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At least 19 records
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DOE OSTI2024

Fabrication and Testing of DOE Standard Canister Closure Leak Test Assembly

DOE manages over 300 types of SNF, most of which are located at the INL site. “Road-ready dry storage” is a management concept where SNF is packaged into dry, sealed canisters, which are then placed in on-site storage in anticipation of later removal. The Idaho Cleanup Project and INL are collaborating on the Road-Ready Capability Demonstration Project, which will develop and demonstrate the designs, technology, processes, and regulatory framework for packaging DOE SNF for road-ready dry storage. In support of establishing a large-scale road-ready dry storage program at the INL site, the demonstration will package a select amount of DOE-managed SNF into DOE Standard Canisters. The closure process for the DOE Standard Canisters will include fuel and basket loading, welding, inspection, leak testing, and if needed, repair. As a follow-up to previous discussion on the design of the DOE Closure Leak Test Assembly, this report describes recent fabrication and testing efforts performed at INL. DOE Standard Canisters are sealed by two sequential gas tungsten arc welds. Both are performed by remotely operated and semi-autonomous welding systems. The first weld is a circumferential pipe weld that completes assembly of the canister body and lid assembly. The second and final closure weld connects the vent plug to the vent port with an identical butt joint to the circumferential pipe weld. After the second weld is performed on the vent port, these welds are helium leak tested using an inside-out technique. In addition to the commercially available vacuum and leak detector systems, the DOE Standard Canister Closure Leak Test Assembly was designed for both remote and manual operation. This report describes fabrication and performance testing associated with the inside-out technique. INL staff designed and tested systems to accomplish these tasks. Hardware fabrication occurred at INL facilities. Forthcoming work includes design optimization, integration to existing systems, and implementation to packaging demonstration operations.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2024

Fabrication and Testing of DOE Standard Canister Closure Leak Test Assembly

DOE manages over 300 types of spent nuclear fuel (SNF), many of which are located at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) site. Managing this large variety of SNF for storage, transportation, and disposal poses a challenge to DOE. The Idaho Cleanup Project and INL are collaborating on the DOE SNF Road-Ready Demonstration (“Road-Ready Demonstration”), which will develop and demonstrate the designs, technology, processes, and regulatory framework for packaging DOE-managed SNF for “road-ready dry storage.” Road-ready dry storage is an SNF management concept in which SNF is packaged into dry, sealed canisters that are then placed in onsite storage in anticipation of later transport and disposition. The forward-looking goal of the Road-Ready Demonstration is to establish the foundation for a large-scale road-ready dry storage program at the INL site. In support of establishing a large-scale road-ready dry storage program at the INL site, the Road-Ready Demonstration will first package Fort St. Vrain SNF currently in dry storage at INL into several DOE Standard Canisters (DOESCs). These DOESCs will in turn be loaded into another containment similar to commercial multi-purpose canisters. This multi-purpose canister will then be compatible with a transportation or storage system, such as a storage cask for interim storage or transportation package for offsite transport. These DOESCs will remain sealed over the course of their storage, transportation, and applicable disposal functions. The closure process for the DOESC will include fuel and basket loading, welding, inspection, leak testing, and, if needed, repair. As a follow-up to previous discussions on the design of the DOE Closure Leak Test Assembly (LTA), this report describes recent fabrication and testing efforts performed at INL. DOESCs are sealed by two sequential gas tungsten arc welds, both of which are performed by remotely operated and semiautomatic welding systems. The first weld is a circumferential pipe weld that completes the assembly of the canister body and lid assembly. The second and final closure weld attaches the vent plug to the vent socket via a butt joint. After the second weld is performed, the welds are helium leak tested using an evacuated envelope technique. The LTA was designed for both remote and manual operation. This report describes the fabrication and performance testing associated with the evacuated envelope technique. INL staff designed, fabricated, and tested the LTA at INL facilities. This testing included establishing technique and system sensitivities in accordance with ASME and American National Standards Institute N14.5 requirements. Forthcoming work will cover such areas as design optimization, process and personnel qualification, and implementation in Road-Ready Demonstration operations.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2023

