EP3594964A1 - Conteneur pour le stockage et le transport de combustible nucléaire épuisé - Google Patents

Conteneur pour le stockage et le transport de combustible nucléaire épuisé Download PDF

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Publication number
EP3594964A1
EP3594964A1 EP17899513.0A EP17899513A EP3594964A1 EP 3594964 A1 EP3594964 A1 EP 3594964A1 EP 17899513 A EP17899513 A EP 17899513A EP 3594964 A1 EP3594964 A1 EP 3594964A1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
container
vessel
heat
fuel
cells
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.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP17899513.0A
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German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP3594964A4 (fr
Inventor
Alfonso ALVAREZ-MIRANDA MORAN
David GARRIDO QUEVEDO
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Equipos Nucleares SA
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Equipos Nucleares SA
Priority date (The priority date 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 date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Equipos Nucleares SA filed Critical Equipos Nucleares SA
Publication of EP3594964A1 publication Critical patent/EP3594964A1/fr
Publication of EP3594964A4 publication Critical patent/EP3594964A4/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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    • 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
    • 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
    • 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
    • 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
    • G21F5/012—Fuel element racks in the containers

Definitions

  • the object of the present invention is a dual-purpose compact metal container: storing and transporting spent nuclear fuel. More specifically, this container is intended for managing spent nuclear fuel coming from nuclear power plants with a pressurised water reactor (PWR) and a boiling water reactor (BWR), and for the possible transport of this spent nuclear fuel to an Individualised or Centralised Temporary Storage Facility.
  • PWR pressurised water reactor
  • BWR boiling water reactor
  • nuclear fuel is stored in nuclear power plant pools for the activity of the fuel to decay and for said fuel to cool down.
  • Spent nuclear fuel can then be placed in dry storage until the final stage of management in storage containers or storage and transport containers, the latter referred to as dual-purpose containers.
  • dual-purpose containers In Spain today highly active waste is not transported because it is kept in pools or in containers at power stations; however, for the creation of a Centralised Temporary Storage Facility there is a need to use suitable dual-purpose containers which minimise the risks associated with transporting waste of this type from nuclear power plants to the new facility.
  • These storage systems consist of a set of elements that ensure safe storage and transport of the spent fuel. They are designed for the purpose of ensuring compliance with the established safety functions required by law: maintain sub-criticality and confinement of the material and prevent its degradation; this is achieved, among other elements, with gamma and neutron radiation shielding and by removing residual heat generated by the irradiated fuel.
  • a spent fuel container can store in most cases between 20 and 100 elements.
  • the spent fuel elements that meet the requirements established in the container licence (cooling time, burn up and degree of enrichment, among other parameters) can be stored according to a reviewed and approved load plan.
  • Know dual-purpose metal containers are multi-walled. Typically, they consist of a cylindrical vessel with a leaktight closure system having walls of a considerable thickness so as to provide shielding for the radiation generated therein, sometimes using a layer of lead as special gamma radiation shielding; the second wall is formed by a neutron shielding which is achieved by an outermost moderator or poison layer.
  • the outer surface of the container usually incorporates a series of fins made of copper, stainless steel or another metal arranged in the axial or radial position so as to facilitate cooling by natural convection, such that the fuel cladding temperature is lower than the authorised limits.
  • the central cavity of the container consists of a stainless steel or aluminium basket, including components with a determined boron content for control of criticality, holding a determined number of spent fuel elements.
  • the container is sealed by means of a double lid, where the innermost lid is made of steel and carries out containment and shielding functions, while the outer lid carries out structural integrity maintenance functions in the event of impacts resulting from potential accidents.
  • Some of the containers intended both for the storage and for the transport of spent nuclear fuel are manufactured from a single shell, with structural, confinement and shielding functions, primarily against gamma radiations.
  • One of the objectives of the present invention is the design and manufacture of a series of maximum capacity, economically competitive dual-purpose containers that can hold PWR and BWR fuel, activated material of fuel additives, and equipped or having the possibility of being equipped with impact attenuators, having an improved location and better properties with respect to containers used today.
  • Dual-purpose containers present optimal characteristics for removing the residual heat generated by the fuel elements.
  • the container object of the invention comprises:
  • At least two journals project from the inner vessel for lifting the container and two journals for moving the container.
  • This configuration allows using the same container for storage either in ITSF (Individualized Temporary Storage Facility) at power plants or in a future CTSF (Centralised Temporary Storage Facility) and for intermodal transport (by road, rail or sea), without any need for refitting.
  • ITSF Intelligentized Temporary Storage Facility
  • CTSF Centralised Temporary Storage Facility
  • intermodal transport by road, rail or sea
  • the container has a completely autonomous design and does not require sharing any system or component with the nuclear power plant during storage (with the exception of the pressure transducer, which is installed in the outer lid and must be connected to a data sampling system so as to continuously monitor pressure in the inter-lid space).
  • the frame consists of a stainless steel structure (grate) formed by sheets between 5 and 10 mm thick which form cells, and inserted in these cells are tubes or sheets having a square cross section between 5 and 20 mm thick, manufactured in an aluminium and boron carbide (Al-B 4 C) matrix metal composite of (MMC) which has neutron absorption capacity.
