Analysis of Severe Railway Accident Involving Long Duration Fires

摘要

As a regulatory authority for transportation of radioactive materials, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) ensures that packages designed to transport radioactive material, including spent nuclear fuel (SNF), meet the regulations prescribed in 10 CFR Part 71. In 2003, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) formed a committee to evaluate risks associated with transportation of SNF and high-level radioactive waste in the United States. The principal findings from this evaluation indicated that there are no technical barriers to safe transport. However, NAS recommended that NRC conduct additional analyses of very long duration fires that could exceed the duration of the hypothetical accident condition fire described in the current regulations. The purpose of the study described in this report was to support NRC in determining the different types and frequency of railway accidents involving severe, long duration fires that could potentially impact SNF rail transport.