Fabrication and Testing of DOE Standard Canister Closure Leak Test Assembly – 24139

DOE manages over 300 types of spent nuclear fuel (SNF), many of which are located at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) site. Managing this large variety of SNF for storage, transportation, and disposal poses a challenge to DOE. The Idaho Cleanup Project and INL are collaborating on the DOE SNF Road-Ready Demonstration (“Road-Ready Demonstration”), which will develop and demonstrate the designs, technology, processes, and regulatory framework for packaging DOE-managed SNF for “road-ready dry storage.” Road-ready dry storage is an SNF management concept in which SNF is packaged into dry, sealed canisters that are then placed in onsite storage in anticipation of later transport and disposition. The forward-looking goal of the Road-Ready Demonstration is to establish the foundation for a large-scale road-ready dry storage program at the INL site. In support of establishing a large-scale road-ready dry storage program at the INL site, the Road-Ready Demonstration will first package Fort St. Vrain SNF currently in dry storage at INL into several DOE Standard Canisters (DOESCs). These DOESCs will in turn be loaded into another containment similar to commercial multi-purpose canisters. This multi-purpose canister will then be compatible with a transportation or storage system, such as a storage cask for interim storage or transportation package for offsite transport. These DOESCs will remain sealed over the course of their storage, transportation, and applicable disposal functions. The closure process for the DOESC will include fuel and basket loading, welding, inspection, leak testing, and, if needed, repair. As a follow-up to previous discussions on the design of the DOE Closure Leak Test Assembly (LTA), this report describes recent fabrication and testing efforts performed at INL. DOESCs are sealed by two sequential gas tungsten arc welds, both of which are performed by remotely operated and semiautomatic welding systems. The first weld is a circumferential pipe weld that completes the assembly of the canister body and lid assembly. The second and final closure weld attaches the vent plug to the vent socket via a butt joint. After the second weld is performed, the welds are helium leak tested using an evacuated envelope technique. The LTA was designed for both remote and manual operation. This report describes the fabrication and performance testing associated with the evacuated envelope technique. INL staff designed, fabricated, and tested the LTA at INL facilities. This testing included establishing technique and system sensitivities in accordance with ASME and American National Standards Institute N14.5 requirements. Forthcoming work will cover such areas as design optimization, process and personnel qualification, and implementation in Road-Ready Demonstration operations.

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DOE OSTI2019

3013 Inner Can Lid Leak Test System Development

Contained in this report is a description of the 3013 inner container lid leak detection system, a listing of the data collected to validate the system and a statistical analysis of collected data. The 3013 Container Surveillance Program provides assessment criteria and evaluates 3013 containers selected from the storage inventory for potential degradation mechanisms. The 3013 outer container is the boundary credited to prevent release of material to the environment. The integrity of the outer container is only at risk if the inner container loses its seal and allows corrosive gases to diffuse into the outer container. To date, the determination of potential outer container exposure to corrosive gases has been through comparison of the gas analysis of the annular space and the inner container. If the two volumes have the same gas composition and pressure, then the inner container may have leaked. The leak detection system described in this report will provide a direct measurement of the integrity of the inner container, and if approved, will provide for the elimination of gas analysis. The inner container lid leak testing system consists of two basic parts: the Agilent leak testing instrument and the leak test fixture. The test fixture base provides the connection between the leak test instrument and the test sample. This connection allows helium to flow into the leak detector when a leak path exists in the test sample allowing leak measurement to be performed. The tests reported here were conducted in a cold lab using a configuration very similar, but not identical to, the configuration anticipated when installed in a glove box. A total of sixty-five leak rate measurements were made on 10 containers and the data is included in the report. The data analysis shows that the leak detection system can identify leaks in the lid, including the weld and heat affected zone of 3013 inner containers, during destructive examination. The measurements taken support that a 3013 IC lid with a leak rate value greater than 2.0 x 10 -7 atm cc/sec will be identified using the leak test system prior to introduction into a glove box. These results from the baseline for future tests of the leak test system after it is installed in the glove box for use as part of surveillance DE.

