EP2700077B1 - Thermally conductive element enabling an improvement in the manufacture of packaging for the transport and/or storage of radioactive material - Google Patents
Thermally conductive element enabling an improvement in the manufacture of packaging for the transport and/or storage of radioactive material Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP2700077B1 EP2700077B1 EP12711181.3A EP12711181A EP2700077B1 EP 2700077 B1 EP2700077 B1 EP 2700077B1 EP 12711181 A EP12711181 A EP 12711181A EP 2700077 B1 EP2700077 B1 EP 2700077B1
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- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- package
- thermal conduction
- radiological protection
- intended
- cavity
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
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Links
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 title claims description 16
- 239000012857 radioactive material Substances 0.000 title claims description 10
- 238000004806 packaging method and process Methods 0.000 title description 23
- 238000003860 storage Methods 0.000 title description 16
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 claims description 30
- 238000003466 welding Methods 0.000 claims description 27
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 claims description 12
- 229910000831 Steel Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 11
- 239000010959 steel Substances 0.000 claims description 11
- RYGMFSIKBFXOCR-UHFFFAOYSA-N Copper Chemical compound [Cu] RYGMFSIKBFXOCR-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 10
- 229910052802 copper Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 9
- 239000010949 copper Substances 0.000 claims description 9
- 229910045601 alloy Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 5
- 239000000956 alloy Substances 0.000 claims description 5
- 239000010935 stainless steel Substances 0.000 claims description 5
- 229910001220 stainless steel Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 5
- 229910052770 Uranium Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 3
- 229910000975 Carbon steel Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 2
- 239000010962 carbon steel Substances 0.000 claims description 2
- 238000005266 casting Methods 0.000 description 27
- 230000000712 assembly Effects 0.000 description 9
- 238000000429 assembly Methods 0.000 description 9
- 230000000007 visual effect Effects 0.000 description 8
- 239000003758 nuclear fuel Substances 0.000 description 6
- 239000000446 fuel Substances 0.000 description 5
- PXHVJJICTQNCMI-UHFFFAOYSA-N Nickel Chemical compound [Ni] PXHVJJICTQNCMI-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 4
- 238000005260 corrosion Methods 0.000 description 4
- 238000013016 damping Methods 0.000 description 4
- ALKZAGKDWUSJED-UHFFFAOYSA-N dinuclear copper ion Chemical compound [Cu].[Cu] ALKZAGKDWUSJED-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 4
- 230000004888 barrier function Effects 0.000 description 3
- 230000007547 defect Effects 0.000 description 3
- 238000007689 inspection Methods 0.000 description 3
- 230000000717 retained effect Effects 0.000 description 3
- 238000012163 sequencing technique Methods 0.000 description 3
- 230000015572 biosynthetic process Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000010438 heat treatment Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 description 2
- 229910052751 metal Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 239000000203 mixture Substances 0.000 description 2
- 229910052759 nickel Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 238000006116 polymerization reaction Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000011347 resin Substances 0.000 description 2
- 229920005989 resin Polymers 0.000 description 2
- 239000007787 solid Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000007711 solidification Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000008023 solidification Effects 0.000 description 2
- 239000002436 steel type Substances 0.000 description 2
- 208000031968 Cadaver Diseases 0.000 description 1
- QVGXLLKOCUKJST-UHFFFAOYSA-N atomic oxygen Chemical compound [O] QVGXLLKOCUKJST-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 230000015556 catabolic process Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000007797 corrosion Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000006731 degradation reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000006866 deterioration Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000005484 gravity Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000002347 injection Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000007924 injection Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000011824 nuclear material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910052760 oxygen Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000001301 oxygen Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000000284 resting effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 229910000679 solder Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000002915 spent fuel radioactive waste Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000007921 spray Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000011179 visual inspection Methods 0.000 description 1
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G21—NUCLEAR PHYSICS; NUCLEAR ENGINEERING
- G21F—PROTECTION AGAINST X-RADIATION, GAMMA RADIATION, CORPUSCULAR RADIATION OR PARTICLE BOMBARDMENT; TREATING RADIOACTIVELY CONTAMINATED MATERIAL; DECONTAMINATION ARRANGEMENTS THEREFOR
- G21F5/00—Transportable or portable shielded containers
- G21F5/06—Details of, or accessories to, the containers
- G21F5/10—Heat-removal systems, e.g. using circulating fluid or cooling fins
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F28—HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL
- F28F—DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION
- F28F3/00—Plate-like or laminated elements; Assemblies of plate-like or laminated elements
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G21—NUCLEAR PHYSICS; NUCLEAR ENGINEERING
- G21F—PROTECTION AGAINST X-RADIATION, GAMMA RADIATION, CORPUSCULAR RADIATION OR PARTICLE BOMBARDMENT; TREATING RADIOACTIVELY CONTAMINATED MATERIAL; DECONTAMINATION ARRANGEMENTS THEREFOR
- G21F5/00—Transportable or portable shielded containers
- G21F5/005—Containers for solid radioactive wastes, e.g. for ultimate disposal
- G21F5/008—Containers for fuel elements
Definitions
- the present invention relates to the field of transportation and / or storage of radioactive materials, such as fresh or irradiated nuclear fuel assemblies.
- the invention relates to a packaging of radioactive materials, of the type comprising thermal conduction elements arranged in contact with a lateral body, and delimiting in pairs cavities filled with radiological protection blocks, in particular intended to form a barrier effective against neutrons.
- storage devices are used, also called “basket” or “rack” storage.
- baskets are for example known documents US2004 / 062338 and EP0087350 .
- These storage devices usually of cylindrical shape and of substantially circular section, have a plurality of adjacent housings each adapted to receive a nuclear fuel assembly.
- the storage device is intended to be housed in the housing cavity of a package in order to form together with it a container for transporting and / or storing nuclear fuel assemblies, wherein the radioactive material is perfectly confined.
- the aforementioned housing cavity is generally defined by a lateral body extending in a longitudinal direction of the package, this lateral body being for example formed by a metal ferrule.
- the lateral body is surrounded by a plurality of thermal conduction elements contacting it.
- radiological protection blocks are arranged between these conduction elements, in particular to form a barrier against neutrons emitted by the fuel assemblies housed in the cavity.
- each heat conduction element comprises an inner part intended to be in contact with the lateral body of the package, and an outer portion intended to form a portion of an outer envelope of the package, this outer portion retaining the blocks. protection in the external radial direction.
- an intermediate portion is arranged between the inner and outer portions to maintain them relative to each other.
- the inner, outer and intermediate parts are made of copper or one of its alloys.
- the outer parts are assembled end-to-end, by welding their copper ends.
- the corrosion resistance of these copper / copper welds is low, while the packaging can be subjected to strong corrosive atmospheres, especially when stored on sites exposed to sea air, or during the operations of loading spent fuel into the packaging, when these operations are carried out under water.
- the outer surface of the multiple welds must therefore undergo a treatment capable of imparting an anti-corrosion function. It may be the application of a nickel layer, or a heat treatment type HVOF (English High Velocity Oxygen Fuel Thermal Spray Process). In either case, the treatment operated makes the manufacturing process more complex, which penalizes it in terms of time and cost.
- the invention therefore aims to at least partially overcome the disadvantages mentioned above, relating to the achievements of the prior art.
- said external portion is equipped, at each of its two opposite ends, with a welding connection zone to another thermal conduction element, each connection zone being made of steel.
- the invention therefore makes it possible to carry out welding operations of the steel-steel type between the external parts of the conduction elements, which confers the following advantages.
- connection areas are made of stainless steel, it is no longer necessary to proceed with nickel treatment or heat treatment of the HVOF type of the welds made, since the anti-corrosion function is provided by the very nature of the welding.
- the manufacturing process of the packaging comprising such thermal conduction elements is thereby simplified and therefore less expensive.
- the design adopted generally facilitates the manufacturing process of the packaging, while retaining most of these conduction elements in copper or in one of its alloys, in order to fulfill its primary function of heat transfer to the outside the package.
- connection zones The steel-steel welding of the connection zones is generally carried out around 180 ° C., at which temperature there is only a very slight risk of degradation of the radiological protection material retained by the conduction elements to be welded.
- the invention makes it possible not only to eliminate the preheating step of the elements of thermal conduction, but also allows the establishment of radiological protection blocks on the packaging before welding the steel zones. This removes the sequencing constraint of the steps of the package manufacturing method encountered in the prior art.
- the introduction of the radiological protection material is no longer necessarily performed by the longitudinal ends of these cavities. It can in fact be carried out at several points spaced longitudinally at the level of the provisionally open face of the cavity concerned, with the packaging oriented horizontally, which limits the risk of defects in filling.
