Nuclear Assurance Corporation

John D McDaniels

A grid crusher apparatus and method are provided for a nuclear fuel rod consolidation system. Spacer grids are crushed within a basket which is then placed in a storage canister. The grid crusher apparatus has a ram assembly and a basket driving mechanism. The ram assembly has a sleeve ram and a central ram. The sleeve ram surrounds the central ram which is longitudinally movable within the sleeve ram. The central ram protrudes from the sleeve ram at a ram contact end and is retractable upon application of a preselected force to the central ram so that the central ram is flush with the sleeve ram at the ram contact end. The basket driving mechanism is configured to move the basket containing a spacer grid towards the ram contact end so that the spacer grid is crushed within the basket. The spacer grid is crushed by the combination of successive forces from the central ram and the sleeve ram, respectively. Essentially, the central portion of the spacer grid is crushed first, and then the remaining outer portion of the spacer grid is crushed to complete the crushing action of the spacer grid. The foregoing process is repeated for other spacer grids until the basket reaches a predetermined allowable capacity, and then the basket is stored in a storage canister.

Grid crusher apparatus and method

A tool guide plate for use in a rod consolidation system for the consolidation of spent fuel rods within a storage container. The system utilizes a robot in conjunction with long reach tools to remove spent fuel rods from an array of rods in a rod assembly and to transfer them to a rod consolidation holder. The tool guide plate has a plurality of apertures shaped to receive the end of a tool and less than the number of rods in the array and has means located on the guide plate for indexing the apertures over the rod position to provide tool access to all of the rods in the array, the apertures providing access to a plurality of rod positions in each index position.

Guide plate for locating rods in an array

An apparatus for the consolidation of spent nuclear fuel rods within a storage pool uses a robot in conjunction with long reach tools to remove spent fuel rods from a rod assembly and transfer them to a fuel rod consolidation canister. A movable curtain within the canister aligns and locates the rods for most efficient use of space. A tool guide plate enables the long reach rod grasping tool to locate each rod in the fuel cell accurately.

Apparatus for consolidation of spent nuclear fuel rods

A closure arrangement for spent nuclear fuel shipping container has a lid member with a peripheral groove in its outer edge, the lid member being adapted to rests upon a shoulder within a bore at the mouth of the cask. The lid is forced into sealing engagement with the shoulder by a plurality of radially disposed wedges extending from the inner wall of the cask into the peripheral groove. The wedges are moved by bolts extending through the wall of the cask and cam the lid down against the shoulder as they are forced into the groove.

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Duluth, GA, United States of America

John D McDaniels