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DOE OSTI2017

Personnel Qualification and Certification Program in Pressure Decay Leak Testing on the RT-100 Type (B) Cask - 17229

The requirements for qualifications and certification of leak test personnel on Type (B) shipping casks have been more clearly defined with the recent release of ANSI N14.5-2014, Leak Tests on Radioactive Packages for Shipment. The latest version creates a standardized approach for qualifying and certifying personnel to conduct pre-shipment leakage tests on Type (B) packages. The U.S Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is currently updating the Regulatory Guide R.G 7.4, Leakage Tests on Packages for shipment of Radioactive Material, to endorse ANSI N14.5-2014. According to ANSI N14.5-2014, leakage testing shall be performed in accordance with written procedures by qualified and certified personnel in accordance with the requirements of ASNT SNT-TC-1A-2006, Recommended Practice for Personnel Qualification and Certification in Nondestructive Testing. This is a significant modification to the old standard, ANSI N14.5-1997, which simply states that pressure leak testing shall be conducted by trained and certified personnel without reference to any specific certification standards or regulations. SNT-TC-1A published by the American Society for Nondestructive Testing (ASNT) has several advantages to employers; namely, it allows for a Limited NDT Level II certification program. Limited certifications are especially valuable for personnel who possess limited experience and wish to become a certified Limited NDT Level II in a specific technique on a specific cask using a specific procedure and equipment. Robatel Technologies recently developed a comprehensive qualification and training program based on the recommendations of SNT-TC-1A for Exelon Corporation to certify their employees to a Limited NDT Level II in Pressure Decay Leak Testing on the RT-100 Cask. The project scope included the development of a training and qualification program (Written practice), writing a pressure decay leak test procedure, the design of a pressure decay leak test manifold, and the delivery of classroom training. The written practice outlines the requirements to ensure that personnel participating in the program have the necessary qualification, experience, and training to become certified in the leak test method. The program will give Exelon the liberty to conduct their own leak testing on the RT- 100 without the need to rely on outside resources for leak testing. When fully implemented, the program is expected to improve productivity and eliminate schedule delays, along with substantial economic benefits. Following the appropriate standards and industry best practices, the project was successfully completed and scheduled to be fully implemented by Exelon's Nuclear Stations by the end of 2016. (authors)

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

DOESC Closure Leak Test Assembly

This conceptual design report is for the DOESC Closure Leak Test Assembly, which satisfies a portion of the milestone "Preliminary Design Report for Remote Helium Leak Test System". This CDR is part of the Preliminary Design Report/Package.

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DOE OSTI2024

HELIUM LEAK TEST MODELING OF A SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL CANISTER

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is considering the development of one or more federal consolidated interim storage facilities (CISFs) to be used to store commercial spent nuclear fuel (SNF) at locations in the U.S. One of the first technical challenges of a CISF is performing an inspection of SNF canisters upon their receipt to confirm they can be placed into the CISF’s licensed storage configuration. The canister receipt inspection is critical to CISF site operations. The test is conceived as being a helium (He) leak check, intended to confirm that the confinement boundary of a SNF canister is intact. SNF canisters are filled with He when they are sealed, so detection of a He leak indicates that a through-wall flaw has occurred in the canister confinement boundary. Other measurements are planned to occur upon canister receipt in addition to the He leak check such as krypton-85 measurements, which would indicate confinement breaches of one or more fuel rods in addition to a breach of the SNF canister. However, the He leak check has been identified as one of such high importance and has such significant technical challenges that a full-scale demonstration is needed to confirm the He leak test’s viability and to assist in planning relative to its operational requirements. A modeling methodology for simulating the He detection test was developed to help inform the test plan and the design of the test vessels. To develop the modeling methodology a detailed computational fluid dynamics (CFD) benchmark model was constructed to compare against leak rate test data from a transportation package for radioactive material. This report is focused on modeling efforts to simulate the benchmark leak test.