- each connection zone is made of carbon steel, or even more preferably of stainless steel.
- the thermal conduction element has a cross section of overall shape in U or S.
- each connection zone extends over a circumferential length of between 5 and 15% of the circumferential length of its associated external part.
- the inner, outer and intermediate parts are made in one piece, or from at least two portions connected by welding.
- the invention also relates to a packaging for the transport and / or storage of radioactive materials, comprising a lateral body and a plurality of thermal conduction elements of the type described above, the internal parts of which are arranged in contact with said lateral body, and whose external parts form part of said outer casing of said package which retains radiological protection means, said outer casing being completed by said connection zones equipping said external parts, as well as by welds connecting these connection areas two to two.
- any two elements of any thermal conduction and directly consecutive define, in particular with their welded connection areas, a cavity housing a radiological protection block, preferably made by casting or a prefabricated block.
- the invention also relates to a method of manufacturing a package for the transport and / or storage of radioactive materials as described above, comprising, for at least one of said radiological protection blocks, the casting a radiological protection material in one of said two thermal conduction elements for defining the cavity in which said block is to be housed, said casting being performed with this thermal conduction element assembled on the package.
- the visual control of the block becomes very easily achievable over its entire free surface to be subsequently covered by the other heat conduction element.
- the introduction of the radiological protection material can be carried out at several points spaced longitudinally at the level of the face temporarily open the cavity concerned, which limits the risk of defects in filling.
- said assembly step on the package of the other of said two thermal conduction elements comprises the fixing of its inner part on the lateral body, for example by welding or by screwing. It also includes steel-steel welding, its dedicated connection area, with the connection area of the first element already attached to the package and housing the radiological protection block.
- said assembly step on the packaging of the other of said two heat conduction elements could comprise only the aforementioned steel-steel weld, so that its internal part is only in contact with the lateral body, without to be fixed on the latter.
- said cavities are successively filled, preferably one by one, with said package oriented horizontally, and introducing the radiological protection material from above.
- This provides a great ease of implementation of the process, in particular of its step of casting the radiological protection material, whose Associated risks of filling defects are extremely low.
- the casting of the radiological protection material takes place directly in said one of said two thermal conduction elements intended to define the cavity in which said block is intended to be housed.
- the visual inspection after the casting is very easily achievable, over the entire length of the cavities. Once this inspection is performed, the cavity is closed by mounting the other of the two heat conduction elements on the package.
- the casting of the radiological protection material is carried out through at least one orifice provided on a tool mounted above said one of said two thermal conduction elements for defining the cavity in which said block is intended to be housed, the other of said two thermal conduction elements being assembled on the package after removal of said tooling.
- the tooling can be easily designed to visually verify the proper placement of the radiological protection material in the cavity, for example by means of overflow orifices distributed in the longitudinal direction of the package.
- the casting of the radiological protection material is carried out through at least one orifice provided on the intermediate portion of said other of said two conduction elements.
- thermal provisionally mounted above said one of said two thermal conduction elements for defining the cavity in which said block is intended to be housed, the other of said two heat conduction elements being then removed and reassembled permanently on the package.
- Disassembly and reassembly of the second conduction element makes it possible to operate, between these two steps, the visual control of the quality of the block.
- This third embodiment simply consists in replacing the tooling of the second mode with the second conduction element.
- This third embodiment could alternatively be implemented by casting the radiological protection material through at least one orifice provided on the intermediate portion of said other one of said two heat conduction elements, permanently mounted on the packaging above. above said one of said two thermal conduction elements for defining the cavity in which said block is to be housed. This alternative is in particular retained when no visual check of the blocks is to be made. This second element of thermal conduction therefore does not have to be temporarily mounted, disassembled, then reassembled permanently on the packaging.
- the welding of the two-to-two connection zones is preferably carried out after all the radiological protection blocks of the packaging have been poured into their associated cavity.
- a container 1 for the transport and / or storage of nuclear fuel assemblies we see a container 1 for the transport and / or storage of nuclear fuel assemblies. It is recalled in this respect that the invention is in no way limited to the transport / storage of this type of nuclear material.
- the container 1 generally comprises a packaging 2 object of the present invention, inside which there is a storage device 4, also called storage basket.
- the device 4 is intended to be placed in a housing cavity 6 of the package 2, as shown in FIG. figure 1 on which it is also possible to see the longitudinal axis 8 of this package, coincident with the longitudinal axes of the storage device and the housing cavity.
- longitudinal should be understood as parallel to the longitudinal axis 8
- transverse should be understood as orthogonal to the same longitudinal axis 8.
- the storage device 4 comprises a plurality of adjacent housings arranged parallel to the axis 8, the latter being each adapted to receive at least one fuel assembly of square or rectangular section, and preferably only one.
- the container 1 and this device 4 have been shown in a vertical loading / unloading position of the fuel assemblies, different from the horizontal / recumbent position usually adopted during the transportation of the assemblies.
- the package 2 firstly has a bottom 10 on which the device 4 is intended to rest in a vertical position, a cover 12, and a lateral body 14 extending around and according to the longitudinal axis 8, parallel to the longitudinal direction.
- the bottom 10 and the cover 12 are thus spaced from one another in the longitudinal direction of the package, parallel to the axis 8.
- the lateral body 14 which defines the housing cavity 6, with the aid of a lateral internal surface of substantially cylindrical shape and of circular section, and of axis coinciding with the axis 8.
- the lateral body 14 can take the form of a thick metal ferrule, preferably made of steel.
- the bottom 10, which defines the bottom of the cavity 6 open at the cover 12, can be made in one piece with at least a portion of the lateral body 14, without departing from the scope of the invention.
- the package 2 further comprises, surrounding and contacting the outer surface of the lateral body 14, a plurality of heat conduction elements 20 extending radially outwardly, as well as along a large part of the length of the body. this body 14, in the direction of the axis 8.
- the elements 20 are profiles specific to the present invention, which will be detailed below with reference to the following figures. They make it possible to evacuate the heat released by the fuel assemblies present in the storage basket 4 towards the outside of the package.
- the blocks are preferably obtained by casting, as will be explained below, and made of any material deemed appropriate by those skilled in the art, such as a resin.
- the heat conduction elements 20 also participate in forming an outer casing 24 of the package, centered on the axis 8.
- this casing can be equipped with fins to promote exchanges thermal with the surrounding air.
- the package is also provided with damping hoods (not shown) respectively covering the cover 12 and the bottom 10 of this package, as well as two damping rings 60 surrounding the lateral body 14, and arranged respectively at the longitudinal ends of the These crowns 60 protrude radially outwards with respect to the envelope 24, so as to constitute preferred impact zones in the event of an accidental fall, when the packaging is oriented horizontally.
- one of the heat conduction elements 20 can be seen in the form of a U-shaped section section lying on one of its two branches for contacting the outer surface of the lateral body of the package. .
- the branch of the U in question forms an inner radial portion 30 of the element 20. It is connected at one of its ends to an end of an intermediate portion 32 forming the base of the U, the other end of which is connected to an outer portion 34 forming the other leg of the U.
- This outer portion 34 is intended to form a portion of the outer casing of the package, mentioned above.
- each element 20 are made of copper or one of its alloys, for example in one piece.
- each connection zone 36 being made of steel, preferably stainless steel.
- Each zone 36 takes the form of a bar extending over the entire length of the profile 20, a circumferential length much less than that of the outer portion.
- the circumferential length "1" of each zone 36 is between 5 and 15% of the circumferential length "L" of the outer portion 34.
- connection areas 36 extends the free end of the U branch 34, while the other zone 36 extends from the angle formed by the same branch 34 and the base of the U.
- the heat conduction elements 20 are fixed to the lateral packaging body 14 by their internal part 30, for example by welding or by bolting, a surface contact here being preferred so as to obtain a good heat transfer.
- the elements 20 are also attached end to end by welding the connecting zones 36 facing each other.
- the welds 40 obtained are steel-steel type, made at a temperature of about 180 ° C. Preferably, no anti-corrosion treatment is required on these welds 40, particularly when the zones 36 are made of stainless steel.
- the outer casing 24 of the package consists of the external parts 34, the connection zones 36, and the welds 40.
- the heat conduction elements 20 define in pairs cavities in which the radiological protection blocks 22 are housed. specifically, each cavity 50 is delimited radially inwardly by the inner portion 30 of a first member 20 and a portion of the outer surface of the body 14 of the package. It is delimited radially outwards by the outer portion 34 of this same first element 20, as well as by the connection zone 36 provided at the free end of this branch 34. The radially outward delimitation is also provided by the connection zone 36 of a second conduction element 20, and by the weld 40 connecting it to the aforementioned zone 36 belonging to the first element. Each cavity 50 is further delimited in the circumferential direction 52, in both directions, respectively by the intermediate portions 32 of the first and second conduction elements 20.
