GB2096938A - Dry storage cells for radioactive material - Google Patents
Dry storage cells for radioactive material Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2096938A GB2096938A GB8204550A GB8204250A GB2096938A GB 2096938 A GB2096938 A GB 2096938A GB 8204550 A GB8204550 A GB 8204550A GB 8204250 A GB8204250 A GB 8204250A GB 2096938 A GB2096938 A GB 2096938A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- canister
- port member
- tubular port
- closure
- cell
- 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.)
- Granted
Links
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
- G21F7/00—Shielded cells or rooms
- G21F7/06—Structural combination with remotely-controlled apparatus, e.g. with manipulators
-
- 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
Landscapes
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- High Energy & Nuclear Physics (AREA)
- Manipulator (AREA)
Abstract
A facility for posting irradiated nuclear fuel from a preparation cell 1 of a dry storage complex into storage canisters 3 located in buckets 23 within a clean cell 4 comprises a telescopic tubular port member 5 for sealably connecting the preparation cell 1 to a canister 3. In operation the closure 9 of the canister 3 is screened against contamination and withdrawn from the canister into the preparation cell 1 via a retractable grab 8 prior to posting of the fuel into the canister. <IMAGE>
Description
SPECIFICATION
Dry storage of irradiated nuclear fuel
This invention relates to the dry storage of irradiated nuclear fuel and highly active waste.
When fuel is withdrawn from a nuclear reactor it is highly radioactive and is usually stored for a period of at least 100 days in a cooling pond; the pond water serves to contain the radioactivity and to absorb the heat energy generated by decay of fission products. Pond water cooling is not attractive for long term storage of irradiated nuclear fuel, for example 50 to 100 years, because corrosion of the fuel cladding can occur and there are difficulties in maintaining the pool. An alternative method of storing irradiated nuclear fuel and highly active waste for the long term is to deposit the fuel or waste in concrete cells and cool it by circulating air. Preferably the circulation is effected by a passive system so that maintenance and reliability problems are minimised.To contain the active contamination fully it is advisable to house the nuclear fuel in hermetically sealed canisters of stainless or carbon steel and an object of the invention is to provide a facility for posting the irradiated fuel and waste into canisters whilst substantially avoiding contamination of the outside of the canisters or interior of the cells.
According to the invention in a construction of cells for the dry storage of irradiated nuclear ractor fuel and highly active waste wherein prior to storage the fuel or waste is posted from a preparation cell into a canister within an adjacent clean cell, there is a tubular port member extending from the preparation cell into the clean cell, the tubular port member having a removable closure plug at the end adjacent the preparation cell and an opening at the other end for embracing the body of a closed canister, the closure plug carrying retractable retention means within the tubular port member for retaining and withdrawing the canister closure into the tubular port member, the retention means having a hood for sealably masking the outer surface of the canister closure.In operation, the canister sealably connected by the tubular port member forms an extension of the preparation cell into which the canister closure, after removal from the canister, can be withdrawn with the retention means to enable charging of the canister.
A construction of dry storage cells for irradiated nuclear fuel and highly active waste embodying the invention is described by way of example with reference to the sole accompanying drawing which is a sectional side view.
In the drawing there is shown a facility for posting irradiated nuclear fuel or highly active waste from an upper preparation cell 1 through a partition 2 into canisters 3 within a lower clean cell 4. The facility comprises a tubular port member 5 sealed to and telescopically extendable from the preparation cell. The tubular port member 5 has a removable closure plug 6 at the upper end within the preparation cell and an opening 7 at the lower end for sealably embracing the body of a closed canister 3. The closure plug 6 carries a retractable grab 8 within the tubular port member for retaining and withdrawing the canister closure designated 9 into the tubular port member and the grab has a hood 10 for sealably masking the outer surface of the canister closure 9.
In use the opening 7 of the tubular port member 5 seals about a canister 3 positioned immediately below and grab 8 with hood 10 is lowered within the tubular port member sealably to mask the canister closure 9. The grab is then engaged with the closure 9 and retracted to lift the closure clear of the canister. A grab within the preparation cell withdraws the closure plug 6 with grab and canister closure into the preparation cell and then transfers irradiated nuclear fuel, which may be in the form of a string of fuel elements, into the container whereupon the plug 6 with grab 8 and canister closure 9 is restored to the tubular port member. The grab 8 can then be extended to replace the closure 9 on the canister 3 whereupon the tubular port member is retracted and the canister removed for securing the closure by welding and checking for contamination of the external surfaces.