Suffield, Sarah R.↗
DOE OSTI2022

DOESC Closure Leak Test Assembly

This is the functional and operational requirements document (FOR) for the DOESC Closure Leak Test Assembly ("Bell Jar"), as required per LWP-10000.

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DOE OSTI2016

Leak Testing with Simulated Waste of Hanford Tank Farm Valves Utilized for Double Valve Isolation - 16108

The existing Hanford Tank Farms Waste Transfer System has several models of ball valves used for double valve isolation (DVI) that have been installed for 10 or more years. The safety function of the safety-significant valves is to limit leakage of waste past the valves in order to decrease the consequences of a fine spray release due to a transfer misroute. While previous leak testing of the valves has been conducted, the testing did not address concerns in the Documented Safety Analysis concerns about the impact on valve operation and service life of the potential abrasive/erosive properties of the tank waste on the valves when cycled. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) conducted DVI tests at their Multi-Phase Transport Evaluation Loop Facility. Testing evaluated the leak rate of safety-significant isolation valves for DVI as a function of simulated operating cycles. PNNL developed a performance-based simulant specifically for this test program. The test environment simulated the abrasive characteristics of the Hanford Tank Farms Waste Transfer System during single-shell tank retrieval and waste feed delivery to the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant. The testing consisted of periodically measuring leak rates and maximum operational torques on the DVI valves after prescribed numbers of valve operational cycles (open and close). The test results from the simulant cycle tests provide Washington River Protection Solutions with performance characteristics that can be used to verify compliance with the Documented Safety Analysis limits for valve seat leakage. (authors)

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DOE OSTI2022

Leak test for solid oxide fuel cells and solid oxide electrolysis cells

A simple, fast, and economical alcohol penetration method for assessing the solid oxide cell to metal window frame seal in a typical planar design is presented. An alcohol such as ethanol or isopropanol is placed into the cavity of a cell sealed to the window frame. Within 3–5 min, one can determine if the glass seal is hermetic by visual observation along the seal edges on the side of the sealed frame. Cross bubbling and open circuit voltage methods for determining whether the seal failed or cracked at high temperature after final stack firing are also discussed.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2024

He Leak Testing of 3013 Inner Container Lids

The 3013-container package is used for the long-term storage of plutonium bearing materials at Department of Energy (DOE) sites. The package consists of three nested stainless-steel containers: outer, inner and convenience, which are made of stainless steel. The requirements of the DOE 3013 Standarda, also entail the development of a surveillance program, tasked to ensure structural integrity of the outer container for at least 50 years. The Materials Identification and Surveillance Working Group (MIS-WG) is specified to be responsible for selecting the containers for the surveillance as well as analyzing results. The MIS-WG determined that corrosion is a potential mechanism for container degradation with the most credible type of failure to be stress corrosion cracking (SCC) through wall breach of the inner container closure weld region (ICCWR). A breach of the inner container has the potential of allowing corrosive gases to be released into the safety class outer container.

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DOE OSTI2021

Sealed Vessel Leak Test [Slides]

A test plan has been developed to verify the results obtained from sealed vessels used in support of the JT5-Alt370-IN-1 compatibility testing. The test plan needs to be verified by doing a mock test on testing vessels, it will be adjusted and redone as necessary then conducted on the remaining vessels from the compatibility tests.