- the cavities 50 are closed at their longitudinal ends by the structure of the damping rings 60 represented on the figure 1 .
- the cavities 50 are filled successively, one by one and from above, with the packaging 2 oriented horizontally.
- the package is then positioned so that the last conduction element 20a which has just been assembled on the lateral body 14 is open. substantially vertically upwards, the U being substantially straight. At this moment represented on the figure 3a the cavity 50, open towards the top, is empty. On the other hand, the other conduction element, intended to close this cavity, is not yet assembled on the package.
- the cavity 50 is then filled by casting a neutron protection material, such as resin.
- a neutron protection material such as resin.
- This casting schematized by the arrow 64 of the figure 3b , is carried out directly in the volume delimited by the first element 20a and by the damping crowns of the package, by placing the casting machine (not shown) above this volume to be filled.
- the material leaving the machine can therefore flow directly, by gravity, into the dedicated volume, passing through the opening defined between the two free ends of the branches of the U.
- This casting is preferably carried out at several injection points. material, distributed along the longitudinal direction of the package.
- the casting is stopped when the desired level of filling is reached in the cavity 50, this level being preferably on or near the upper connection zone 36 of the element 20a.
- the casting machine is then removed, while the cast material solidifies by polymerization in the cavity 50.
- the solid block obtained it is easily possible to operate its visual control over its entire length, at the upper surface. free of the block, oriented horizontally upwards.
- the visual check of the quality of the neutron protection material consists, for example, in checking, after solidification, that there are no emerging cracks in the material, these cracks possibly coming from a polymerization problem related to a poor control. temperature during the casting step, a problem of proportion of the mixture of the material.
- the second conduction element 20b is assembled on the package, by screwing or welding its inner portion 30 to the lateral body, as can be seen on the figure 3c . Its intermediate portion 32 closes the cavity 50, and its lower connection zone 36 comes opposite the upper connection zone 36 of the first element 20a, a contact possibly occurring between these two zones.
- the package is then rotated about its axis 8 so as to properly orient the second conduction element 20b, so as to operate its filling in a manner identical to that just described.
- This succession of operations is then repeated as many times as necessary to cover the entirety of the lateral packaging body 14 with the conduction elements 20 and the blocks 22. It is moreover preferably only after the formation of all the blocks 22 that the welding of the connection zones 36 is made, two by two. This allows in particular to make the welds in one order different from that in which they follow each other in the circumferential direction.
- the first step is always to position the package so that the last conduction element 20a which has just been assembled on the lateral body 14 is open substantially vertically upwards, the U being substantially straight. At this moment represented on the figure 4a the cavity 50, open towards the top, is empty. On the other hand, the other conduction element, intended to close this cavity, is not yet assembled on the package.
- the cavity 50 is then filled, either by direct casting in the volume delimited by the first element 20a, but by passing through orifices 70 made through a tool 72 mounted above the element 20a, for example by resting on the upper connection zone 36, as shown schematically on the figure 4b .
- the casting machine therefore makes it possible to introduce the material into the cavity provisionally closed by the tool, by the orifices 70 made in this tool 72, preferably distributed in the longitudinal direction.
- the casting, schematized by the arrow 64 of the figure 4b is stopped when the desired level of filling is reached in the cavity 50.
- other orifices may be made through the tool 72, so as to constitute orifices of "overflow" allowing visually indicate to the operator when filling is complete.
- the second conduction element 20b is assembled on the package, by screwing or welding its inner portion 30 on the lateral body, as is visible on the figure 4c in a manner analogous to that described for the first preferred embodiment.
- the tooling is replaced by the second conduction element 20b, which is therefore temporarily installed on the package 2 during casting 64, which takes place through the orifices 70 provided in the intermediate portion 32 of this conduction element 20b .
- the second member 20b is disassembled, for example after having been provisionally mounted by partial bolting on the lateral body 14, then the inspection of the block is made. Then, the second conduction element 20b is reassembled permanently on the lateral body, always by bolting or welding.
- the heat conduction elements 20 take a section of overall shape S, and no longer U. This variant is represented on the figure 6 .
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- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- High Energy & Nuclear Physics (AREA)
- Thermal Sciences (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Packages (AREA)
- Gasket Seals (AREA)
- Buffer Packaging (AREA)
- Stackable Containers (AREA)
- Monitoring And Testing Of Nuclear Reactors (AREA)
- Packaging Of Annular Or Rod-Shaped Articles, Wearing Apparel, Cassettes, Or The Like (AREA)
Description
La présente invention se rapporte au domaine du transport et/ou de l'entreposage de matières radioactives, tels que des assemblages de combustible nucléaire, frais ou irradiés.The present invention relates to the field of transportation and / or storage of radioactive materials, such as fresh or irradiated nuclear fuel assemblies.
De préférence, l'invention concerne un emballage de matières radioactives, du type comprenant des éléments de conduction thermique agencés au contact d'un corps latéral, et délimitant par paires des cavités remplies de blocs de protection radiologique, en particulier destinés à former une barrière efficace contre les neutrons.Preferably, the invention relates to a packaging of radioactive materials, of the type comprising thermal conduction elements arranged in contact with a lateral body, and delimiting in pairs cavities filled with radiological protection blocks, in particular intended to form a barrier effective against neutrons.
Classiquement, pour assurer le transport et/ou l'entreposage d'assemblages de combustible nucléaire, il est utilisé des dispositifs de rangement, également appelés « panier » ou « râtelier » de rangement. De tels paniers sont par exemple connus des documents
La cavité de logement précitée est généralement définie par un corps latéral s'étendant selon une direction longitudinale de l'emballage, ce corps latéral étant par exemple formé par une virole métallique.The aforementioned housing cavity is generally defined by a lateral body extending in a longitudinal direction of the package, this lateral body being for example formed by a metal ferrule.
Le corps latéral est entouré d'une pluralité d'éléments de conduction thermique le contactant. De plus, des blocs de protection radiologique sont agencés entre ces éléments de conduction, en particulier pour former une barrière contre les neutrons émis par les assemblages de combustible logés dans la cavité.The lateral body is surrounded by a plurality of thermal conduction elements contacting it. In addition, radiological protection blocks are arranged between these conduction elements, in particular to form a barrier against neutrons emitted by the fuel assemblies housed in the cavity.
Plus précisément, chaque élément de conduction thermique comprend une partie interne destinée à être au contact du corps latéral de l'emballage, et une partie externe destinée à former une portion d'une enveloppe externe de l'emballage, cette portion externe retenant les blocs de protection dans le sens radial externe. En outre, une partie intermédiaire est agencée entre les parties interne et externe, afin de les maintenir l'une par rapport à l'autre. Ces éléments de conduction thermique sont des profilés qui cheminent sur toute ou partie de la longueur de l'emballage. Ils présentent généralement une section transversale de forme globale en U ou en S.More specifically, each heat conduction element comprises an inner part intended to be in contact with the lateral body of the package, and an outer portion intended to form a portion of an outer envelope of the package, this outer portion retaining the blocks. protection in the external radial direction. In addition, an intermediate portion is arranged between the inner and outer portions to maintain them relative to each other. These elements of thermal conduction are sections that run over all or part of the length of the package. They generally have a cross section of overall shape in U or S.
Habituellement, les parties interne, externe et intermédiaire sont réalisées en cuivre ou dans l'un de ses alliages. Lorsque les éléments de conduction thermique sont montés sur le corps latéral, les parties externes sont assemblées bout-à-bout, par soudage de leurs extrémités en cuivre.Usually, the inner, outer and intermediate parts are made of copper or one of its alloys. When the elements of Heat conduction are mounted on the lateral body, the outer parts are assembled end-to-end, by welding their copper ends.
La mise en oeuvre du soudage cuivre-cuivre conduit à l'obtention de soudures dont la qualité n'est pas toujours facile à garantir.The implementation of copper-copper welding leads to obtaining welds whose quality is not always easy to guarantee.
