a glass with a hermetically installed lid, while the lid of the inner body faces the bottom of the outer power housing, according to the invention, the inner body of the container contains a cover with slots intended for installing containers with uranium-containing fissile material, the free cavities of the cover are filled with material that performs the function of neutron protection, while the shock damper is located on the outer surface of the outer power body of the container and is impregnated a fire-retardant composition of solid wood with an outer cladding made of steel sheet, while a fire-resistant material is laid between the damper and the cladding.

The problem is also solved by the fact that the cover installed in the inner body of the container can have five slots intended for installing containers with uranium-containing fissile material. In each slot it is possible to install two containers one above the other.

As a material that performs the function of neutron protection, for example, boron carbide powder can be used.

MBOR fabric can be used as a fire-resistant material used to cover solid wood and act as an impact damper.

In the upper part of the steel sheet intended for cladding solid wood, four eyes are fixed by welding, which serve for tilting the transport packaging set, and in the lower part there are four supports.

The proposed design of the transport packaging kit allows us to solve the technical problem.

Making the TUK container double-hulled, installing the inner container with a lid to the bottom of the outer power container body and using a shock-proof damper in the TUK design, covering the outer surface of the container, ensures that the “body-lid” joint does not open up both the container and its outer power body, depending on places where external load is applied under emergency transportation conditions. As a result, leakage or dispersion of transported uranium-containing fissile contents and its release into the environment is eliminated. The use of two hermetically sealed lids in the TUC design ensures compliance with the requirements of IAEA rules to exclude the redistribution of radioactive contents inside the package. The use of fire-resistant materials in the design of the TUK makes it possible to exclude the fire of the shock damper, ensuring the safety of the sealing gaskets when exposed to heat on the packaging.

Installing a cover with slots for placing containers with uranium-containing fissile contents in the inner body of the TUK container and filling the free cavities of the cover with material that performs the function of neutron protection ensures the remote placement of uranium-containing fissile contents.

The absence of the need to install/remove damping devices when loading/unloading transported contents increases labor productivity when using the TUK of the proposed design, increasing the manufacturability of using the TUK, improving the operational qualities of the TUK.

Brief description of drawings

The essence of the invention is illustrated by drawings.

In fig. Figure 1 shows a TUK container for transporting uranium-containing fissile materials, general view.

In fig. Figure 2 shows the fastening of the lid of the outer body of the container (fragment).

In fig. Figure 3 shows the fastening of the lid of the inner body of the container (fragment).

In fig. Figure 4 shows a container for uranium-containing fissile material, placed in the socket of the cover of the inner body of the container.

The TUK includes a container that contains an external power housing 1, closed by a lid 2, and an internal housing 3, placed in the housing 1 and closed by a lid 4. Inside the housing 3 there is a cover 5 with slots used to accommodate containers 6 for transported uranium-containing fissile material.

The outer casing 1 is made in the form of a steel cup, on the outer surface of which a shockproof damper 7 is installed, made, for example, of solid wood impregnated with a fire retardant compound and lined on the outside with a sheet of thin sheet steel 8. Between the shock-proof damper 7 and the thin-sheet steel sheet 8, a fire-resistant material 9 is placed, for example, MBOR fabric, designed to protect the shock-proof damper 7 from temperature influences in emergency situations. On the side of the cover 2 of the housing 1, a plug 10 is installed in the form of a disk made of damping material, for example, wood, coated with a fire retardant compound and lined with sheet steel.

The cover 2 of the outer housing 1, made of thick sheet material, is attached to the housing 1 using reinforced bolts 11. A sealing gasket 12 is installed between the housing 1 and the cover 2, which serves to prevent loss of transported contents both in normal and emergency situations.

The plug 10 is attached to the outer casing 1 using nuts 13. A sealing gasket is installed between the plug 10 and the casing 1 to prevent precipitation from entering the casing 1 (not shown).

In the upper part of the thin-sheet steel sheet 8, intended for cladding solid wood, four lugs 14 are fixed by welding, intended for lifting and moving the TUK, as well as for securing it with ties in the vehicle.

Four supports 15, intended for tiered storage of TUK, and four supports 16 in the lower part are welded to the surface of the housing 1 in the upper part.

The cover 4, made of thick-walled material, is attached to the inner body 3, made in the form of a glass of thick-walled material, using reinforced bolts 17. A sealing gasket 18 is installed between the body 3 and the cover 4, which serves to prevent the loss of transported radioactive contents as in normal, as well as in emergency situations.

On the outer surface of the bottom of the housing 3 and on the outer surface of the cover 4, special eyes 19 are welded, which are used for installing/removing the container body 3 into the power outer housing 1.

Inside the housing 3 there is a cover 5 in the form of a drum, for example, with several slots for placing containers 6 with transported contents. The free cavities of the cover 5 are filled with neutron-absorbing material 20, for example, boron carbide powder B ₄ C.

Container 6 is a cylindrical body 21 with a lid 22, connected by thread.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

The use of the TUK is carried out as follows.

Uranium-containing fissile material, for example, in the form of powder, crumbs, tablets, metal ingots, is packaged in a polyethylene case, which is placed inside the body 21 of the container 6 and closed with a threaded lid 22. The containers 6 with the material packed in them are placed in the sockets of the case 5 installed in the inner body cavities 3 containers. The housing 3 is closed by a cover 4, which is attached to the housing using bolts 17 of a reinforced structure. Using lifting equipment, the filled and closed housing 3 is installed in the power outer housing 1 with the lid 4 down. The cover 2 of the outer housing 1 is installed and secured with bolts 11 of a reinforced structure. Then plug 10 is installed and secured with nuts 13. After this, contamination of the outer surface of the TUK is monitored in accordance with the requirements of IAEA rules.

Industrial applicability

The TUK of the proposed design has passed standard tests. The declared strength qualities have been confirmed. It is possible to expand the range of transported radioactive contents.

Thus, the use of a TUK of the proposed design for transporting uranium-containing fissile materials is guaranteed to ensure the radiation and nuclear safety of transported materials by any type of transport, including air, while the use of a TUK of the proposed design is less expensive and more technologically advanced compared to existing samples.

Claims (1)

A transport packaging set for transporting uranium-containing fissile materials, including a container equipped with a shock damper and representing a double-hull structure, each of the bodies of which is made in the form of a glass with a hermetically installed lid, while the lid of the inner body faces the bottom of the outer body, characterized in that the inner the container body is equipped with a cover in which five cavities are made, in each of which two containers with uranium-containing fissile material are installed one above the other, the free cavities of the cover are filled with material that performs the function of neutron protection, the shock absorber is fixed on the outer surface of the container and is impregnated with a fire retardant composition solid wood covered with fire-resistant material and lined with a steel sheet, between the solid wood and the steel sheet of the shock damper cladding there is an MBOR fabric, four eyes for tilting are welded to the upper part of the steel cladding sheet, and four supports are made in the lower part of the body.