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DOE OSTI2021

Helium Leak Test Data for System Evaluation

The test data in the flowing pages below has been created to ensure the maintenance conducted on the current MSHLD systems is satisfactory per ASNT Level III review. This is diagnostic test data only and it is intended to be used as a reference document.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2017

Evaluating All-Metal Valves for Use in a Tritium Environment

In the tritium gas processing system, it is desired to minimize polymer components due to their degradation from tritium exposure (beta decay). One source of polymers in the tritium process is valve components. A vendor has been identified that manufactures a valve that is marketed as being made from all-metal construction. This manufacturer, Ham-Let Group, manufactures a diaphragm valve (3LE series) that claims to be made entirely of metal. SRNL procured twelve (12) Ham-Let diaphragm valves for characterization and evaluation. The characterization tests include identification of the maximum pressure of these valves by performing pressure and burst tests. Leak tests were performed to ensure the valves do not exceed the acceptable leak rate for tritium service. These valves were then cycled in a nitrogen gas and/or vacuum environment to ensure they would be durable in a process environment. They were subsequently leak tested per ASTM protocol to ensure that the valves maintained their leak tight integrity. A detailed material analysis was also conducted to determine hydrogen and tritium compatibility.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Guide to Nondestructive Evaluation Techniques

Nondestructive evaluation (NDE), alternately known as nondestructive examination (NDE), (commonly used within the nuclear industry), nondestructive testing (NDT) (commonly used in the aerospace and petrochemical industry), and nondestructive inspection (NDI) (commonly used within the military), are as the name implies test and assessment technologies designed to detect and characterize components without damaging or compromising the component’s ability to perform its design function. The most common application is detection of flaws caused either by manufacturing anomalies, service or environmental stresses, or natural material aging. More generally, applications may include estimation of mechanical and material properties, stress/strain, and dynamic response behavior. Post-manufacturing inspections frequently enjoy unfettered access to the component or part that may allow more thorough examinations, while in-service examinations after components have been in use may impose severe access limitations for in-situ testing. If flaws are detected, they must then be evaluated relative to their size, location, growth rate, growth mechanism, and likelihood that they are or will become a liability to the component’s function or performance. NDE is comprised of a large family of specific test disciplines including visual inspection, dimensional metrology, ultrasound, radiography, penetrant test, magnetic particle test, leak test, eddy current tests, potential drop tests, flash and vibro thermography, shearography, acoustic emissions, and many other methods. This section provides discussion on general NDE science and considerations for specific technique selection.

nondestructive, examination, inspection, NDE, NDT↗
DOE OSTI2022

Container Evaluation: Analysis of the Swagelok Knuckle with Viewport as an Approved Hermetically Sealed Inner Container

This report outlines the results from the water ingress test, helium leak test and additional atmosphere testing for the Swagelok knuckle with viewport container further referred to as the SKV. This container is constructed from a standard union vacuum fitting, 1.33” conflat to 0.5” male VCR, a 1.33” conflat fused silica lensed viewport fitting, and a 0.5 inch VCR cap. The primary intended use of this container is to store Pu metal samples in the vault for a time interval exceeding 40 years. The samples need to be contained in an air free environment to ensure that the material does not oxidize over time. The container viewport is a critical design feature that will help the operators visually inspect and evaluate the state of the metal samples prior to opening the container. These containers are advertised as leak tight, but experimental tests were performed to test the water resistant criteria and the gas leaking criteria set forth by the TA-55 Criticality Safety Program. The results of the water ingress test show that the container is water-tight, with no signs of water penetrating the container within the required guidelines outlined in TA55-AP-522. The preliminary He leak test performed demonstrate that the conflat window port and VCR cap are able to maintain a hermetic seal. Additionally, all containers will be He leak tested independently by the manufacturer prior to shipping to LANL. A third voluntary test was added to assess the container’s ability to hold atmosphere, with successful results indicating the container is able to hold inert atmosphere to prevent lanthanum metal oxidation. It is the conclusion of the authorsthat there is enough evidence through the test conducted and outlined within this document that the proposed container meets the definition of a water-tight container, and it is able to provide a hermetic seal.

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