Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Packaging Certification Program (PCP)”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

U.S. Department of Energy/Argonne National Laboratory Training Courses for Packaging, Transportation, and Storage of Radioactive Material - 17269

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Packaging Certification Program (PCP), Office of Packaging and Transportation, Office of Environmental Management, has sponsored a suite of training courses that have been conducted since the early 1990s. Of these training courses, Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne) conducts three courses: (1) Quality Assurance (QA) for Radioactive Material Packaging, (2) American Society for Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Pressure Vessel Code for Nuclear Transport and Storage, and (3) Nuclear and Other Radioactive Materials Transport Security. Argonne has been working with the University of Nevada, Reno, to develop an accredited graduate-level program in nuclear packaging. The Graduate Certificate in Nuclear Packaging (GCNP) program provides an applied knowledge-based curriculum in packaging for nuclear and radioactive materials that complements other graduate programs at the University (for additional information, see https://www.unr.edu/degrees/nuclear-packaging/certificate). (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

DOE Training Courses for Packaging, Transportation, and Storage of Radioactive Material - 17607

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Packaging Certification Program (PCP), Office of Packaging and Transportation has sponsored a suite of training courses that have been conducted since the early 1990's. More recently, PCP has developed an online tutorial - RAM Packaging Safety Tutorial, as well as several courses developed and taught by several U.S national laboratories. The courses developed and taught by the national laboratories are referred to as the DOE Packaging University. Since 2013 as part of the Packaging University, the DOE PCP has worked with the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) Mechanical Engineering Department to develop an accredited graduate-level certificate in Nuclear Packaging. This paper provides an overview of the currently offered PCP courses, as well as the UNR graduate certificate in Nuclear Packaging. (authors)

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗

Training on Transport Security of Nuclear/Radioactive Materials for Key Audiences

Beginning in 2013, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Packaging Certification Program (PCP), Office of Packaging and Transportation, Office of Environmental Management has sponsored a series of three training courses on Security of Nuclear and Other Radioactive Materials during Transport. These courses were developed and hosted by Argonne National Laboratory staff with guest lecturers from both the U.S. and international organizations and agencies including the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), DOE national laboratories, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the World Nuclear Transport Institute (WNTI), and the World Institute for Nuclear Security (WINS). Each of the three courses held to date were one-week in length. The courses delved in detail into the regulatory requirements for transport security, focusing on international and U.S.-domestic requirements and guidance documents. Lectures, in-class discussions and small group exercises, including tabletop (TTX) and field exercises were designed to enhance the learning objectives for the participants. For example, the field exercise used the ARG-US radio frequency identification (RFID) remote surveillance system developed by Argonne for DOE/PCP to track and monitor packages in a mock shipment, following in-class exercises of developing a transport security plan (TSP) for the mock shipment, performing a readiness review and identifying needed corrective actions. Participants were able to follow the mock shipment on the webpage in real time in the ARG-US Command Center at Argonne including “staged” incidents that were designed to illustrate the importance of control, command, communication and coordination in ensuring transport security. Great lessons were learned based on feedback from the participant’s course evaluations with the series of the courses. Since the development of the relevant teaching materials for the course have largely been completed, tailoring the course for targeted audiences becomes a relatively easy task, requiring less effort and providing more flexibility for both the lecturers and future participants. One-day or two-day courses with focus specifically on the U.S. transport security requirements can be delivered, at locations away from Argonne, by one or two principal lecturers to targeted audiences such as regulators, shippers, carriers, state and local law enforcement personnel, and emergency responders. This paper will highlight the lessons learned in hosting previous one-week courses and discuss the development of options for detailed and/or customized courses/workshops for targeted key audiences.

2016 Waste Management March 6-10 Training on Trans↗

SRNL Training Courses for Packaging, Transportation, and Storage of Radioactive Material - 17597

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Packaging Certification Program (PCP), Office of Packaging and Transportation has sponsored a suite of training courses that have been conducted since the early 1990s. Of these training courses, the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) is currently leading the effort for two courses: (1) Management of SARP Preparation, and (2) Nuclear and Other Radioactive Materials Transport Security and Leak Testing. This paper provides an overview of both courses. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Packaging Certification program Methodology for Determining Dose Rates for Small Gram Quantities in Shipping Packagings

