DOE 2000. - Waste Isolation Pilot Plant - U.S. Department of Energy

WIPP RH PSAR DOE/WIPP-03-3174 CHAPTER 4
The cask body (OC) consists of a 1.5 in (3.8 cm) thick, 41.1 in (104.5 cm) outer diameter stainless steel
outer shell, and a 1 in (2.54 cm) thick, 32.4 in (82.2 cm) inside diameter stainless steel inner shell, with
1.9 in (4.76 cm) of lead shielding between the two shells. A 5 in (12.7 cm) thick bottom forging is
welded to the OC. The OC is closed by a 6 in (15.2 cm) thick stainless steel lid and 18, 1.25 inch
diameter bolts. The main closure lid has a double bore-type O-ring seal. The containment seal is the
inner butyl O-ring seal, which is leak testable. The OC lid has a single vent/sampling port that is sealed
with butyl O-rings. The nominal 27,900 lb (12,648 kg) OC provides a containment boundary for the
payload and also acts as an environmental barrier. The OC lead shielding assures the surface radiation
levels are below DOT limits.
The separate inner vessel (IV) is constructed of a 1.5 in (3.8 cm) thick bottom forging welded to a 0.4 in
(0.95 cm) thick, 32 in (81.2 cm) outside diameter shell. The 6.5 in (16.5 cm) IV lid is secured by eight,
7/8-inch bolts and has a single vent/sampling port The IV cavity has a minimum diameter of 26.5 in
(67.3 cm), and is 121.5 in (308.6 cm) long. The nominal 4,000 lbs (1824.8 kg) IV provides a
containment boundary for the RH waste canister
The RH TRU 72-B road cask is certified by the NRC per 10 CFR 71.63(b). The general road cask
arrangement, shown in Figure 4.2-4, includes impact limiters, weighing nominal 2500 lbs (1155 kg)
each, at each end of the road cask which function to provide protection of the seal areas during the
hypothetical transport accident events. Each impact limiter is constructed of polyurethane foam-filled
stainless steel attached to the OC with six, 1.25-inch diameter bolts. The approximate total weight of a
72 B road cask with impact limiters and a fully loaded RH canister is 45,000 lbs (20,412 kg).
The impact limiters are provided with lifting lugs, allowing the use of rigging for handling. Both of the
road cask lids have "bayonet" openings in the outside center for insertion of lifting fixtures. Both lids
are also provided with threaded holes for insertion of lifting bolts or eyes. The shielded road cask has
two transport trunnions, used for support during transport and as a mounting point for the road cask
transfer car. It also has four handling trunnions, located 90E apart at the lid end, used for lifting in the
RH bay and CUR, and two trunnions located at the opposite end used for rotating the cask from the
horizontal to the vertical position.
RH TRU 10-160B Road Cask
The 10-160B road cask is a steel, lead-shielded cask designed to provide single containment for shipment
of transuranic waste. The packaging consists of a cylindrical carbon steel and lead cask body with impact
limiters at each end. The cask is designed to safely transport ten 55-gal drums of RH TRU waste in two
stacked drum pallet/carriage units holding 5 drums each. The maximum transport weight of the contents
is 14,500 lb (6577.1 kg)
The cask body consists of a 2.0 in (5.08 cm) thick, 78.5 in. (199.4 cm) outer diameter carbon steel outer
shell, and a 1.1 in (2.86 cm) thick, 68 in (172.7 cm) inside diameter carbon steel inner shell, with 1.9 in
(4.76 cm) of lead shielding between the two shells. A 5.5 in (13.97 cm) thick flat circular steel bottom
plate is welded to the inner and outer shells. The lead shielding assures the surface radiation levels are
below DOT limits. The internal cavity dimensions are 68 in (167.6 cm) in diameter and 77 in (195.5 cm)
high. The overall length of the cask without impact limiters is 88 in (223.5 cm). An 11 gage stainless
steel thermal shield surrounds the cask outer shell in the region between the impact limiters. The cask is
closed by a 5.5 in (13.97 cm) thick steel primary lid, weighing 5300 lbs (2404 kg), that is attached to the
cask with 24 evenly spaced 1.75 in (4.45 cm) diameter bolts. The lid closure is made in a stepped
configuration to eliminate radiation streaming at the lid/cask body interface. A double silicone O-ring
provides the lid to cask seal.
4.2-3 January 28, 2003