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
  • G21F5/005—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
  • G21F5/08—Shock-absorbers, e.g. impact buffers for 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
  • G21F1/00—Shielding characterised by the composition of the materials
  • G21F1/02—Selection of uniform shielding materials
  • G21F1/08—Metals; Alloys; Cermets, i.e. sintered mixtures of ceramics and metals
  • G21F1/085—Heavy metals or alloys
• • 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
  • G21F5/12—Closures for containers; Sealing arrangements

Definitions

• the present invention relates to the field of transport and / or storage packaging for radioactive materials, for example radioactive waste placed in drums, or even nuclear fuel assemblies.
• the packaging has a housing cavity receiving a set of radioactive materials, this cavity being defined by a lateral body, a bottom, and a cover removably mounted on the lateral body.
• the cover is first removed from the main body. Then, the assembly is gripped by a handling device to be extracted from the housing cavity. To ensure this extraction, the handling device must be connected to the set of radioactive materials, for example at a head end of this set.
• the assembly needs to be gripped at its lateral face by the handling device. There is then generally provided a radial clearance between this assembly and the inner surface of the lateral body delimiting the housing cavity.
• the handling device can be introduced axially into this radial clearance, in order to be connected to the lateral face of the set of radioactive materials.
• This radial clearance however leads to oversize the packaging, with negative consequences in terms of mass, cost and size.
• the subject of the invention is packaging for the transport and / or storage of radioactive materials, according to the characteristics of claim 1.
• the hollowed out area provides lateral access to the set of radioactive materials, allowing it to be easily gripped from the side.
• the hollowed out area allows the introduction of a handling device between the inner surface of the reduced thickness part of the lateral body, and the set of radioactive materials.
• the lateral body reconstitution part makes it possible to reconstitute the thickness of the lateral body locally at the level of its reduced thickness part, leading to an absence of armor leakage.
• the cover and preferably the entire cover, can be arranged in the recessed area of the lateral body defined laterally by the reduced thickness portion of this lateral body.
• the mechanical resistance of the packaging is therefore satisfactory in the event of a lateral or oblique fall, since the cover is protected by the lateral body.
• the invention also has at least one of the following optional features, taken individually or in combination.
• the reconstitution part extends uninterruptedly all around the longitudinal axis, thus forming a closed structure over 360 °, such as for example an annular structure, of constant or variable thickness.
• the reconstitution part is such that the assembly which it forms with the lateral body has a constant thickness, in order to provide uniform and satisfactory shielding performance.
• This 360 ° closed structure can be made in one piece, or by a succession of angular sectors arranged end to end, without play.
• the reconstitution part only extends over an angular sector less than 360 °, and in this case, several reconstitution portions can be provided within the packaging, angularly spaced from one another.
• the side body reconstruction part is a part of the side body reconstruction part
• a) is independent of the lateral body and the cover; or b) is an integral part of the cover which also comprises a main axial closure part of the housing cavity defining an axial end surface of this cavity, the lateral body reconstitution part being arranged axially projecting towards the bottom from the axial end surface; or
• c) is formed by the combination of a primary portion and a secondary portion of lateral body reconstruction
• the primary portion forming an integral part of the cover which also comprises a main axial closure part of the housing cavity defining an axial end surface of this cavity, the primary portion comprising on the one hand a side wall forming the interior surface and arranged axially projecting towards the bottom from the axial end surface, and on the other hand a fixing flange arranged at an axial end of the side wall and intended to be pressed against the transition surface,
• the secondary portion being independent of the lateral body and of the cover, and arranged radially between the inner surface of the reduced thickness portion of the lateral body, and the assembly formed by the side wall of the primary portion of the cover and the main portion of this cover.
• the packaging includes means for fixing the cover to the lateral body, the fixing means passing through the lateral body reconstitution part as well as the transition surface of the lateral packaging body. This embodiment is preferably retained in case b), when the lateral body reconstitution part is integrated into the cover.
• these fixing means preferably pass through the fixing flange of the primary portion of the lateral body reconstitution part. Their length can therefore advantageously be reduced by crossing only this fixing flange, and not the secondary portion of the reconstitution part.
• the fixing means could cooperate with the first axial end of the lateral body, without departing from the scope of the invention.