The Small Gram Quantity (SGQ) concept is based on the understanding that small amounts of hazardous materials, in this case radioactive materials (RAM), are significantly less hazardous than large amounts of the same materials. This paper describes a methodology designed to estimate an SGQ for several neutron and gamma emitting isotopes that can be shipped in a package compliant with 10 CFR Part 71 external radiation level limits regulations. These regulations require packaging for the shipment of radioactive materials, under both normal and accident conditions, to perform the essential functions of material containment, subcriticality, and maintain external radiation levels within the specified limits. By placing the contents in a helium leak-tight containment vessel, and limiting the mass to ensure subcriticality, the first two essential functions are readily met. Some isotopes emit sufficiently strong photon radiation that small amounts of material can yield a large dose rate outside the package. Quantifying the dose rate for a proposed content is a challenging issue for the SGQ approach. It is essential to quantify external radiation levels from several common gamma and neutron sources that can be safely placed in a specific packaging, to ensure compliance with federal regulations. The Packaging Certification Program (PCP) Methodology for Determining Dose Rate for Small Gram Quantities in Shipping Packagings provides bounding shielding calculations that define mass limits compliant with 10 CFR 71.47 for a set of proposed SGQ isotopes. The approach is based on energy superposition with dose response calculated for a set of spectral groups for a baseline physical packaging configuration. The methodology includes using the MCNP radiation transport code to evaluate a family of neutron and photon spectral groups using the 9977 shipping package and its associated shielded containers as the base case. This results in a set of multipliers for 'dose per particle' for each spectral group. For a given isotope, the source spectrum is folded with the response for each group. The summed contribution from all isotopes determines the total dose from the RAM in the container.

42 ENGINEERING↗

University of Nevada, Reno Graduate Certificate in Nuclear Packaging

This paper describes a new Graduate Certificate in Nuclear Packaging (GCNP). Nuclear materials are currently used for large-scale production of electricity without greenhouse gas generation, advanced medical treatments, food sterilization, and sophisticated measurement technologies. In order to benefit from these uses, nuclear materials packaging must be developed, manufactured, inspected, and maintained for storage, transfer, transport, and disposal that protect the public and the environment. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Packaging Certification Program (PCP) originally offered the following ten, one-day to ten-day training courses. 1. Methods for Reviewing Safety Analysis Reports for Packages and Performing Confirmatory Analysis; 2. Welding Criteria for Shipping Containers; 3. Structural Analysis and Acceptance Criteria; 4. Quality Assurance (QA) for Radioactive Material Packaging Training; 5. Application of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Code to Radioactive Material Transportation Packaging; 6. ARG-US Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) System for Management of Nuclear and Radioactive Materials; 7. Packaging Operations and Maintenance; 8. Packaging Leakage Test Training; 9. Management of SARP Preparation; 10. Transport Security of Radioactive Material. These courses were designed in accordance with DOE standards. They were taught at a rigorous graduate-university level by experienced technical staff who are coordinated by Argonne, Lawrence Livermore, and Savannah River National Laboratories. The courses were taught at these Laboratories or nearby locations. The PCP courses are attended by personnel from government agencies, national laboratories, and the nuclear industry, from both inside and outside the United States. Students in these classes have generally earned undergraduate or higher degrees. These courses are designed to assist student with specialized job duties, and may provide them a competitive advantage when seeking employment or promotion in the nuclear packaging and other related fields. (authors)

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

9977 type b packaging internal data collection feasibility testing - magnetic field communications

The objective of this report is to document the findings from proof-of-concept testing performed by the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) R&D Engineering and Visible Assets, Inc. for the DOE Packaging Certification Program (PCP) to determine if RuBee (IEEE 1902.1) tags and readers could be used to provide a communication link from within a drum-style DOE certified Type B radioactive materials packaging. A Model 9977 Type B Packaging was used to test the read/write capability and range performance of a RuBee tag and reader. Testing was performed with the RuBee tags placed in various locations inside the packaging including inside the drum on the outside of the lid of the containment vessel and also inside of the containment vessel. This report documents the test methods and results. A path forward will also be recommended.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

SRNL's Lessons Learned from the University of Nevada Reno{sup TM} Nuclear Packaging Internships - 19464