In greater detail, the tubular port member 5 is sealed to the partition 2 by a bellows seal 11 and is telescopically displaceable by a pair of screw jack actuators 12. The tubular port member has arms 1 3 with screw threads complementary to those of the actuators and vertically slidable in slots 14 formed in a flanged cover 1 5. A seal ring 1 6 about the opening 7 is provided to contain contamination within the tubular port member.
The closure plug 6 is sealed to the tubular port member by a seal ring 17, it has a lifting collar 18 and is normally retained in position by hinged toggles 1 9. There is shown in broken line a cover 20 which is sealable to the partition and can be used to isolate the partition penetration for maintenance of the facility.
The grab is carried from the plug 6 by a pneumatic ram 21 for retraction into the tubular port member and the hood 10, which encloses the grab jaws, carries a seal ring 22 for sealing the outer surface of the canister closure 9 against contamination.
The canisters are brought into position for charging in buckets 23 the canisters having loosefitting closures 9 with lifting collars 24 and being centralised in the buckets by fins 25.
In operation, with the tubular port member 5 retracted to the preparation cell and the grab 8 retracted within the tubular port member, a canister 3 is accurately positioned and the tubular port member extended by the actuators 12 to engage the opening 7 in sealing embrace of the canister body. The grap 8 is extended within the tubular port member to effect sealing embracement of the canister closure by the hood 10 and the grab 8 engages the lifting head 24 to withdraw the closure into the tubular port member. After releasing the hinged toggles 19 the closure plug 6 with grab 8 and canister closure 9 are withdrawn into the fuel preparation cell and the canister becomes an extension of the closed preparation cell.
Fuel or active waste is charged into the canister followed by replacement of the canister closure as hereinbefore described, whereupon the tubular port member can be retracted to enable the loaded canister to be replaced with an empty canister.
Whilst the facility enables irradiated nuclear fuel or highly active waste to be posted into a canister substantially avoiding contamination of the outside of the canister, it should be appreciated that some contamination of the canister surface intermediate the sealing rings 16, 22 can occur, hence the need for checking for contamination and subsequent cleaning where the check proves positive.
In alternative constructions of dry storage cells for irradiated nuclear fuel or highly active waste the retention means for the canister closure is a vacuum or magnetically operable retaining device.
Claims (3)
1. A construction of cells for the dry storage of irradiated nuclear reactor fuel and highly active waste, the construction comprising a clean cell for housing closed canisters and a preparation cell from which the fuel or waste can be posted into the canisters prior to dry storage, the preparation cell having a tubular port member extending into the clean cell, the tubular port member having a removable closure plug at the end adjacent the preparation cell and an opening at the other end for embracing the body of a closed canister, the closure plug carrying retractable retention means within the tubular port member for retaining and withdrawing the canister closure into the tubular port member, the retention means having a hood for sealably masking the outer surface of the canister closure.
2. A construction according to claim 1 wherein the retention means is a vacuum operable gripping device.
3. A construction according to claim 1 wherein the retention means is a magnetically operable gripping device.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB8204550A GB2096938B (en) | 1981-03-03 | 1982-02-12 | Dry storage cells for radioactive material |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB8106585 | 1981-03-03 | ||
| GB8204550A GB2096938B (en) | 1981-03-03 | 1982-02-12 | Dry storage cells for radioactive material |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB2096938A true GB2096938A (en) | 1982-10-27 |
| GB2096938B GB2096938B (en) | 1984-06-13 |
Family
ID=26278617
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB8204550A Expired GB2096938B (en) | 1981-03-03 | 1982-02-12 | Dry storage cells for radioactive material |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| GB (1) | GB2096938B (en) |
Cited By (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB2116900A (en) * | 1982-02-18 | 1983-10-05 | Nat Nuclear Corp Ltd | Dry storage of irradiated nuclear fuel |
| GB2144898A (en) * | 1983-08-11 | 1985-03-13 | Westinghouse Electric Corp | Nuclear power plant |
| DE3717189C1 (en) * | 1987-05-22 | 1988-11-10 | Nuklear Service Gmbh Gns | Device for transferring a radioactive object from a first container into a second container |
-
1982
- 1982-02-12 GB GB8204550A patent/GB2096938B/en not_active Expired
Cited By (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB2116900A (en) * | 1982-02-18 | 1983-10-05 | Nat Nuclear Corp Ltd | Dry storage of irradiated nuclear fuel |
| GB2144898A (en) * | 1983-08-11 | 1985-03-13 | Westinghouse Electric Corp | Nuclear power plant |
| DE3717189C1 (en) * | 1987-05-22 | 1988-11-10 | Nuklear Service Gmbh Gns | Device for transferring a radioactive object from a first container into a second container |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| GB2096938B (en) | 1984-06-13 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCNP | Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee |