Helium Leak Test of a General Purpose Fissile Package (GPFP)

The General Purpose Fissile Package (GPFP) is a new package that is designed to safely ship radioactive contents on public highways. The package consists of a specially designed 35 gallon drum which holds a 6-inch diameter containment vessel, which in turn holds the radioactive material that is being transported. The containment vessel must be helium leak tested at fabrication and once per year to ensure it is “leaktight” per ANSI N14.5. To minimize potential leak points, the containment vessel design does not include a port to add helium during the leak test. SRNL designed a helium charging device that the leak test specialist seals inside the vessel and activates at the appropriate time during the leak test.