De plus, la résistance à la corrosion de ces soudures cuivre/cuivre est faible, alors que l'emballage peut être soumis à de fortes ambiances corrosives, notamment lorsqu'il est entreposé sur des sites exposés à de l'air marin, ou encore lors des opérations de chargement du combustible usé dans l'emballage, lorsque ces opérations s'effectue sous eau. La surface extérieure des multiples soudures doit donc subir un traitement capable de conférer une fonction anticorrosion. Il peut s'agir de l'application d'une couche de nickel, ou encore d'un traitement thermique du type HVOF (de l'anglais « High Velocity Oxygen Fuel Thermal Spray Process »). Dans l'un et l'autre des cas, le traitement opéré complexifie le procédé de fabrication, ce qui le pénalise en termes de temps et de coût.In addition, the corrosion resistance of these copper / copper welds is low, while the packaging can be subjected to strong corrosive atmospheres, especially when stored on sites exposed to sea air, or during the operations of loading spent fuel into the packaging, when these operations are carried out under water. The outer surface of the multiple welds must therefore undergo a treatment capable of imparting an anti-corrosion function. It may be the application of a nickel layer, or a heat treatment type HVOF (English High Velocity Oxygen Fuel Thermal Spray Process). In either case, the treatment operated makes the manufacturing process more complex, which penalizes it in terms of time and cost.
Par ailleurs, pour la mise en oeuvre du soudage cuivre-cuivre, il est requis un préchauffage des profilés autour de 350-400°C. De telles températures étant susceptibles de dégrader le matériau de protection radiologique retenu par les éléments de conduction à souder, la mise en place des blocs de protection radiologique sur l'emballage est de ce fait habituellement réalisée après le soudage des extrémités en cuivre. Cela engendre donc une contrainte de séquencement des étapes dans le procédé de fabrication de l'emballage. De plus, lorsque l'introduction du matériau de protection radiologique s'effectue par coulée dans les cavités délimitées par les éléments de conduction déjà soudés bout à bout, depuis l'une et/ou l'autre des extrémités longitudinales de ces cavités, le contrôle visuel de la qualité des blocs après solidification est extrêmement difficile à réaliser.Furthermore, for the implementation of copper-copper welding, it is required preheating of the profiles around 350-400 ° C. Since such temperatures are liable to degrade the radiological protection material retained by the conduction elements to be welded, the placing of the radiological protection blocks on the packaging is therefore usually performed after the welding of the copper ends. This creates a constraint of sequencing of steps in the process of manufacturing the package. In addition, when the introduction of the radiological protection material is effected by casting into the cavities defined by the conduction elements already welded end to end, from one and / or the other of the longitudinal ends of these cavities, the Visual control of the quality of the blocks after solidification is extremely difficult to achieve.
L'invention a donc pour but de remédier au moins partiellement aux inconvénients mentionnés ci-dessus, relatifs aux réalisations de l'art antérieur.The invention therefore aims to at least partially overcome the disadvantages mentioned above, relating to the achievements of the prior art.
Pour ce faire, l'invention a pour objet un élément de conduction thermique pour emballage de transport et/ou d'entreposage de matières radioactives, comprenant :
- une partie interne destinée à être au contact d'un corps latéral de l'emballage ;
- une partie externe destinée à former une portion d'une enveloppe externe dudit emballage, retenant des moyens de protection radiologique ;
- une partie intermédiaire agencée entre les parties interne et externe,
- an inner part intended to be in contact with a lateral body of the package;
- an outer portion for forming a portion of an outer casing of said package, retaining radiological protection means;
- an intermediate portion arranged between the inner and outer portions,
Selon l'invention, ladite partie externe est équipée, à chacune de ses deux extrémités opposées, d'une zone de raccordement par soudage à un autre élément de conduction thermique, chaque zone de raccordement étant réalisée en acier.According to the invention, said external portion is equipped, at each of its two opposite ends, with a welding connection zone to another thermal conduction element, each connection zone being made of steel.
L'invention permet donc de réaliser des opérations de soudage du type acier-acier entre les parties externes des éléments de conduction, ce qui confère les avantages suivants.The invention therefore makes it possible to carry out welding operations of the steel-steel type between the external parts of the conduction elements, which confers the following advantages.
Tout d'abord, la mise en oeuvre du soudage acier-acier est moins complexe et moins onéreuse que celle du soudage cuivre-cuivre. De plus, elle conduit à l'obtention de soudures de bien meilleure qualité que celles obtenues avec du soudage cuivre-cuivre.Firstly, the implementation of steel-steel welding is less complex and less expensive than that of copper-copper welding. In addition, it leads to obtaining welds of much better quality than those obtained with copper-copper welding.
Par ailleurs, en particulier lorsque les zones de raccordement sont en acier inoxydable, il n'est plus nécessaire de procéder au traitement par nickel ou par traitement thermique du type HVOF des soudures réalisées, puisque la fonction anticorrosion est assurée par la nature même de la soudure. Le procédé de fabrication de l'emballage comportant de tels éléments de conduction thermique s'en trouve simplifié, donc moins coûteux.Furthermore, especially when the connection areas are made of stainless steel, it is no longer necessary to proceed with nickel treatment or heat treatment of the HVOF type of the welds made, since the anti-corrosion function is provided by the very nature of the welding. The manufacturing process of the packaging comprising such thermal conduction elements is thereby simplified and therefore less expensive.
La conception retenue facilite globalement le procédé de fabrication de l'emballage, tout en conservant l'essentiel de ces éléments de conduction en cuivre ou dans l'un de ses alliages, afin de pouvoir remplir sa fonction première de transfert de chaleur vers l'extérieur de l'emballage.The design adopted generally facilitates the manufacturing process of the packaging, while retaining most of these conduction elements in copper or in one of its alloys, in order to fulfill its primary function of heat transfer to the outside the package.
Le soudage acier-acier des zones de raccordement s'effectue généralement autour de 180°C, température à laquelle il n'existe que de très faibles risques de dégradation du matériau de protection radiologique retenu par les éléments de conduction à souder. Ainsi, l'invention permet non seulement de supprimer l'étape de préchauffage des éléments de conduction thermique, mais autorise également la mise en place des blocs de protection radiologique sur l'emballage avant le soudage des zones en acier. Cela supprime la contrainte de séquencement des étapes du procédé de fabrication de l'emballage rencontrée dans l'art antérieur.The steel-steel welding of the connection zones is generally carried out around 180 ° C., at which temperature there is only a very slight risk of degradation of the radiological protection material retained by the conduction elements to be welded. Thus, the invention makes it possible not only to eliminate the preheating step of the elements of thermal conduction, but also allows the establishment of radiological protection blocks on the packaging before welding the steel zones. This removes the sequencing constraint of the steps of the package manufacturing method encountered in the prior art.
A cet égard, puisqu'il est offert la possibilité de mettre en place les blocs de protection radiologique avant d'effectuer le soudage acier-acier des extrémités des éléments de conduction, il est également possible d'assurer la coulée de chaque bloc dans seulement l'un des deux éléments de conduction qui défini la cavité dans laquelle le bloc doit être logé, puis d'assembler le second élément seulement après l'obtention de ce bloc. Par conséquent, avant l'assemblage de ce second élément de conduction, le contrôle visuel du bloc, lorsqu'il est requis, s'avère très facilement réalisable, sur toute sa surface libre destinée à être ultérieurement recouverte par ce second élément de conduction thermique.In this respect, since it is offered the possibility of setting up the radiological protection blocks before performing the steel-steel welding of the ends of the conduction elements, it is also possible to ensure the casting of each block in only one of the two conduction elements which defines the cavity in which the block is to be housed, then to assemble the second element only after obtaining this block. Therefore, before the assembly of this second conduction element, the visual control of the block, when it is required, proves very easy to achieve over its entire free surface intended to be subsequently covered by this second heat conduction element. .
Dans un tel cas, l'introduction du matériau de protection radiologique ne s'effectue plus nécessairement par les extrémités longitudinales de ces cavités. Il peut en effet s'effectuer en plusieurs points espacés longitudinalement au niveau de la face provisoirement ouverte de la cavité concernée, avec l'emballage orienté à l'horizontale, ce qui limite les risques de défauts de remplissage.In such a case, the introduction of the radiological protection material is no longer necessarily performed by the longitudinal ends of these cavities. It can in fact be carried out at several points spaced longitudinally at the level of the provisionally open face of the cavity concerned, with the packaging oriented horizontally, which limits the risk of defects in filling.
De préférence, chaque zone de raccordement est réalisée en acier carbone, ou encore plus préférentiellement en acier inoxydable.Preferably, each connection zone is made of carbon steel, or even more preferably of stainless steel.
De préférence, l'élément de conduction thermique présente une section transversale de forme globale en U ou en S.Preferably, the thermal conduction element has a cross section of overall shape in U or S.
