Regulatory concerns for leakage testing of packagings with three O-ring closure seals
Year: 1997
Type: article
Abstract: The American National Standard for Radioactive Materials--Leakage Tests on Packages for Shipment (ANSI N14.5) provides guidance for leakage rate testing to show that a particular packaging complies with regulatory requirements and also provides guidance in determining appropriate acceptance criteria. Recent radioactive packagings designs have incorporated three O-ring closure seals, the middle O-ring being the containment seal. These designs have the potential for false positive results of leakage rate tests. The volume between the containment O-ring and the inner O-ring is used for the helium gas required for the leakage rate tests to reduce both the amount of helium used and the time required to conduct the tests. A leak detector samples the evacuated volume between the outer O-ring and the containment O-ring. False positive results can be caused in two ways, a large leakage in the containment seal or leakage in the inner seal. This paper will describe the problem together with possible solutions/areas that need to be addressed in a Safety Analysis Report for Packagings before a particular packaging design can be certified for transport.
Authors: J.J. Oras, R.H. Towell, M.E. Wangler
Language: English
Subfield: Safety, Risk, Reliability and Quality
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1596976942