HALEU | NUCLEAR TRANSPORT


Optimized shielding performance


• Large cavity and high payload weight limit allows OPTIMUS® packaging to be reconfigured with Shield Insert Assemblies (SIAs)


• Balance weight and shielding constraints OPTIMUS®


SIA ✓ -H


OPTIMUS® 1” ✓✓


2¼” ✓✓ 3¾”


- - -


-L


OPTIMUS® 1” SIA 2¼” SIA w/lid 3¾” SIA w/lid


-H with 2¼”SIA Above: Shield Insert Assemblies allow the packagings to be reconfigured for different transport tasks


engineered inserts and baskets, further transforming the flexibility and usefulness of the OPTIMUS® The OPTIMUS®


systems. packagings are capable of transporting


a wide array of radioactive materials, equipment, wastes, fresh fuels, and spent fuels of various activities. Currently designed inserts enable the safe and effective transport of everything from sealed sources to fissile materials such as Intermediate and High-Level Wastes, Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU) and Low-Enriched Uranium (LEU) including High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU)/TRISO fuels. The OPTIMUS®


systems are well-suited to support


ongoing defueling and decommissioning efforts across the U.S. and abroad, but more importantly are on the cutting edge of safe and reliable transportation to support a variety of developing technologies, including the Unites States’ innovative space missions and HALEU development programs.


These small, light modular packages are easily handled


and are ideal for facilities with restricted access and/or low crane capacity. The packagings are designed to support legal weight truck (LWT) shipments and can be used in multiple transport configurations.


NAC’s HALEU mission In 2020 NEI forecast the nation’s HALEU demand at 137 tonnes in 2030 and 501 tonnes in 2035. The DOE recently committed US$5bn in funding to demonstration projects for the deployment of advanced reactors. These reactors, through the use of HALEU fuels, are smaller, more efficient plants with longer operating cycles compared to our current commercial fleet of BWR and PWR LEU reactor designs. NAC funded an internal research and development (R&D)


project in order to have pre-approved, certified packaging configurations available for HALEU contents. NAC performed the R&D to proactively support the development program and demonstration projects. Through this early expansion


of the technology, NAC will help to mitigate potential packaging and transportation schedule delays to ensure the safe and effective transportation of fuels and fuel materials to maintain both HALEU fabrication and programme momentum. NAC has recently completed design on inserts and baskets for the OPTIMUS®


systems to accommodate


the transport of various types of fissile materials and is currently developing inserts for solid fuel materials including TRISO compacts and pebbles. Existing NAC- engineered systems can enable thousands of TRISO compacts to be transported per legal weight truck shipment, and analyses demonstrate subcriticality (keff + 2σ ≤ 0.95) with significant margin for both dry and flooded conditions. In June 2022, NAC International received a patent on the design production method for its OPTIMUS®


transportation


packages from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. This is recognition of the original thinking that went into the development of this unique transportation system. The continued evolution of the now-patented Type B


transport package product line includes the engineering and development of additional design, package, and content configurations of the technology to accommodate larger payloads while still maintaining the adaptability of the systems. Through the perpetual integration of lessons learned during the initial and ongoing OPTIMUS®


program


development, packaging operations, and NAC’s keen engineering and design efforts, we intend to continuously optimize the technology to enable the transport of required materials and fuels to support further industry advancement. Both OPTIMUS®


-L and the OPTIMUS® -H are certified by


the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) under IAEA SSR-6 for shipments within Canada to support Canadian U


www.neimagazine.com | December 2022 | 33


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