Evaluation of Type B shipping packages used to transport potentially flammable gas mixtures

Using Type B shipping packages to transport radioactive materials within a potentially flammable gas mixture is a bold proposal. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has essentially prohibited such shipments. Furthermore, the NRC requires extensive modeling and/or testing of selective contents (e.g., Transuranic Waste) which are prone to generate hydrogen gas to demonstrate that, in general, a flammable mixture inside the containment vessel will not occur during shipment. Contrary to the NRC position, this paper proposes a rigorous containment vessel evaluation methodology to justify shipment of Type B quantities of radioactive materials in the presence of potentially flammable gas mixtures. The Department of Energy (DOE) is currently reviewing the methodology as applied to the 9975 package for shipment of plutonium oxide which may generate significant quantities of hydrogen gas