Deutsche Gesellschaft Fur Wiederaufarbeitung Von Kernbrennstoffen Mbh

Kurt Feuring

Franz-Wolfgang Popp

The invention is directed to a container for the interim and long-term stge of radioactive material such as irradiated nuclear reactor fuel elements. The container includes a vessel and a cover. The vessel has a base and a wall extending upwardly from the base. The wall terminates in an upper end portion defining the opening of the vessel for receiving the radioactive material to be stored therein. A sealing cover tightly closes the vessel. The vessel is a double-walled body made up of two metal layers defining the outer and inner walls of the vessel. The inner wall constitutes a base structure made of an inexpensive and mechanically stable material; whereas, the outer wall is made of a corrosion-resistant material. In order to produce the outer wall at low cost and with a minimal technical effort, the inner wall is made of a material selected from the group including nodular cast iron and gray cast iron and the outer wall is made of high-alloy austenitic cast iron containing nodular graphite, the latter being cast around the base structure. The opening of the vessel is closed with a sealing cover welded to the outer wall of the vessel. Methods of making the vessel of the container are also disclosed.

Container for the interim and long-term storage of radioactive material

The invention is directed to a container for transporting and/or storing irradiated nuclear fuel elements. The container includes a holding vessel made of cast iron containing nodular graphite and having an opening at one of its ends for receiving the materials to be stored therein and a cover for sealing the opening so as to be gas-tight with respect to the ambient. In order to weld a cover to the vessel without the necessity of conducting a follow-up heat treatment operation, an end ring made of cold-weldable material is mounted on the vessel at its opening. The end ring includes a connecting extension which is fused with the vessel when the latter is made by casting. After the vessel is filled, a cover made of a material having a structure similar to that of the end ring can be welded to the latter. In this way, a subsequent heat treatment of the vessel which would otherwise be necessary is avoided. The vessel and end ring can be viewed as being the vessel assembly and a method of making this assembly is also disclosed.

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Solms, Germany

Kurt Feuring