PNNL

Abstract

This report assesses the potential shock and vibration effects experienced by microreactors during roadway transportation. Because transportation conditions may vary with reactor design and whether fuel or radioactive materials are shipped concurrently, the study reviews applicable federal and state regulations, standards, and experimental considerations. A literature review of heavy-duty truck transportation and nuclear-fuel cask transport was used to identify relevant factors influencing possible vibration and shock effects, including roadway quality, vehicle speed, suspension characteristics, payload stiffness, and reactor placement in the transport vehicle. The review indicates that these variables can affect both the magnitude and frequency of the loads transmitted to the reactor and its supporting systems. To support future testing, a transportation-route selection algorithm was developed to identify candidate routes based on roadway quality, using the International Roughness Index (IRI) as a key metric. Selection of a route with the lowest IRI would provide a baseline for correlating road conditions with measured shock and vibration responses. The report also outlines sensor performance requirements, environmental measurements, material-integrity assessments, and functional requirements needed to evaluate transportation impacts and inform the design of future microreactor transport experiments.