摘要:
Apparatus suitable for transporting and storing nuclear fuel rods comprising a basket having storage cells formed from a honeycomb gridwork of metal plates in a rectilinear configuration, the plates welded to each other at their intersections so that all contiguous corners of the storage cells formed by the gridwork are completely connected so as to allow conduction heat transfer, the metal plates having neutron absorber material positioned in areas which form walls of the storage cells. Method of making an apparatus suitable for transporting and storing nuclear fuel rods comprising a) providing metal plates having slots and having neutron absorber material positioned on sides of the metal plates, b) arranging the plates so that the slots intersect to form a honeycomb gridwork of storage cells having contiguous corners and having the neutron absorbing material on sides of the storage cells, and c) welding the plates to each other at their intersections so that all contiguous corners of the storage cells formed by the gridwork are completely connected so as to allow conduction heat transfer and to provide a rigid structure.
摘要:
A method of preparing a canister having a cavity loaded with wet radioactive elements for dry storage, the method comprising: (a) providing a gas circulation system comprising a condensing module, a vacuum module, a gas circulator module; (b) connecting the gas circulation system to the canister so as to form a hermetically sealed closed-loop path that includes the cavity; (c) filling the hermetically sealed closed-loop path with a non-reactive gas; (d) circulating the non-reactive gas through the hermetically sealed closed-loop path until the condensing module is no longer removing substantial amounts of water from the circulating non-reactive gas, wherein the vacuum module is sealed off from the hermetically sealed closed-loop path during step (d); (e) discontinuing the circulation of the non-reactive gas through the hermetically sealed closed-loop path; (f) fluidly coupling the vacuum module to the cavity and fluidly isolating the cavity and the vacuum module; and (g) applying a vacuum pressure to the cavity via the vacuum module so as to create a sub-atmospheric pressure within the cavity until a desired vapor pressure is achieved in the cavity of the canister.
摘要:
A method of preparing a canister having a cavity loaded with wet radioactive elements for dry storage, the method comprising: (a) providing a gas circulation system comprising a condensing module, a vacuum module, a gas circulator module; (b) connecting the gas circulation system to the canister so as to form a hermetically sealed closed-loop path that includes the cavity; (c) filling the hermetically sealed closed-loop path with a non-reactive gas; (d) circulating the non-reactive gas through the hermetically sealed closed-loop path until the condensing module is no longer removing substantial amounts of water from the circulating non-reactive gas, wherein the vacuum module is sealed off from the hermetically sealed closed-loop path during step (d); (e) discontinuing the circulation of the non-reactive gas through the hermetically sealed closed-loop path; (f) fluidly coupling the vacuum module to the cavity and fluidly isolating the cavity and the vacuum module; and (g) applying a vacuum pressure to the cavity via the vacuum module so as to create a sub-atmospheric pressure within the cavity until a desired vapor pressure is achieved in the cavity of the canister.
摘要:
A system for storing nuclear fuel, the system including a storage rack and a bearing pad. The storage rack includes an array of cells, each cell configured to receive and store nuclear fuel rods, a base plate configured to support the array of cells, and a support structure configured to support the base plate and to allow cooling fluid to circulate under and up through apertures in the base plate. The bearing pad is coupled to the support structure and is configured to limit lateral movement of the storage rack independent from lateral movement of the bearing pad. The base plate defines a base plate profile in a horizontal plane of the base plate, and the bearing pad defines a bearing pad profile in the horizontal plane of the base plate, wherein the bearing pad profile extends outside of the base plate profile.
摘要:
A high-density fuel rack and system for wet storage of radioactive fuel, assemblies, such as spent nuclear fuel. The fuel rack includes a grid array of elongated cells each con figured for holding a fuel assembly, in one aspect, the cells are formed by a plurality of longitudinally- extending tubes having a rectilinear polygonal cross-sectional configuration. In one embodiment, the cells may have a cross-sectional shape of unequal width and length. The tubes may be variously arranged in contiguous or spaced apart configurations for non-flux trap and flux trap type racks, respectively.