Comparison of thermal tests before and after the free drop test of a radioactive material transport package

Abstract

The transport safety of radioactive material is of utmost significance, which is mainly based on the safety of packages. In accordance with the IAEA Regulations for the safe transport of radioactive material, radioactive material transport packages undergo rigorous testing under diverse transport conditions including free drop tests and thermal tests. The determination of the appropriate thickness for the insulation layer poses a challenge, as it necessitates the consideration of factors such as the dissipation of internal heat sources and protection against fire accidents. Finite element simulation is usually used for the design and testing of packages. The requirement of the cumulation effect for the drop test and thermal test makes it harder for the finite element method in testing. In this paper, a method for thickness changing of insulation layer thickness in finite element simulation was developed and verified. A radioactive material transport package is taken as an example for the cumulating effect of the drop test and the thermal test.