De préférence, chaque zone de raccordement s'étend sur une longueur circonférentielle comprise entre 5 et 15 % de la longueur circonférentielle de sa partie externe associée.Preferably, each connection zone extends over a circumferential length of between 5 and 15% of the circumferential length of its associated external part.
De préférence, les parties interne, externe et intermédiaire sont réalisées d'une seule pièce, ou bien à partir d'au moins deux portions reliées par soudage.Preferably, the inner, outer and intermediate parts are made in one piece, or from at least two portions connected by welding.
L'invention a également pour objet un emballage pour le transport et/ou l'entreposage de matières radioactives, comprenant un corps latéral ainsi qu'une pluralité d'éléments de conduction thermique du type de celui décrit ci-dessus, dont les parties internes sont agencées au contact dudit corps latéral, et dont les parties externes forment une partie de ladite enveloppe externe dudit emballage qui retient des moyens de protection radiologique, ladite enveloppe externe étant complétée par lesdites zones de raccordement équipant lesdites parties externes, ainsi que par des soudures reliant ces zones de raccordement deux à deux.The invention also relates to a packaging for the transport and / or storage of radioactive materials, comprising a lateral body and a plurality of thermal conduction elements of the type described above, the internal parts of which are arranged in contact with said lateral body, and whose external parts form part of said outer casing of said package which retains radiological protection means, said outer casing being completed by said connection zones equipping said external parts, as well as by welds connecting these connection areas two to two.
De préférence, deux éléments de conduction thermique quelconques et directement consécutifs définissent, notamment avec leurs zones de raccordement soudées, une cavité logeant un bloc de protection radiologique, de préférence réalisé par coulée ou par un bloc préfabriqué.Preferably, any two elements of any thermal conduction and directly consecutive define, in particular with their welded connection areas, a cavity housing a radiological protection block, preferably made by casting or a prefabricated block.
L'invention a également pour objet un procédé de fabrication d'un emballage pour le transport et/ou l'entreposage de matières radioactives tel que décrit ci-dessus, comprenant, pour au moins l'un desdits blocs de protection radiologique, la coulée d'un matériau de protection radiologique dans l'un desdits deux éléments de conduction thermique destinés à définir la cavité dans laquelle ledit bloc est destiné à être logé, ladite coulée étant effectuée avec cet élément de conduction thermique assemblé sur l'emballage.The invention also relates to a method of manufacturing a package for the transport and / or storage of radioactive materials as described above, comprising, for at least one of said radiological protection blocks, the casting a radiological protection material in one of said two thermal conduction elements for defining the cavity in which said block is to be housed, said casting being performed with this thermal conduction element assembled on the package.
De préférence, pour au moins l'un desdits blocs de protection radiologique, le procédé comprend les étapes successives suivantes :
- la coulée d'un matériau de protection radiologique dans l'un desdits deux éléments de conduction thermique destinés à définir la cavité dans laquelle ledit bloc est destiné à être logé, ladite coulée étant effectuée avec cet élément de conduction thermique assemblé sur l'emballage ; puis
- l'assemblage sur l'emballage de l'autre desdits deux éléments de conduction thermique.
- casting a radiological protection material in one of said two thermal conduction elements for defining the cavity in which said block is to be housed, said casting being carried out with this thermal conduction element assembled on the package; then
- the assembly on the package of the other of said two thermal conduction elements.
Comme évoqué ci-dessus, en procédant de la sorte, le contrôle visuel du bloc devient très facilement réalisable, sur toute sa surface libre destinée à être ultérieurement recouverte par l'autre élément de conduction thermique.As mentioned above, in doing so, the visual control of the block becomes very easily achievable over its entire free surface to be subsequently covered by the other heat conduction element.
De plus, l'introduction du matériau de protection radiologique peut s'effectuer en plusieurs points espacés longitudinalement au niveau de la face provisoirement ouverte de la cavité concernée, ce qui limite les risques de défauts de remplissage.In addition, the introduction of the radiological protection material can be carried out at several points spaced longitudinally at the level of the face temporarily open the cavity concerned, which limits the risk of defects in filling.
Ce séquencement particulier d'étapes est autorisé par la possibilité de réaliser la soudure bout à bout des éléments de conduction après la formation des blocs dans leur cavité, sans risque de détérioration de ces blocs, et ce en raison de la composition en acier des zones de raccordement à souder.This particular sequencing of steps is authorized by the possibility of making the butt weld of the conduction elements after the formation of the blocks in their cavity, without risk of deterioration of these blocks, and this because of the steel composition of the zones. solder connection.
De préférence, ladite étape d'assemblage sur l'emballage de l'autre desdits deux éléments de conduction thermique comprend la fixation de sa partie interne sur le corps latéral, par exemple par soudage ou par vissage. Il comprend également la soudure acier-acier, de sa zone de raccordement dédiée, avec la zone de raccordement du premier élément déjà fixé sur l'emballage et logeant le bloc de protection radiologique. Alternativement, ladite étape d'assemblage sur l'emballage de l'autre desdits deux éléments de conduction thermique pourrait ne comprendre que la soudure acier-acier précitée, en faisant en sorte que sa partie interne soit seulement en contact avec le corps latéral, sans être fixée sur ce dernier.Preferably, said assembly step on the package of the other of said two thermal conduction elements comprises the fixing of its inner part on the lateral body, for example by welding or by screwing. It also includes steel-steel welding, its dedicated connection area, with the connection area of the first element already attached to the package and housing the radiological protection block. Alternatively, said assembly step on the packaging of the other of said two heat conduction elements could comprise only the aforementioned steel-steel weld, so that its internal part is only in contact with the lateral body, without to be fixed on the latter.
De préférence, lesdites cavités sont remplies successivement, de préférence une à une, avec ledit emballage orienté à l'horizontale, et en introduisant le matériau de protection radiologique par le dessus. Cela procure une grande facilité de mise en oeuvre du procédé, en particulier de son étape de coulée du matériau de protection radiologique, dont les risques associés de défauts de remplissage s'avèrent extrêmement faibles.Preferably, said cavities are successively filled, preferably one by one, with said package oriented horizontally, and introducing the radiological protection material from above. This provides a great ease of implementation of the process, in particular of its step of casting the radiological protection material, whose Associated risks of filling defects are extremely low.
Différents modes de réalisation préférés peuvent alors être envisagés.Various preferred embodiments can then be envisaged.
Selon un premier mode de réalisation préféré, pour au moins l'un desdits blocs de protection radiologique, la coulée du matériau de protection radiologique s'effectue directement dans ledit un desdits deux éléments de conduction thermique destinés à définir la cavité dans laquelle ledit bloc est destiné à être logé.According to a first preferred embodiment, for at least one of said radiological protection blocks, the casting of the radiological protection material takes place directly in said one of said two thermal conduction elements intended to define the cavity in which said block is intended to be housed.
Ici, l'inspection visuelle après la coulée est très facilement réalisable, sur toute la longueur des cavités. Une fois cette inspection réalisée, la cavité est fermée par montage de l'autre des deux éléments de conduction thermique sur l'emballage.Here, the visual inspection after the casting is very easily achievable, over the entire length of the cavities. Once this inspection is performed, the cavity is closed by mounting the other of the two heat conduction elements on the package.
Selon un second mode de réalisation préféré, pour au moins l'un desdits blocs de protection radiologique, la coulée du matériau de protection radiologique s'effectue au travers d'au moins un orifice prévu sur un outillage monté au-dessus dudit un desdits deux éléments de conduction thermique destinés à définir la cavité dans laquelle ledit bloc est destiné à être logé, l'autre desdits deux éléments de conduction thermique étant assemblé sur l'emballage après le retrait dudit outillage.According to a second preferred embodiment, for at least one of said radiological protection blocks, the casting of the radiological protection material is carried out through at least one orifice provided on a tool mounted above said one of said two thermal conduction elements for defining the cavity in which said block is intended to be housed, the other of said two thermal conduction elements being assembled on the package after removal of said tooling.
Ici, l'outillage peut être facilement conçu pour vérifier visuellement la bonne mise en place du matériau de protection radiologique dans la cavité, par exemple à l'aide d'orifices de débordement répartis selon la direction longitudinale de l'emballage.Here, the tooling can be easily designed to visually verify the proper placement of the radiological protection material in the cavity, for example by means of overflow orifices distributed in the longitudinal direction of the package.