• This alternative embodiment is then preferred when the reconstitution part of the lateral body is independent of the lateral body and of the cover, the reconstitution part being able in this case to be retained axially without play or with axial play between the cover and the transition surface.
• a sealing system is clamped axially between the transition surface of the lateral body and an axial end of the reconstitution part of the lateral body. This embodiment is preferably retained in the cases b) and c) above.
• the sealing system could alternately be clamped axially between the first axial end of the lateral body and a portion of the cover covering this end, without departing from the scope of the invention.
• This alternative embodiment is then preferred in case a), when the side body reconstitution part is independent of the side body and the cover.
• the cover is completely covered laterally by the reduced thickness part of the lateral body, in order to reinforce the mechanical resistance in the event of a fall.
• part of this cover could be arranged externally with respect to the lateral body, in the axial direction, without departing from the scope of the invention.
• the packaging also includes an additional cover fixed on the lateral body.
• the packaging further comprises a shock absorbing cover covering at least part of the cover, as well as the first axial end of the lateral body.
• the inner surface of the lateral body reconstitution part laterally delimits an axial section of the housing cavity, the axial section extending over an axial length greater than or equal to 50 mm.
• the length of this axial section corresponding for example to 20% of the axial length total of the housing cavity, and at most 50% of this total axial length of the housing cavity.
• the transition surface of the lateral body forms an internal shoulder.
• this surface could take other forms ensuring the thickness transition within the lateral body, such as an oblique, stepped surface, etc.
• the subject of the invention is a package comprising a package as described above, loaded with a set of radioactive materials housed in the housing cavity, the set of radioactive materials, preferably in the form of a barrel, being located laterally facing part of the lateral body reconstruction part.
• the invention also relates to an unloading method according to claim 12.
• FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal axial sectional view of a package for the storage and / or transport of radioactive materials, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention
• FIG. 2 shows a view similar to that of the previous figure, in exploded view
• FIG. 3 is a top view of the packaging shown in the preceding figures, with the packaging shown without its head damper cover;
• FIG. 4 shows a view similar to the previous one, with the packaging being in the form of another preferred embodiment of the invention.
• FIG. 1 there is shown a package 1 for the storage and / or transport of radioactive material, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.
• This package 1 is shown in a vertical storage position, in which its longitudinal axis 2 is oriented vertically. It corresponds to case b) above, and has a packaging bottom 4 opposite to a removable cover 6 in the direction of the height 8, parallel to the longitudinal axis 2.
• the package 1 comprises a lateral body 10 extending around this axis 2.
• the lateral body 10 extends between a first axial end 10a on the side of the cover 6, and a second end opposite to the first, located on the side of the bottom 4.
• the lateral body 10 is thus closed by the cover 6 at a first axial end 10a, also called head end. It is also closed by the bottom 4 at the second axial end 10b.
• the bottom 4 and the cover 6 axially define a housing cavity 12 within which is received a set of radioactive materials 13, here a barrel sealingly confining radioactive waste.
• This type of barrel is also known by the English name "canister”.
• this assembly 13 When this assembly 13 is housed in the cavity 12 as shown in Figures 1 and 2, it forms with the package 1 a package 100.
• the housing cavity 12 is also delimited laterally by the lateral body 10, including a specificity specific to the invention will now be described.
• this lateral body 10 includes a thickness change zone 14, which is materialized by a transition surface 16 here taking the form of a shoulder.
• the lateral body 10 thus comprises a part of reduced thickness 20a, as well as a part of greater thickness 20b separated from the part 20a by the shoulder 16.
• the part of reduced thickness 20a thus extends from the shoulder 16 towards the first end 10a. More specifically, it is delimited axially between this shoulder 16 and the first end 10a of the lateral body 10, corresponding to the end surface. axial of this body.
• the portion of greater thickness 20b is delimited axially between the shoulder 16 and the second end 10b.
• the reduced thickness portion 20a is of constant thickness. It has an inner surface 24 laterally delimiting a recessed area 26 of the lateral body 10, this recessed area 26 is consequently delimited axially by the transverse plane of the shoulder 16, as well as by the transverse plane of the first end 10a of this body 10.
• the inner surface 24 of its reduced thickness portion 20a is also preferably cylindrical with a circular section.
