The Radioactive Material (Road Transport) Regulations 2002

Tests for demonstrating ability to withstand accident conditions of transport

16.  Thermal test: The thermal test must consist of—

(a) the specimen must be in thermal equilibrium under the conditions of ambient temperature of 38°C, subject to the solar insolation conditions specified in Table IX of Schedule I and subject to the design maximum rate of internal heat generation from the radioactive contents. Alternatively, any of these parameters are allowed to have different values prior to and during the test, providing due account is taken of them in the subsequent assessment of package response, followed by;

(b) the exposure of a specimen to a thermal environment which provides a heat flux at least equal to that of a hydrocarbon fuel/air fire in sufficiently quiescent ambient conditions to give an average emissivity coefficient of at least 0.9 and an average flame temperature of at least 800°C fully engulfing the specimen for a period of 30 minutes, with a surface absorptivity coefficient of either 0.8 or that value which the package may be demonstrated to possess if exposed to the fire specified, followed by;

(c) exposure of the specimen to an ambient temperature of 38°C, subject to the solar insolation conditions specified in Table IX of Schedule I and subject to the design maximum rate of heat generation from the radioactive contents for a sufficient period to ensure that temperatures in the specimen are everywhere decreasing and/or are approaching steady state conditions. Alternatively, any of these parameters are allowed to have different values following cessation of heating, providing due account is taken of them in the subsequent assessment of package response.

During and following the test the specimen must not be artificially cooled and any combustion of materials of the specimen must be permitted to proceed naturally.