Selon un troisième mode de réalisation préféré, pour au moins l'un desdits blocs de protection radiologique, la coulée du matériau de protection radiologique s'effectue au travers d'au moins un orifice prévu sur la partie intermédiaire dudit autre desdits deux éléments de conduction thermique, monté provisoirement au-dessus dudit un desdits deux éléments de conduction thermique destinés à définir la cavité dans laquelle ledit bloc est destiné à être logé, cet autre desdits deux éléments de conduction thermique étant ensuite retiré puis réassemblé définitivement sur l'emballage.According to a third preferred embodiment, for at least one of said radiological protection blocks, the casting of the radiological protection material is carried out through at least one orifice provided on the intermediate portion of said other of said two conduction elements. thermal, provisionally mounted above said one of said two thermal conduction elements for defining the cavity in which said block is intended to be housed, the other of said two heat conduction elements being then removed and reassembled permanently on the package.
Le démontage puis le réassemblage du second élément de conduction permet d'opérer, entre ces deux étapes, le contrôle visuel de la qualité du bloc. Ce troisième mode de réalisation consiste simplement à remplacer l'outillage du second mode par le second élément de conduction.Disassembly and reassembly of the second conduction element makes it possible to operate, between these two steps, the visual control of the quality of the block. This third embodiment simply consists in replacing the tooling of the second mode with the second conduction element.
Ce troisième mode de réalisation pourrait alternativement être mis en oeuvre en effectuant la coulée du matériau de protection radiologique au travers d'au moins un orifice prévu sur la partie intermédiaire dudit autre desdits deux éléments de conduction thermique, monté définitivement sur l'emballage au-dessus dudit un desdits deux éléments de conduction thermique destinés à définir la cavité dans laquelle ledit bloc est destiné à être logé. Cette alternative est notamment retenue lorsqu'aucun contrôle visuel des blocs ne doit être réalisé. Ce second élément de conduction thermique n'a donc plus à être monté provisoirement, démonté, puis remonté définitivement sur l'emballage.This third embodiment could alternatively be implemented by casting the radiological protection material through at least one orifice provided on the intermediate portion of said other one of said two heat conduction elements, permanently mounted on the packaging above. above said one of said two thermal conduction elements for defining the cavity in which said block is to be housed. This alternative is in particular retained when no visual check of the blocks is to be made. This second element of thermal conduction therefore does not have to be temporarily mounted, disassembled, then reassembled permanently on the packaging.
Quel que soit le mode de réalisation envisagé, le soudage des zones de raccordement deux à deux est préférentiellement réalisé après que tous les blocs de protection radiologique de l'emballage aient été coulés dans leur cavité associée.Whatever the embodiment envisaged, the welding of the two-to-two connection zones is preferably carried out after all the radiological protection blocks of the packaging have been poured into their associated cavity.
D'autres avantages et caractéristiques de l'invention apparaîtront dans la description détaillée non limitative ci-dessous.Other advantages and features of the invention will become apparent in the detailed non-limiting description below.
Cette description sera faite au regard des dessins annexés parmi lesquels ;
- la
figure 1 représente une vue en perspective d'un conteneur pour le transport et/ou l'entreposage d'assemblages de combustible nucléaire, comprenant un emballage selon un mode de réalisation préféré de la présente invention ; - la
figure 2 représente une vue plus détaillée en perspective de l'un des éléments de conduction thermique de l'emballage, également objet de la présente invention ; - la
figure 3 représente une vue en coupe transversale montrant une partie de l'emballage montré sur lafigure 1 ; - les
figures 3a à 3c représentent différentes étapes d'un procédé de fabrication de l'emballage montré sur les figures précédentes, selon un premier mode de réalisation préféré de l'invention ; - les
figures 4a à 4c représentent différentes étapes d'un procédé de fabrication de l'emballage montré sur lesfigures 1 à 3 , selon un second mode de réalisation préféré de l'invention ; - les
figures 5a et5b représentent différentes étapes d'un procédé de fabrication de l'emballage montré sur lesfigures 1 à 3 , selon un troisième mode de réalisation préféré de l'invention ; et - la
figure 6 représente une vue similaire à celle de lafigure 5a , selon une alternative de réalisation.
- the
figure 1 is a perspective view of a container for transporting and / or storing nuclear fuel assemblies, comprising a package according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; - the
figure 2 is a more detailed perspective view of one of the thermal conduction elements of the packaging, also object of the present invention; - the
figure 3 represents a cross-sectional view showing a portion of the package shown on thefigure 1 ; - the
Figures 3a to 3c represent different steps of a method of manufacturing the package shown in the preceding figures, according to a first preferred embodiment of the invention; - the
Figures 4a to 4c represent different stages of a manufacturing process of the packaging shown on theFigures 1 to 3 according to a second preferred embodiment of the invention; - the
figures 5a and5b represent different stages of a process of manufacturing the packaging shown on theFigures 1 to 3 according to a third preferred embodiment of the invention; and - the
figure 6 represents a view similar to that of thefigure 5a according to an alternative embodiment.
Tout d'abord en référence à la
Le conteneur 1 comprend globalement un emballage 2 objet de la présente invention, à l'intérieur duquel se trouve un dispositif de rangement 4, également dénommé panier de rangement. Le dispositif 4 est prévu pour être placé dans une cavité de logement 6 de l'emballage 2, comme le montre la
Dans toute la description, le terme « longitudinal » doit être compris comme parallèle à l'axe longitudinal 8, et le terme « transversal » doit être compris comme orthogonal à ce même axe longitudinal 8.Throughout the description, the term "longitudinal" should be understood as parallel to the
De manière classique, le dispositif de rangement 4 comprend une pluralité de logements adjacents disposés parallèlement à l'axe 8, ces derniers étant chacun apte à recevoir au moins un assemblage de combustible de section carrée ou rectangulaire, et de préférence un seul. Le conteneur 1 et ce dispositif 4 ont été montrés dans une position verticale de chargement/déchargement des assemblages de combustible, différente de la position horizontale/couchée habituellement adoptée durant le transport des assemblages.In a conventional manner, the storage device 4 comprises a plurality of adjacent housings arranged parallel to the
De façon générale, l'emballage 2 dispose tout d'abord d'un fond 10 sur lequel le dispositif 4 est destiné à reposer en position verticale, d'un couvercle 12, et d'un corps latéral 14 s'étendant autour et selon l'axe longitudinal 8, parallèle à la direction longitudinale. Le fond 10 et le couvercle 12 sont ainsi espacés l'un de l'autre selon la direction longitudinale de l'emballage, parallèle à l'axe 8.In general, the
C'est ce corps latéral 14 qui définit la cavité de logement 6, à l'aide d'une surface intérieure latérale de forme sensiblement cylindrique et de section circulaire, et d'axe confondu avec l'axe 8. Le corps latéral 14 peut prendre la forme d'une virole métallique épaisse, de préférence réalisée en acier.It is this
Le fond 10, qui définit le fond de la cavité 6 ouverte au niveau du couvercle 12, peut être réalisé d'une seule pièce avec une partie au moins du corps latéral 14, sans sortir du cadre de l'invention.The bottom 10, which defines the bottom of the
L'emballage 2 comporte en outre, entourant et contactant la surface extérieure du corps latéral 14, une pluralité d'éléments de conduction thermique 20 s'étendant radialement vers l'extérieur, ainsi que le long d'une grande partie de la longueur de ce corps 14, selon la direction de l'axe 8.The
Les éléments 20 sont des profilés spécifiques à la présente invention, qui seront détaillés ci-après en référence aux figures suivantes. Ils permettent d'évacuer la chaleur dégagée par les assemblages de combustible présents dans le panier de rangement 4, vers l'extérieur de l'emballage.The
Ils participent également au logement et la retenue des blocs de protection radiologiques 22, essentiellement conçus pour former une barrière contre les neutrons. Les blocs sont de préférence obtenus par coulée, comme cela sera exposé ci-après, et réalisés dans un matériau quelconque jugé approprié par l'homme du métier, comme une résine.They also participate in housing and retaining the radiological protection blocks 22, essentially designed to form a barrier against neutrons. The blocks are preferably obtained by casting, as will be explained below, and made of any material deemed appropriate by those skilled in the art, such as a resin.