• the recessed area 26 takes the form of a cylindrical volume, also of circular section.
• the upper thickness portion 20b is also of constant thickness. It has an interior surface 28 laterally delimiting the major part of the housing cavity 12, up to the bottom 4.
• the interior surface 28 of this portion of greater thickness 20b is also preferably cylindrical of circular section, of diameter less than that of the inner surface 24 of the reduced thickness part 20a of the lateral body.
• a lateral body reconstitution part 30 which here takes the form of a closed ring extending over 360 ° around the axis 2, in the hollow area 26.
• This reconstitution part 30 has an outer surface 32 of shape complementary to that of the inner surface 24 of the reduced thickness part 20a of the lateral body.
• its internal surface 34 laterally delimits an upper part of the housing cavity 12, namely that situated above the part of greater thickness 20b of the lateral body, that is to say above the 'shoulder 16.
• the inner surface 34 of the ring 30 has a shape identical or similar to that of the inner surface 28 of the portion of greater thickness 20b, in order to result in a cavity housing 12 of uniform and constant shape.
• the thickness of the part 20b of the lateral body is substantially identical to the cumulative thicknesses of the part 20a, and of the ring 30 arranged laterally adjacent to this part 20a.
• the inner surface 34 and the inner surface 24 are concentric, centered on the axis 2. They are thus spaced radially from one another in relation to this axis 2, so as to have a minimum radial spacing Emin greater than 30 mm, or more preferably greater than 50 mm. Due to the concentricity of the surfaces 24, 34 and by their shapes, the radial spacing between them is preferably constant or substantially constant all along the circumferential direction.
• the ring-shaped reconstitution part 30 is an integral part of the cover 6.
• the latter then comprises a main part 36 serving for the axial closure of the housing cavity 12, this main part 36 preferably taking the form of a wafer arranged orthogonally to the axis 2.
• the cover 6 also includes this reconstitution part 30, arranged protruding axially in the direction of the bottom 4, from an inner surface of the main part of axial closure 36 corresponding to an axial end surface 38 of the cavity.
• the two components 30, 36 of the cover 6 can be made in one piece, or fixedly attached to each other, by welding or by equivalent fixing means.
• the cover 6 could also integrate a shock absorber (not shown) at its axial end surface 38, so that it is axially facing the head end of the assembly of radioactive materials 13.
• a shock absorber could be integral with the assembly 13, or simply placed axially between this assembly 13 and the cover 6.
• the cover 6, and in particular its main axial closure part 36 is completely covered laterally by the reduced thickness part 20a of the lateral body 10.
• This mechanical resistance is also ensured by means of fixing the cover 6 to the lateral body 10, which here take the form of a plurality of screw elements 40 parallel to the axis 2. These elements 40 first pass through the periphery of the main axial closure part 36, then the reconstitution part 30, in order to finally cross the shoulder 16 and come to be screwed into the upper end of the part 20b of the lateral body.
• the screwed elements are regularly spaced around the axis 2, and their heads are in countersinks 42 formed on the outer surface 44 of the main axial closure part 36. With these countersinks 42, the screwed elements 40 do not not protrusion of this shutter portion 36.
• This cover 46 called the head damper cover, in fact provides a bottom 45 which delimits a recess 48 in which a head portion of the part is housed of reduced thickness 20a, as well as the closing part 36 of the cover 6.
• the packaging also includes a sealing system clamped axially between the shoulder 16 and a lower axial end of the reconstitution part 30.
• a sealing system clamped axially between the shoulder 16 and a lower axial end of the reconstitution part 30.
• These are for example two seals 54 centered on the axis 2 and arranged at the interface between the two aforementioned elements, inside the fixing ring formed by the screwed elements 40. These seals ensure the confinement of the barrel 13 in the housing cavity 12, which then forms a confinement enclosure.
• the cavity 12 is thus delimited axially by the bottom 4 and the main shutter portion 36 of the cover, and delimited laterally by the two interior surfaces 34, 28. Moreover, the interior surface 34 of the ring 30 laterally delimits an upper axial section of the cavity 12, of length L1 greater than or equal to 50 mm.
• annular space 56 of the hollowed out area 26 is created between the inner surface 24 of the reduced thickness portion 20a, and the outer surface of a upper portion of the barrel 13.
