The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 15, 1989
Filed:
Nov. 30, 1987
Octavio J Machado, Pensacola, FL (US);
Jay T Moore, Milton, FL (US);
Barry F Cooney, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Abstract
A rack for storing a maximum number of fuel assemblies in spent-fuel storage locations in a minimum space. The rack has locations each formed by bending a stainless-steel sheet into a hollow body of the generally rectangular cross section and with each side shaped so that the apices of the body project outwardly. Except for bodies along the outer periphery of the rack, the apex of each body is contiguous to the apex of an adjacent body. These contiguous apices are joined by spaced welds longitudinally along the bodies. The welds are spaced so as to maximize the resistance of the rack to seismic acceleration and spent-fuel storage locations are thus formed. Four storage locations extend radially from the apices of each location. A wrapper plate is secured to each side of each of these five locations providing a pocket for neutron-absorbing material. An additional storage location is formed between each location, two locations extending radially from each location and a location of another group of five locations. The additional location has pockets in common with the locations which bound it. The fuel storage pool where the rack is installed is divided into two regions. Region 1 is in a checkerboard pattern with locations corresponding to one set of squares capped. In Region 2, all cells are uncapped. Initially spent assemblies are deposited in Region 1. After fuel burn-up is checked, the fuel in Region 1 which has undergone at least a predetermined minimum burn-up is transferred to Region 2. The capped cells are provided to prevent the fuel in Region 1 of the rack from going critical.