North American Member News March 2023

Daher Nuclear Technologies (DNT) submitted an application to the NRC in June 2021 for approval of the Model No. DN30-X package for shipment of uranium hexafluoride (UF₆) with an enrichment up to 20 weight percent (w/o) U-235. Orano NCS acquired DNT in September 2021. NRC accepted the application in October 2021. NRC staff issued a request for additional information (RAI) in June 2022. Orano NCS submitted a revised application to NRC in September 2022 in response to the RAI. In November 2022, Orano NCS submitted a design change in the orientation of the criticality control system for both the 30B-10 and 30B-20 cylinders, to allow the insertion of a flexible lance through the valve opening, to facilitate cylinder washing operations.

The DN30-X package consists of the DN30 protective structural packaging (PSP), which was approved under Docket No. 71-9362 for the Model No. DN30 package, and the 30B-X cylinder. The “X” in DN30-X and 30B-X is either replaced by “10” or by “20” to refer to a specific design for a maximum enrichment of 10 or 20 w/o U-235, respectively. The 30B-X cylinder consists of a cylinder shell with an elliptical head on each end, a valve and plug half coupling; the cylinder valve and plug, two skirts attached to each elliptical head, where the skirt on the valve side has two horizontally aligned holes that are used to prevent the rotation of the cylinder inside the PSP; two criticality control system (CCS) restraints, each with a backing bar and a rotation preventing device, to maintain the position of the interior CCS within the cavity of the 30B-X cylinder.

The CCS consists of criticality control rods (CCRs) containing neutron poison material in the form of boron carbide (B4C), and three lattice holders to keep each CCR in place. The separation of the lattice holders is maintained by 14 longitudinal stiffeners. The lattice holders are entirely made of steel. The length of the CCRs is fitted to the elliptical heads of the 30B-X cylinder. The two CCRs, which end in front of the valve, are shortened to avoid any interference with the cylinder filling and emptying operations.

The 30B-10 cylinder (with a maximum enrichment of 10 wt.% 235U) includes 33 CCRs while the 30B-20 cylinder (with a maximum enrichment of 20 wt.% 235U) includes 43 CCRs. The permissible mass of UF6 and the maximum heel quantities for each cylinder, DN30-10 and DN30-20, are listed below:

Permissible Mass of UF6 for Each Package Design

[1] U.S. NRC, Safety Evaluation Report, Docket No. 71-9388, Model No. DN30-X., Certificate of Compliance No. 9388, Rev 0, March 27, 2023.

NRC Certificate of Compliance No. 71-9388

NRC Safety Evaluation Report for CoC No 71-9388