• the annular space 56 thus has a radial thickness greater than or equal to 30 mm, and preferably greater than or equal to 50 mm.
• This annular space 56 forms a lateral access to the barrel 13 for its gripping.
• a handling device 58 can be introduced axially into this annular space 56 left free and of sufficient radial thickness, to be connected to the external lateral surface of the barrel 13.
• These are for example barrel clamps or '' a grapple 58, easily insertable into the dedicated space 56, without the need to oversize the width of the packaging.
• FIG. 4 represents another preferred embodiment of the invention, having strong similarities with the previous mode. Moreover, in all the figures, the elements bearing the same numerical references correspond to identical or similar elements.
• the main difference resides in the side body reconstitution part, which is no longer a ring integrated into the cover 6, but which is a ring 30 independent of the side body 10 and of the cover 6.
• This ring 30 is in fact arranged axially between the cover 6 in the form of a wafer, and the shoulder 16 separating the two parts 20a, 20b of the body 10.
• the seal (s) 54 can be offset between the first end 10a of the lateral body 10, and the inner surface of the cover 6 covering this end.
• a counterbore / recess 62 is preferably provided at the first end 10a to receive the cover 6, the seals 54 are thus arranged in the counterbore of this first end 10a.
• the screwed fixing elements 40 can here be arranged to cooperate with the head portion of the reduced thickness portion 20a, passing through the periphery of the cover 6 as well as the counterbore base defined by the first axial end 10a.
• the cover 6 is also entirely covered laterally by the reduced thickness part 20a, while being entirely housed in the countersink / recess 62 of the first axial end 10a.
• the seal 54 is also located inside the fixing ring formed by the screwed elements 40.
• FIG. 5 represents yet another embodiment, similar to the previous ones. It corresponds to the above-mentioned case c), having the particularity of having a side body reconstitution part 30 formed by two distinct elements.
• the primary portion 30a is an integral part of the cover 6, which also comprises the main axial closure part 36 of the housing cavity 12. More specifically, the primary portion 30a firstly has a d-shaped side wall ring 70 of small thickness, projecting towards the bottom from the axial end surface 38 defined by the main portion 36 of the cover.
• the ring 70 is centered on the axis 2, and its internal face forms the internal surface 34 radially delimiting the cavity 12.
• the ring 70 fixedly carries a flange of fixing 72. This adopts a disc shape of thin thickness centered on the axis 2, projecting radially outwards from the ring 70.
• the fixing flange 72 is capable of reconstituting the thickness of the lateral body 10 near the shoulder 16, after the fixing of the cover 6 there remains an annular space 74 between the interior surface 24, and this same cover. This space is entirely or partially filled by the secondary portion 30b of the reconstitution part 30.
• This secondary portion 30b is independent of the lateral body 10 and of the cover 6, like the reconstitution part 30 of case a) shown in FIG. 4.
• this ring 30b is situated between the internal surface 24 and the radially external surface of the assembly formed by the ring 70 of the primary portion 30a, and the main part 36 of this cover.
• the main part 36 and the primary portion 30a can be made in one piece, or more preferably by the assembly of several elements to each other, preferably by welding.
• Axial locking of the reconstitution ring 30b is effected by the bottom of the head damper cover 46, or by the presence of an additional cover (not shown) axially covering the cover 6 and fixed on the body 10.
• This cover additional can also be provided in all the other embodiments described above.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• High Energy & Nuclear Physics (AREA)
• Metallurgy (AREA)
• Ceramic Engineering (AREA)
• Closures For Containers (AREA)
• Buffer Packaging (AREA)
• Stackable Containers (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=65031264

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (6)

Family Cites Families (10)

• 2018
  • 2018-06-15 FR FR1855265A patent/FR3082655B1/fr active Active
• 2019
  • 2019-06-14 KR KR1020217000537A patent/KR20210020998A/ko not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2019-06-14 EP EP19742441.9A patent/EP3782168A1/de active Pending
  • 2019-06-14 WO PCT/FR2019/051454 patent/WO2019239078A1/fr unknown
  • 2019-06-14 JP JP2021519002A patent/JP7282878B2/ja active Active
  • 2019-06-14 US US17/251,950 patent/US11393602B2/en active Active

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