Topical BAM cask design evaluation using drop tests and numerical calculations: accidental cask drop without impact limiters onto storage building foundation

Abstract

Cask impacts without impact limiters onto unyielding targets result in totally different mechanical reactions from those of relatively smooth impacts using impact limiters. During the licensing procedure of the new GNS CASTOR HAW 28M design for vitrified high activity waste, BAM therefore decided to perform an additional drop test with a 1 : 2 scale test cask (CASTOR HAW/TB2). In spite of a small drop height of only 0˙3 m onto the unyielding target of the BAM drop test facility, which conservatively covers any storage building foundation, the impact caused considerable stresses to the cask structure with high stress and strain rates. This paper presents the evaluation strategy of BAM including the drop test results and the development and qualification of appropriate finite element modelling to achieve sufficient agreement between test and calculation results. Further steps include mechanical analyses of reduced and full scale cask designs to determine the most critically stressed areas of the structure, verify scaling factors and demonstrate safety with respect to cask integrity and tightness.