Special shipping container called casks are typically used for transporting radi

Question

Special shipping container called casks are typically used for transporting radiological waste and spent nuclear fuel (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_flask (Links to an external site.)) typically by railcar. Discuss some of the risks associated transporting these materials by rail. What design attributes do you think may be important in the design of these casks. What process controls are important? i.e. lifting and handling. Write a brief abstract (1/2 page) on your findings.

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Explanation / Answer

Cask is a special shipping container used to store the high level radio active waste, such as spent nuclear fuel. Casks are typically steel cylinders which are in a closed form and this provides a leak proof containment of the spent fuel. The casks are designed in such a way that, they are not leaked in case of accident or damage due to fire etc and these are transported through railcar. Some of the risks associated with the transportation of these materials are -

1) Spent fuel and nuclear wastes are extremely radioactive and hazardeous to the health of all those who are handling the shipment.

2) Transporting the shipment - While transporting the shipment, if any damages or accidents occur, a small leakage can pose several health risks and threats to the people living in that area. Those health risks are irreversable and has no cure.

3) As per a report, the transportation of the spent-fuel as per Americal Public Health Association (APHA) is "a national public health threat".

4) There might be chances that the rail may be derailed.

Let's consider an incident that happened in 2001. A freight rail carrying toxic chemicals and immflamables got derailed inside a tunnel which lead to burning of the train and the flames lasted for 5 days.

5) lack of harmonization can create problems while transporting the spent fuel.

Design attributes of Casks:

The design of the shipping casks for the transportation of the radioactive material is governed not only by the physical attributes of the source material but also the regulations which has specific limitations on the internal temperatures, cask structural integrity, surface dose rates etc.

Each cask and the shipment must be examined for the neutron interaction between casks and other shipments. This ensures the reduction in the criticality rate.

Process controls - The process controls while transporting the casks are:

Handling - packing - lifting - transporting - shipping

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