Patent Application
20090145907
1. Field
Example embodiments generally relate to containers used for industrial transportation, specifically transportation of radioactive materials.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally, transportation of any large-scale industrial machinery or component requires specialized packaging that complies with regulations regarding the nature of such transportation. Related art industrial packages are typically engineered to both protect the transported component and meet regulatory requirements that in turn protect the transportation system and public at large.
Radioactive materials have specialized transport requirements to safeguard the nation's transportation system and public from the dangers inherent in exposure to radioactivity. Related art industrial packages may comply with only the Department of Transportation regulations governing the transport of radioactive materials on public interstates and other roadways. The regulations may define a number of physical requirements for related art industrial packages, including, for example, size, strength, and resistance to elements encountered in transport.
Example embodiments are directed toward industrial packages configured to transport a variety of radioactive materials while meeting several distinct packaging requirements for different modes of transport, including roadway, rail, air, and sea. Example embodiment industrial packages may comply with 1) Department of Transportation (DOT) Class 7 requirements for ground transport (both road and rail) of radioactive materials, 2) International Air Transport Association (IATA) Regulations for air transport of radioactive materials, and 3) International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) code for waterway transport of radioactive material.
Example embodiment industrial packages may include one or more features that ensure multiple regulatory compliance while providing packaging and containment for radioactive materials. Example features may include integrated bumpers, specialized bottom tube skids, lid lattice support, multiple gasket pressurization seal, corner reinforcement, multiple shielding and modular interior components, and/or multiple pressurization valves and filters.
Example embodiments will become more apparent by describing, in detail, example embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings, wherein like elements are represented by like reference numerals, which are given by way of illustration only and thus do not limit the example embodiments herein.
Detailed illustrative embodiments of example embodiments are disclosed herein. However, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are merely representative for purposes of describing example embodiments. The example embodiments may, however, be embodied in many alternate forms and should not be construed as limited to only example embodiments set forth herein.
It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element could be termed a second element, and, similarly, a second element could be termed a first element, without departing from the scope of example embodiments. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “connected,” “coupled,” “mated,” “attached,” or “fixed” to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly connected” or “directly coupled” to another element, there are no intervening elements present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion (e.g., “between” versus “directly between”, “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent”, etc.).
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of example embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the language explicitly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises”, “comprising,” “includes” and/or “including”, when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions/acts noted may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two figures shown in succession may in fact be executed substantially concurrently or may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality/acts involved.
Example embodiment industrial packages may meet several packaging standards in combination such that example embodiment industrial packages may be transported in several different modes requiring distinct standards not met by related art industrial packages.
For example, example embodiments may provide a Department of Transportation (DOT) Type 7A compliant industrial package. Type 7A packaging is certified to contain and transport radioactive materials, known as Class 7 materials, on national roadways. DOT 7A requirements are defined at 49 C.F.R. §§ 178.30 & 173.465. These regulations define DOT 7A packaging for radioactive materials as passing a water spray test, a free drop test, a stacking test, a penetration test, and a pressurization test. The water spray test requires DOT 7A packaging to be exposed to an equivalent of approximately 2 inches/hour of rainfall without package absorption or retention of water. The free drop test requires DOT 7A packaging to maintain structural integrity of all features, without breach, upon a 4-foot dead drop on the feature being tested. The stacking test requires DOT 7A industrial packages to maintain structural integrity when loaded by stacking the package with 5 times the industrial package weight. The penetration test requires DOT 7A industrial packages to be subject to a 13.2 pound bar dropped from a height of 3.3 feet without penetrating the containment features of the packaging. The pressurization test requires DOT 7A packaging to possess a nuclear-grade filter capable of equalizing internal pressure of the package in the event of environmental overpressure.
Example embodiments may further comply with International Air Transport Association (IATA) Regulations for air transportation. IATA-compliant industrial packaging is capable of maintaining an internal pressure of at least one atmosphere (14.7 lbs/in2) in the event of environmental underpressure, as encountered on high-altitude flights.
Further, example embodiment industrial packages may comply with International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) code for waterway transport of radioactive material. IMDG Code 7 defines the required parameters for industrial containers for radioactive materials. These parameters may be satisfied by complying with the previously-discussed standards and further by providing a watertight, water-proof (up to shipping depth) industrial package.
Because example embodiment industrial packages may comply with several modes of transportation regulations, example embodiment packages may be capable of both international road, rail, air, and sea transportation without the need for repackaging or recertification.