  • Al-B 4 C matrix metal composite of (MMC) which has neutron absorption capacity.
  • the thickness of the MMC tubes or sheets is selected depending on the design of the spent fuel housed therein.
  • the frame is secured inside the cavity of the container by guides consisting of aluminium profiles screwed around the stainless steel structure of the frame, which guides transfer decay heat from the frame to the body of the container to facilitate removing said heat from the container.
  • the decay heat generated by the fuel elements housed in the container is removed by passive means. No type of coolant is used in the container, and only the inner cavity is pressurised with an inert helium gas atmosphere. Helium presents suitable thermal conductivity and favours removing decay heat from fuels housed in the frame.
  • the vessel (1) of the container is primarily formed by set of slabs (11) forming the inner shell.
  • the bottom (12), comprised of a circular planar slab, is welded to the inner shell at the lower part thereof.
  • Heat-dissipating aluminium profiles (2), the neutron shielding material (3), and, as the outermost surface, the enclosure (6) of the neutron shielding, are located radially on the inner shell.
  • the outer surfaces of the container have been designed and finished such that they do not have projecting parts, with the exception of the four lift journals (9) and rotation journals (10).
  • two seating surfaces (13, 14) have been machined so as to receive an inner lid (7) and an outer lid (8) by means of a bolted connection.
  • the sealing surfaces of the inner lid and outer lid are protected by means of a stainless steel cladding.
  • the lift journals (9) and rotation journals (10) are located on the outside of the shell.
  • the neutron shielding material (3) is installed in the spaces in the set of heat-dissipating aluminium profiles (2), which are positioned by contact on the outer surface of the shell of the vessel (1).
  • the bottom (12) is comprised of a circular planar slab with a cylindrical heel to that it can be attached to the cylindrical enclosure by welding.
  • the outer face contains several threaded holes for anchoring the bolts of the lower impact attenuator used during transport of the container to the CTSF, or to any other spent fuel storage location.
  • the neutron shielding material (3) used consists of a synthetic polymer that is solid when in service and based on an epoxy resin on which boron carbide is adhered. This material is located in the cells formed by the aluminium profiles.
  • the assembled heat-dissipating aluminium profiles (2) are preferably aluminium alloy cells between 2 and 10 mm thick located radially between the two cylindrical shells, inside which the material of the neutron shielding (3) is inserted.
  • the skew between consecutive sheets is 10°, such that each of these heat-dissipating profiles is arranged forming an angle of about 45° with respect to the radius or tangent at the contact point with the vessel (1) or with the outer shell (6).
  • the shell (6) and enclosing rings form a cylindrical enclosure manufactured in rolled carbon steel sheet between 10 and 40 mm thick, with upper and lower closure bands (called rings). It confines and isolates the neutron shielding material (3) from the outside and from the set of heat-dissipating profiles (2).
  • the relief valve the purpose of which is to limit pressure inside the enclosure, is located on said enclosure.
  • the lift journals (9) are located in the upper part of the container. They are two solid high-strength steel journals, the purpose of which is to hoist and handle the container. Each of the lift journals is fixed by a series of bolts to machined cavities in the shell of the container, in two diametrically opposed positions.
  • the rotation journals (10) are used during container turning manoeuvres in the transfer or transport cradle. They are similar to the lift journals (9). Both sets of journals may include a cavity in which there is located neutron shielding material (2) due to the high neutron source strength in the lower part of the active length of the fuel elements. Similarly to the lift journals, the rotation journals are bolted to the vessel (1).
  • the journals to be used in the design of the dual-purpose container can be either "male” or “female” type journals, depending on the limitations imposed in the power plant or by transport requirements.
  • the load is housed in the inner cavity, it is isolated from the outside by two lids, an inner lid (7) and an outer lid (8), each of said lids being capable of keeping the inner cavity leaktight.
  • Both lids are bolted to the vessel (1), leaving about 5 mm between both lids to pressurise this chamber with helium.
  • the measurement of the pressure in the inter-lid space provides a warning in the hypothetical case of there being a leak in the confinement system within the container.
  • the inner lid (7) consists of a circular planar slab manufactured in low-alloy steel. On its periphery there is a series of through holes so that it can be attached to the body of the container by alloyed carbon steel bolts. The lower face of the lid (7) is closed on the seating surface (14) of the vessel (1) with a double metallic sealing joint (15) that is part of the confinement system, which prevents the possibility of any radioactive material leakage.
  • the outer lid (8) forms a second leaktight barrier of the container, a redundant barrier, which has the primary purpose of protecting the confinement system against impacts of any type. It consists of another circular planar slab or plate the lower face of which is closed on the seating surface (13) of the vessel (1) and is fixed to it with a group of alloyed carbon steel bolts. The lower face of the lid is closed on the seating surface of the vessel with a double metallic joint (15). Once they are closed and bolted, there is a minimum gap between the inner lid (7) and the outer lid (8) called inter-lid space.
  • lid (8) presents a series of threaded holes (81) for anchoring the bolts of the upper impact attenuator.
  • the design of the container includes three penetrations its closure lids: two in the inner lid (7) and one in the outer lid (8).
  • the vent and drain penetrations are embedded in the inner lid, have direct access to the inner cavity of the container, and are, therefore, penetrations of the confinement system.
  • the pressure control penetration in the outer lid allows detecting possible anomalies in the operation of the container.
  • the drain and vent penetrations of the inner lid have respective quick disconnect valves; both penetrations are used for acing the inner cavity of the container after fuel is loaded.
  • the fuel frame (4) is comprised of three metallic subsets:
  • the guides of the frame (43, 44) are screwed to the vertical reinforcement plates, which are welded to the outer faces of the sheet grate structure (42) of the frame (4).