Les éléments de conduction thermique 20 participent également à former une enveloppe extérieure 24 de l'emballage, centrée sur l'axe 8. De plus, bien que cela n'ait pas été représenté, cette enveloppe peut être équipée d'ailettes favorisant les échanges thermiques avec l'air environnant.The
L'emballage est également pourvu de capots amortisseurs (non représentés) recouvrant respectivement le couvercle 12 et le fond 10 de cet emballage, ainsi que de deux couronnes d'amortissement 60 entourant le corps latéral 14, et agencées respectivement aux extrémités longitudinales des profilés 20 et des blocs 22. Ces couronnes 60 font saillie radialement vers l'extérieur par rapport à l'enveloppe 24, afin de constituer des zones d'impact privilégiées en cas de chute accidentelles, lorsque l'emballage est orienté horizontalement.The package is also provided with damping hoods (not shown) respectively covering the
En référence à présent à la
La branche du U en question forme une partie radiale interne 30 de l'élément 20. Elle est reliée à l'une de ses extrémités à une extrémité d'une partie intermédiaire 32 formant la base du U, dont l'autre extrémité est reliée à une partie externe 34 formant l'autre branche du U. Cette partie externe 34 est destinée à former une portion de l'enveloppe externe de l'emballage, mentionnée ci-dessus.The branch of the U in question forms an inner
Les parties interne, externe et intermédiaire de chaque élément 20 sont réalisées en cuivre ou dans l'un de ses alliages, par exemple d'une seule pièce.The inner, outer and intermediate parts of each
L'une des particularités de la présente invention réside dans le fait que la partie externe 34 est équipée, à chacune de ses deux extrémités opposées, d'une zone 36 de raccordement par soudage à un autre élément de conduction thermique, chaque zone de raccordement 36 étant réalisée en acier, de préférence en acier inoxydable.One of the peculiarities of the present invention resides in the fact that the
Chaque zone 36 prend la forme d'une barrette s'étendant sur toute la longueur du profilé 20, sur une longueur circonférentielle largement inférieure à celle de la partie externe. Ainsi, il est préférentiellement prévu que la longueur circonférentielle « l » de chaque zone 36 soit comprise entre 5 et 15 % de la longueur circonférentielle « L » de la partie externe 34.Each
L'une des deux zones de raccordement 36 prolonge l'extrémité libre de la branche du U 34, tandis que l'autre zone 36 s'étend à partir de l'angle formé par cette même branche 34 et la base du U.One of the two
En référence à la
Ainsi, l'enveloppe externe 24 de l'emballage est constituée par les parties externes 34, les zones de raccordement 36, et les soudures 40.Thus, the
Les éléments de conduction thermique 20 définissent par paires des cavités dans lesquelles sont logés les blocs de protection radiologique 22. Plus précisément, chaque cavité 50 est délimitée radialement vers l'intérieur par la partie interne 30 d'un premier élément 20 et par une partie de la surface extérieure du corps 14 de l'emballage. Elle est délimitée radialement vers l'extérieur par la partie externe 34 de ce même premier élément 20, ainsi que par la zone de raccordement 36 prévue à l'extrémité libre de cette branche 34. La délimitation radiale vers l'extérieur est également assurée par la zone de raccordement 36 d'un second élément de conduction 20, et par la soudure 40 la reliant à la zone 36 précitée appartenant au premier élément. Chaque cavité 50 est par ailleurs délimitée dans la direction circonférentielle 52, dans les deux sens, respectivement par les parties intermédiaires 32 des premier et second éléments de conduction 20.The
Enfin, les cavités 50 sont fermées à leurs extrémités longitudinales par la structure des couronnes d'amortissement 60 représentées sur la
En référence à présent aux
Dans ce premier mode de réalisation, ainsi que dans les suivants, les cavités 50 sont remplies successivement, une à une et par le dessus, avec l'emballage 2 orienté à l'horizontale.In this first embodiment, as well as in the following, the
L'emballage est alors positionné de sorte que le dernier élément de conduction 20a qui vient d'être assemblé sur le corps latéral 14 soit ouvert sensiblement verticalement vers le haut, le U étant donc sensiblement droit. A cet instant représenté sur la
La cavité 50 est ensuite remplie par coulée d'un matériau de protection neutronique, tel que de la résine. Cette coulée, schématisée par la flèche 64 de la
La coulée est stoppée lorsque le niveau souhaité de remplissage est atteint dans la cavité 50, ce niveau étant préférentiellement sur ou à proximité de la zone de raccordement supérieure 36 de l'élément 20a.The casting is stopped when the desired level of filling is reached in the
La machine de coulée est ensuite retirée, tandis que le matériau coulé se solidifie par polymérisation dans la cavité 50. Une fois le bloc solide obtenu, il est facilement possible d'opérer son contrôle visuel sur toute sa longueur, au niveau de la surface supérieure libre du bloc, orientée horizontalement vers le haut. Le contrôle visuel de la qualité du matériau de protection neutronique consiste par exemple à vérifier, après solidification, qu'il n'y a pas de fissures débouchantes dans le matériau, ces fissures pouvant provenir d'un problème de polymérisation lié à une mauvaise maîtrise de la température lors de l'étape de coulée, d'un problème de proportion du mélange du matériau.The casting machine is then removed, while the cast material solidifies by polymerization in the
Après l'inspection du bloc, le second élément de conduction 20b est assemblé sur l'emballage, par vissage ou soudage de sa partie interne 30 sur le corps latéral, comme cela est visible sur la
L'emballage est ensuite mis en rotation autour de son axe 8 afin d'orienter convenablement le second élément de conduction 20b, de manière à pouvoir opérer son remplissage d'une manière identique à celle qui vient d'être décrite.The package is then rotated about its
Cette succession d'opérations est alors réitérée autant de fois que nécessaire pour recouvrir l'intégralité du corps latéral d'emballage 14 avec les éléments de conduction 20 et les blocs 22. Ce n'est d'ailleurs préférentiellement qu'après la formation de tous les blocs 22 que le soudage des zones de raccordement 36 est réalisé, deux à deux. Cela permet en particulier de réaliser les soudures dans un ordre différent de celui dans lequel elles se succèdent selon la direction circonférentielle.This succession of operations is then repeated as many times as necessary to cover the entirety of the
En référence à présent aux
La première étape consiste toujours à positionner l'emballage de sorte que le dernier élément de conduction 20a qui vient d'être assemblé sur le corps latéral 14 soit ouvert sensiblement verticalement vers le haut, le U étant donc sensiblement droit. A cet instant représenté sur la
La cavité 50 est ensuite remplie, non plus par coulée directe dans le volume délimité par le premier élément 20a, mais en traversant des orifices 70 pratiqués à travers un outillage 72 monté au-dessus de l'élément 20a, par exemple en reposant sur la zone de raccordement supérieure 36, comme schématisé sur la
La machine de coulée et l'outillage sont ensuite retirés, tandis que le matériau coulé se solidifie dans la cavité 50. Une fois le bloc solide obtenu, et son contrôle visuel effectué, le second élément de conduction 20b est assemblé sur l'emballage, par vissage ou soudage de sa partie interne 30 sur le corps latéral, comme cela est visible sur la
Enfin, dans le troisième mode de réalisation préféré représenté sur les
A la fin de la coulée 64, le second élément 20b est démonté, par exemple après avoir été monté provisoirement par un boulonnage partiel sur le corps latéral 14, puis l'inspection du bloc est opérée. Ensuite, le second élément de conduction 20b est réassemblé définitivement sur le corps latéral, toujours par boulonnage ou soudage.At the end of the casting 64, the
Selon une variante de ce troisième mode de réalisation, également applicable au second mode, les éléments de conduction thermique 20 prennent une section de forme globale de S, et non plus de U. Cette variante est représentée sur la
Bien entendu, diverses modifications peuvent être apportées par l'homme du métier à l'invention qui vient d'être décrite, uniquement à titre d'exemples non limitatifs.Of course, various modifications may be made by those skilled in the art to the invention which has just been described, solely by way of non-limiting examples.
Claims (14)
- Thermal conduction element (20) for a package for transporting and/or storing radioactive materials, comprising:- an internal part (30) intended to be in contact with a lateral body (14) of the package;- an external part (34) intended to form a portion of an external envelope (24) of said package, holding radiological protection means (22);- an intermediate part (32) arranged between the internal and external parts,
the internal, external and intermediate parts being produced from copper and one of the alloys thereof,
characterised in that said external part (34) is equipped, at each of its two opposite ends, with an area (36) for connection by welding to another thermal conduction element (20), each connection area (36) being produced from steel. - Thermal conduction element according to claim 1, characterised in that each connection area (36) is produced from carbon steel or stainless steel.
- Thermal conduction element according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that it has a transverse section roughly in the shape of a U or S.
- Thermal conduction element according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that each connection area (36) extends over a circumferential length (I) lying between 5% and 15% of the circumferential length (L) of its associated external part.
- Thermal conduction element according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the internal, external and intermediate parts are produced in a single piece, or from at least two portions connected by welding.
- Package (2) for transporting and/or storing radioactive materials, comprising a lateral body (14) as well as a plurality of thermal-conduction elements (20) according to any one of the preceding claims, the internal parts (30) of which are arranged in contact with said lateral body (14) and the external parts (34) of which form a part of said external envelope (24) of said package that holds radiological protection means (22), said external envelope being supplemented by said connection areas (36) equipping said external parts, as well as by welds (40) connecting these connection areas in pairs.
- Package according to claim 6, characterised in that any two directly consecutive thermal conduction elements (20) define, in particular with their welded connection areas (36), a cavity (50) housing a radiological protection block (22).
- Method for manufacturing a package (2) for transporting and/or storing radioactive materials according to the preceding claim, characterised in that, for at least one of said radiological protection blocks (22), a radiological protection material is poured into one of said two thermal conduction elements (20a) intended to define the cavity (50) in which said block (22) is intended to be housed, said pouring being carried out with this thermal conduction element (20a) assembled on the package.
- Method according to the preceding claim, characterised in that, for at least one of said radiological protection blocks (22), the following successive steps are performed:- the pouring of a radiological protection material into one of said two thermal conduction elements (20a) intended to define the cavity (50) in which said block (22) is intended to be housed, said pouring being carried out with this thermal conduction element (20a) assembled on the package; then- the assembly on the package of the other one of said two thermal conduction elements (20b).
- Method according to claim 9, characterised in that said cavities (50) are filled successively, preferably one by one, with said package oriented horizontally, and by introducing the radiological protection material from above.
- Method according to claim 10, characterised in that, for at least one of said radiological protection blocks (22), the pouring of the radiological protection material takes place directly in said one of said two thermal conduction elements (20a) intended to define the cavity in which said block is intended to be housed.
- Method according to claim 10, characterised in that, for at least one of said radiological protection blocks (22), the pouring of the radiological protection material takes place through at least one orifice (70) provided on a tool (72) mounted above said one of said two thermal conduction elements (20a) intended to define the cavity (50) in which said block (22) is intended to be housed, the other one of said two thermal conduction elements (20b) being assembled on the package after the removal of said tool (72).
- Method according to claim 10, characterised in that, for at least one of said radiological protection blocks (22), the pouring of the radiological protection material takes place through at least one orifice (70) provided on the intermediate part (32) of said other one of said two thermal conduction elements (20b), mounted temporarily above said one of said two thermal conduction elements (20a) intended to define the cavity (50) in which said block (22) is intended to be housed, this other of said two thermal conduction elements (20b) then being removed and then reassembled definitively on the package.
- Method according to any one of claims 8 to 13, characterised in that the welding of the connection areas (36) in pairs is carried out after all the radiological protection blocks (22) of the package have been poured in their associated cavity (50).
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
FR1153329A FR2974228B1 (en) | 2011-04-18 | 2011-04-18 | THERMAL CONDUCTION ELEMENT FOR IMPROVING THE MANUFACTURE OF A TRANSPORT AND / OR STORAGE PACKAGING OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS |
PCT/EP2012/055776 WO2012143224A1 (en) | 2011-04-18 | 2012-03-30 | Thermally conductive element enabling an improvement in the manufacture of packaging for the transport and/or storage of radioactive material |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP2700077A1 EP2700077A1 (en) | 2014-02-26 |
EP2700077B1 true EP2700077B1 (en) | 2015-10-07 |
Family
ID=45908049
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP12711181.3A Active EP2700077B1 (en) | 2011-04-18 | 2012-03-30 | Thermally conductive element enabling an improvement in the manufacture of packaging for the transport and/or storage of radioactive material |
Country Status (8)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US9040946B2 (en) |
EP (1) | EP2700077B1 (en) |
JP (1) | JP6018175B2 (en) |
KR (1) | KR101996318B1 (en) |
CN (1) | CN103460300B (en) |
ES (1) | ES2557564T3 (en) |
FR (1) | FR2974228B1 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2012143224A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
FR3020173B1 (en) * | 2014-04-22 | 2019-06-21 | Tn International | PACKAGING FOR THE TRANSPORT AND / OR STORAGE OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS, COMPRISING A REINFORCED EFFICIENCY ANGLE SHOCK ABSORBER |
JP6532753B2 (en) * | 2015-05-21 | 2019-06-19 | 株式会社神戸製鋼所 | Method of manufacturing radioactive substance storage container |
FR3042635B1 (en) | 2015-10-16 | 2017-12-15 | Tn Int | COOLING ELEMENT WITH EMBASE FOR DISCHARGING HEAT FROM A PACKAGING |
FR3080705B1 (en) * | 2018-04-27 | 2020-10-30 | Tn Int | TRANSPORT AND / OR STORAGE PACKAGING OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS ALLOWING EASY MANUFACTURING AS WELL AS AN IMPROVEMENT OF THERMAL CONDUCTION |
Family Cites Families (15)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4456827A (en) * | 1980-07-11 | 1984-06-26 | Transnuklear Gmbh | Transportation and/or storage containers for radioactive material |
FR2521764A1 (en) * | 1982-02-12 | 1983-08-19 | Creusot Loire | NEUTRON PROTECTION DEVICE FOR RADIO-ACTIVE PRODUCT |
DE3207312A1 (en) * | 1982-03-01 | 1983-09-08 | Bernhard Dipl.-Ing. 4300 Essen Leidinger | Closed container for accommodating radioactive materials |
US4590383A (en) * | 1984-10-22 | 1986-05-20 | Westinghouse Electric Corp. | Spent fuel storage cask having improved fins |
US4896046A (en) * | 1988-05-24 | 1990-01-23 | Westinghouse Electric Corp. | Fuel rod shipping cask having peripheral fins |
SE509491C2 (en) * | 1995-01-10 | 1999-02-01 | Hydro Betong Ab | Methods and apparatus for storing hazardous waste |
FR2791805B1 (en) * | 1999-03-30 | 2001-08-03 | Commissariat Energie Atomique | EXTREMELY LONG-TERM STORAGE FACILITY OF HEAT PRODUCTS SUCH AS NUCLEAR WASTE |
JP3416657B2 (en) * | 2001-01-25 | 2003-06-16 | 三菱重工業株式会社 | Cask and method of manufacturing cask |
JP2002267791A (en) * | 2001-03-08 | 2002-09-18 | Toshiba Corp | Spent fuel storage cask |
JP2003344581A (en) * | 2002-05-31 | 2003-12-03 | Hitachi Ltd | Cask for spent fuel and its production method |
JP3978210B2 (en) * | 2002-07-23 | 2007-09-19 | 三菱重工業株式会社 | Cask |
JP2007205931A (en) * | 2006-02-02 | 2007-08-16 | Hitachi Ltd | Metal cask for radioactive substance |
US7973298B2 (en) * | 2007-10-10 | 2011-07-05 | Kobe Steel, Ltd. | Transport/storage cask for radioactive material |
JP5010491B2 (en) * | 2008-01-30 | 2012-08-29 | 三菱重工業株式会社 | Recycled fuel assembly storage basket, recycled fuel assembly storage container, and method for manufacturing recycled fuel assembly storage basket |
EP2425436A4 (en) * | 2009-04-28 | 2016-03-16 | Holtec International Inc | Cask apparatus, system and method for transporting and/or storing high level waste |
-
2011
- 2011-04-18 FR FR1153329A patent/FR2974228B1/en active Active
-
2012
- 2012-03-30 ES ES12711181.3T patent/ES2557564T3/en active Active
- 2012-03-30 CN CN201280017741.XA patent/CN103460300B/en active Active
- 2012-03-30 JP JP2014505565A patent/JP6018175B2/en active Active
- 2012-03-30 WO PCT/EP2012/055776 patent/WO2012143224A1/en active Application Filing
- 2012-03-30 EP EP12711181.3A patent/EP2700077B1/en active Active
- 2012-03-30 US US14/111,598 patent/US9040946B2/en active Active
- 2012-03-30 KR KR1020137025083A patent/KR101996318B1/en active IP Right Grant
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
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ES2557564T3 (en) | 2016-01-27 |
KR101996318B1 (en) | 2019-07-04 |
US20140035196A1 (en) | 2014-02-06 |
KR20140007921A (en) | 2014-01-20 |
JP2014515830A (en) | 2014-07-03 |
CN103460300A (en) | 2013-12-18 |
FR2974228B1 (en) | 2013-06-07 |
JP6018175B2 (en) | 2016-11-02 |
US9040946B2 (en) | 2015-05-26 |
EP2700077A1 (en) | 2014-02-26 |
CN103460300B (en) | 2016-01-20 |
WO2012143224A1 (en) | 2012-10-26 |
FR2974228A1 (en) | 2012-10-19 |
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