The U.S. Department of Energy's Packaging Certification Program (DOE PCP) and the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) Mechanical Engineering Department have developed an accredited, graduate level nuclear packaging certificate. The mission is to ensure that the DOE staff and users of PCP services are knowledgeable and competent in packaging and transportation activities. Since 2008, the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) has been teaching two classes for the DOE PCP Packaging University. This paper introduces a recently added third class, where SRNL provided Site Supervisors, targeted toward engineering interns. As part of ensuring a future workforce, the Packaging Technology and Transportation Engineering Group (PT and TE) at Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) normally employs two to three summer interns each year. The internships provide SRNL innovative s performing valuable research and support work related to package certification. It also provides SRNL the opportunity to bring in perspective engineers on 'trial-basis.' The interns benefit by learning valuable career skills and gaining exposure to a broad-based career field in the field of packaging. As part of the job specific training, the summer interns are provided an overview of package design, testing, and certification. This includes package operations, containment vessel leak testing, and SARP preparation. Two years ago, SRNL recognized the efficiency of using the SRNL-taught courses for the summer interns working in SRNL PT and TE. SRNL requested that UNR allow the PT and TE two summer interns, who were rising college juniors, to enroll in the SRNL-taught courses for graduate credit. UNR agreed and allowed the interns to enroll under a special admission status. Since that time, UNR developed a new class within the Graduate Certificate in Nuclear Packaging (GCNP), for the summer intern research work. This new class offers a formalized framework for the summer interns to conduct research, while ensuring that the research is performed in a rigor consistent with an accredited college level setting. Last summer, the SRNL PT and TE had three summer interns - all participating in the new course, UNR ME-699 Nuclear Packaging Summer Internship - with each earning three graduate credits from UNR in mechanical engineering. This paper provides a brief overview of the DOE PCP Packaging University/ UNR GCNP, a discussion of SRNL's use of summer interns as a tool to recruit and train the future workforce, and lessons learned from having last year's three SRNL PPT and TE summer interns enroll in the UNR Packaging Internship Class. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Practical Experience Integration into the Univ. of NV, Reno Nuclear Packaging Graduate Certificate - 18210

In 2015, the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) Mechanical Engineering (ME) Department began offering a 9-credit, regionally accredited Graduate Certificate in Nuclear Packaging (GCNP). The certificate's program educational objectives are to provide the necessary applied knowledge and skills that mechanical, materials, or nuclear engineers require to be successful as nuclear packaging designers, analysts and users. This includes knowing how to apply required quality assurance methods, regulations, and design goals. It also includes gaining added depth in those required topics, and/or a breadth beyond those topics, to support the certificate holder to excel in the nuclear packaging industry. The GCNP courses draw heavily on nuclear packaging safety content that experts at Argonne, Laurence Livermore and Savannah River National Laboratories developed and taught over the past 20 years with support from the US Department of Energy (DOE) Packaging and Certification Program (PCP). The national laboratories continue to teach the GCNP required courses, which present the essential information, and several elective courses. UNR offers some elective courses. Oak Ridge and Sandia National Laboratories are currently developing new elective courses. This paper describes the development and requirements of a new 3-credit elective course UNR is developing, entitled Nuclear Packaging Internship (ME 699). The student learning outcome of that course is to provide project-based supervised practical training at a national laboratory or DOE site that contributes to the student's depth and breadth of nuclear packaging knowledge and skills. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

PHASE II VAULT TESTING OF THE ARGONNE RFID SYSTEM

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) (Environmental Management [EM], Office of Packaging and Transportation [EM-45]) Packaging and Certification Program (DOE PCP) has developed a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tracking and monitoring system, called ARG-US, for the management of nuclear materials packages during transportation and storage. The performance of the ARG-US RFID equipment and system has been fully tested in two demonstration projects in April 2008 and August 2009. With the strong support of DOE-SR and DOE PCP, a field testing program was completed in Savannah River Site's K-Area Material Storage (KAMS) Facility, an active Category I Plutonium Storage Facility, in 2010. As the next step (Phase II) of continued vault testing for the ARG-US system, the Savannah River Site K Area Material Storage facility has placed the ARG-US RFIDs into the 910B storage vault for operational testing. This latest version (Mark III) of the Argonne RFID system now has the capability to measure radiation dose and dose rate. This paper will report field testing progress of the ARG-US RFID equipment in KAMS, the operability and reliability trend results associated with the applications of the system, and discuss the potential benefits in enhancing safety, security and materials accountability. The purpose of this Phase II K Area test is to verify the accuracy of the radiation monitoring and proper functionality of the ARG-US RFID equipment and system under a realistic environment in the KAMS facility. Deploying the ARG-US RFID system leads to a reduced need for manned surveillance and increased inventory periods by providing real-time access to status and event history traceability, including environmental condition monitoring and radiation monitoring. The successful completion of the testing program will provide field data to support a future development and testing. This will increase Operation efficiency and cost effectiveness for vault operation. As the next step (Phase II) of continued vault testing for the ARG-US system, the Savannah River Site K Area Material Storage facility has placed the ARG-US RFIDs into the 910B storage vault. Deploying the ARG-US RFID system lends to a reduced need for manned surveillance and increased inventory periods by providing real-time access to status and event history traceability, including radiation and environmental monitoring. The successful completion of the testing program will provide field data to support future development and testing.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