Spent nuclear fuel shipping basket and cask

Patent · Tue May 02 04:00:00 EDT 1989

OSTI ID:5868282

Wells, A H; Thompson, J C

A basket for a cask for transporting nuclear fuel elements is described. The elements consist of tubes having internal cross-section dimension for receiving a nuclear fuel assembly such that the assembly is held firmly in place within the tubes. The tubes are arranged in a stacked pattern to fit within a cask, each of the tubes being independent of every other tube in the stacked pattern such that the transfer of stresses form tube to tube is impeded and being adapted to maintain adjacent tubes in position within the stack along at least one axis. A plurality of filler block members are adapted to be inserted between the stacked tubes and the inner wall of the cask to fill the empty spaces therebetween, each of the filler block members being independent of each other, the tubes in the stacked pattern, and the inner wall of the cask to impede the transfer of stresses throughout the basket and cask structure, the shape and dimensions of the filler blocks being such that when the blocks are assembled with the stacked tubes and inserted into the cask, the entire basket, including the tubes, is held rigidly in place within the cask.

• Assignee: Nuclear Assurance Corp., Norcross, GA
• Patent Number(s): US 4827139
• OSTI ID: 5868282
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

050900* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Transport
Handling
& Storage
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
CASKS
CONTAINERS
CORROSION PROTECTION
DESIGN
ENERGY SOURCES
FUELS
MATERIALS
NUCLEAR FUELS
REACTOR MATERIALS
SPENT FUEL CASKS
SPENT FUELS
TRANSPORT