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • High Energy & Nuclear Physics (AREA)
  • Filling Or Discharging Of Gas Storage Vessels (AREA)
  • Monitoring And Testing Of Nuclear Reactors (AREA)
EP17899513.0A 2017-03-08 2017-03-08 Conteneur pour le stockage et le transport de combustible nucléaire épuisé Withdrawn EP3594964A4 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/ES2017/070130 WO2018162767A1 (fr) 2017-03-08 2017-03-08 Conteneur pour le stockage et le transport de combustible nucléaire épuisé

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP3594964A1 true EP3594964A1 (fr) 2020-01-15
EP3594964A4 EP3594964A4 (fr) 2020-11-11

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP17899513.0A Withdrawn EP3594964A4 (fr) 2017-03-08 2017-03-08 Conteneur pour le stockage et le transport de combustible nucléaire épuisé

Country Status (4)

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EP (1) EP3594964A4 (fr)
KR (1) KR20190117759A (fr)
CN (1) CN110506310A (fr)
WO (1) WO2018162767A1 (fr)

Families Citing this family (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
RU2697656C1 (ru) 2018-12-28 2019-08-16 Акционерное общество "Федеральный центр ядерной и радиационной безопасности" (АО ФЦЯРБ) Способ длительного сухого хранения отработавшего ядерного топлива и контейнер для его реализации
CN110634583B (zh) * 2019-09-25 2022-02-22 中国核动力研究设计院 单根乏燃料棒转运容器及其使用方法
CN112466500B (zh) * 2020-11-13 2022-10-11 中广核工程有限公司 核电站乏燃料贮罐运输容器
CN113808770A (zh) * 2021-08-10 2021-12-17 中国核电工程有限公司 一种用于乏燃料组件贮存和运输的密封容器

Family Cites Families (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4336460A (en) * 1979-07-25 1982-06-22 Nuclear Assurance Corp. Spent fuel cask
US4983352A (en) * 1984-11-13 1991-01-08 Westinghouse Electric Corp. Closure system for a spent fuel storage cask
US5406600A (en) * 1993-10-08 1995-04-11 Pacific Nuclear Systems, Inc. Transportation and storage cask for spent nuclear fuels
US5898747A (en) * 1997-05-19 1999-04-27 Singh; Krishna P. Apparatus suitable for transporting and storing nuclear fuel rods and methods for using the apparatus
JP3150669B2 (ja) * 1999-09-02 2001-03-26 三菱重工業株式会社 キャスク
JP3600535B2 (ja) * 2001-02-26 2004-12-15 三菱重工業株式会社 キャスク
JP2004069620A (ja) * 2002-08-08 2004-03-04 Mitsubishi Heavy Ind Ltd リサイクル燃料集合体格納用バスケット及びリサイクル燃料集合体格納容器
JP2007033242A (ja) * 2005-07-27 2007-02-08 Hitachi Ltd 使用済み燃料収納容器
RU2426183C2 (ru) * 2006-06-30 2011-08-10 Холтек Интернэшнл, Инк. Устройство, система и способ хранения высокоактивных отходов
JP2008281437A (ja) * 2007-05-10 2008-11-20 Toshiba Corp 使用済燃料キャスクの燃料収納構造
US20140044227A1 (en) * 2012-08-13 2014-02-13 Transnuclear, Inc. Composite basket assembly

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
KR20190117759A (ko) 2019-10-16
EP3594964A4 (fr) 2020-11-11
CN110506310A (zh) 2019-11-26
WO2018162767A1 (fr) 2018-09-13

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