The body 101 may include features that further aid example embodiment industrial packages meet the above discussed standards. One or more bumpers 102 may extend around the body 101 and be integrated with the body 101 through continuous welds. Bumpers 102 may stiffen the body 101 against impact and pressure forces. Bumpers 102 may be fabricated from a material similar to the body to ensure weld compatibility and strength, including, for example, 0.25 inch aluminum.
Tube skids 104 may be integrated with a bottom of the body 101. Tube skids 104 may further increase body 101 rigidity and strength. Tube skids 104 may be hollow and tapered to facilitate forklift access under example embodiment industrial package 100 by providing a vertical clearance and/or spacing. Tube skids 104 may be fabricated of materials similar to the body 101 to ensure weld compatibility and strength, including, for example, 4×4 in., 0.25-in thick aluminum tubes.
Lid 110 may be fabricated of similar materials as body 101 and may be shaped to fit over and close the body 101 when moved to a closed position over the body 101. Lid 110 may include a removable lid lattice support 111 that, like the tube skids 104 and bumpers 102 for the body, reinforces the lid 110 against pressurization forces by providing a rigid lattice supporting the lid 110. The lid lattice support 111 may be removable from the lid 110 by affixing only to edges of the lid 110. In this way the lid lattice support 111 may provide resistive tension at the edges of the lid 110 countering the inward motion of the edges should the lid 110 begin to bend or buckle under pressure. Alternatively, lid lattice support 111 may be removed in order to reduce the weight of example embodiment industrial package 100 in necessary circumstances.
Lid 110 may further include a collapsible corner reinforcement 112 that protects the lid 110 and seal (discussed below) from the 4-foot test on the corner. The reinforcement 112 may be hollow and collapse or “crumple” under sufficient impact so as to absorb and redistribute impact forces on the lid during impact. Lid 110 and reinforcement 112 may be fabricated from an appropriate non-corrosive material having strength to withstand the above described tests, including, for example, 0.125 in. aluminum. Reinforcement 112 may be welded along the edge of the lid 110 to present a continuous union between the lid 110 and reinforcement 112.
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Unistruts 107 and modular shielding 109 may permit for better interior management of example embodiment industrial packaging. Unistruts 107 may be mounted on an interior surface of the body 101 and permit modular internal component placement and tiedown. Unistruts 107 may further provide rigid support to the body 101 when example embodiment industrial packages are subject to various tests discussed above. Unistruts 107 may further provide for shielding 109 to be placed at a variety of positions within the example embodiment industrial package 100 to accommodate transport of radioactive materials. For example, increased neutron or gamma shielding 109 may be placed inside the body 101 on unistruts 107 in order to compartmentalize the example embodiment industrial package 100 and allow gamma and/or neutron radioactive components to be placed within those compartments without contaminating other compartments or leaking radiation outside the example embodiment industrial package 100.
Unistruts 107 may be fabricated from a non-corrosive, rigid material such as aluminum. Shielding 109 may be fabricated from an appropriate shielding material based on the radioactivity of any components being packaged. For example, a heavy metal such as lead may be used if a gamma-emitting source is to be transported, while, for example, a cadmium and/or borated aluminum shielding material may be used if a neutron-emitting source is to be transported. Alternatively, shielding 109 may be made of a thermally nonconductive in order to accommodate temperature sensitive contents.
Further, additional shielding box 108 may be placed within the example embodiment industrial package 100 and affixed to the interior of body 101 to provide even further shielding for high-activity tools or components. The shielding box 108 may be fabricated from an appropriate material as discussed above with regard to the shielding and may be adjoined welded and/or bolted to the interior of the body 101 to further compartmentalize the interior of example embodiment industrial packages.
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Example embodiment industrial packages may use materials meeting particular industry standards, such as ASTM and/or ASME for composition, strength, and other physical characteristics. Similarly, the continuous welding of example embodiments to provide air-tightness may comply with welding standards for radioactivity-management and pressurization.
The example embodiments described above may be varied in several ways, based on the application of example embodiments. For example, although an internal pressure of 1 atmosphere has been specified, different internal pressures may be maintained by example embodiment industrial packages based on the air-tight design of example embodiments. Further, the above-described features may not necessarily be present or may be present in any combination, depending on the application. For example, internal shielding 109 may not be used if non-radioactive materials are transported, and internal supports 103 and lid lattice supports 111 may be removed if example embodiment industrial packages are not stacked or do not need to meet the above-discussed regulatory criteria. Similarly, placement of features, such as valve/filter 212, may be changed without altering the functionality of example embodiment industrial packages.
Example embodiments and methods thus being described, it will be appreciated by one skilled in the art that example embodiments and example methods may be varied through routine experimentation and without further inventive activity. Variations are not to be regarded as departure from the spirit and scope of the exemplary embodiments, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.
