| Patent application number | Description | Published |
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| 20090069621 | METHOD OF REMOVING RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS FROM A SUBMERGED STATE AND/OR PREPARING SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL FOR DRY STORAGE - A system, apparatus and method of processing and/or removing radioactive materials from a body of water that utilizes the buoyancy of the water itself to minimize the load experienced by a crane and/or other lifting equipment. In one aspect, the invention is a method comprising: a) submerging a container having a top, a bottom, and a cavity in a body of water having a surface level, the cavity filling with water; b) positioning radioactive material within the cavity of the submerged container; c) raising the submerged container until the top of the containment apparatus is above the surface level of the body of water while a major portion of the container remains below the surface level of the body of water; and d) removing bulk water from the cavity while the top of the container remains above the surface level of the body of water and a portion of the container remains submerged. The bulk water can be added back into the cavity to add neutron shielding after the container is placed in a staging area and prior to personnel performing the desired operations to the container. As a result, gamma radiation and neutron shielding of the container can be maximized for any crane capacity. | 03-12-2009 |
| 20090159550 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR THE VENTILATED STORAGE OF HIGH LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE IN A CLUSTERED ARRANGEMENT - A system for receiving and storing high level radioactive waste comprising: an enclosure comprising walls having inlet ventilation ducts, a roof comprising an array of holes, and a floor; an array of metal shells located in an internal space of the enclosure, the array of metal shells being co-axial with the array of holes in the roof so that containers holding high level radioactive waste can be lowered through the array of holes in the roof and into the array of metal shells; the array of metal shells acting as load bearing columns for the roof; and each of the metal shells comprising (i) an expansion joint for accommodating thermal expansion and/or contraction of the metal shells; and (ii) one or more holes at a bottom portion of the metal shell. | 06-25-2009 |
| 20090175404 | APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING RADIOACTIVE FUEL ASSEMBLIES AND METHODS OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME - Apparatus for supporting radioactive fuel assemblies, such as spent nuclear fuel. In one aspect, the invention is an apparatus, which can be in the form of a fuel basket, fuel rack, or the like, in which hexagonal storage tubes are used not only for their internal cells but are also strategically patterned to create resultant cells with their outside surfaces. In another aspect, the invention is an apparatus having flux traps surrounding each cell wherein the size of the flux traps decrease with distance from the center of the storage grid. | 07-09-2009 |
| 20090198092 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TRANSPORTING AND/OR STORING RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS HAVING A JACKET ADAPTED TO FACILITATE THERMOSIPHON FLUID FLOW - A system, method and apparatus for transporting and/or storing radioactive materials, such as spent nuclear fuel. In one aspect, the invention is a jacket apparatus that is filled with a neutron absorbing fluid and adapted to facilitate a cyclical thermosiphon flow of the neutron absorbing fluid within the jacket when the neutron absorbing fluid is subjected to heat emanating from the cavity. In other aspects, the invention can be a method and container incorporating and/or using the same. In another aspect, the invention can be a container comprising: a gamma radiation absorbing body forming a cavity for receiving radioactive material; a jacket surrounding the body thereby forming a gap between the body and the jacket for holding a neutron absorbing fluid; a baffle positioned in the gap in spaced relation to both the body and the jacket so as to divide the gap into an inner region and an outer region; a passageway at or near a bottom of the gap between the inner region and the outer region that allows the neutron absorbing fluid to flow from the outer region into the inner region; and a passageway at or near a top of the gap between the inner region and the outer region that allows the neutron absorbing fluid to flow from the inner region into the outer region. | 08-06-2009 |
| 20110172484 | SYSTEM, METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING ADDITIONAL RADIATION SHIELDING TO HIGH LEVEL RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS - A system, method and apparatus for providing additional radiation shielding to a ventilated cask for holding high level radioactive materials. The invention utilizes a tubular shell that is ancillary to the ventilated cask that circumscribes the ventilated cask to add radiation shielding protection while improving heat removal by natural convective air flow. Because the tubular shell and cask are non-unitary and slidably separable from one another, crane lifting capacity is not affected. In one aspect, the invention is an apparatus for providing additional radiation shielding to a cask holding high level radioactive materials comprising: a tubular shell extending from an open bottom end to an open top end, the tubular shell having an inner surface that forms a cavity about a longitudinal axis; a plurality of primary apertures forming passageways through the tubular shell and circumferentially arranged in a spaced-apart manner about the tubular shell; a plurality of secondary apertures forming passageways through the tubular shell and circumferentially arranged in a spaced-apart manner about the tubular shell; and an annular seal coupled to the tubular shell and extending from the inner surface of the tubular shell; wherein the secondary apertures are located at an axial height above the annular seal and the primary apertures are located at an axial height below the annular seal. | 07-14-2011 |
| 20120142991 | APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING ADDITIONAL RADIATION SHIELDING TO A CONTAINER HOLDING RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS, AND METHOD OF USING THE SAME TO HANDLE AND/OR PROCESS RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS - The present invention relates to a system, method and apparatus for providing additional radiation shielding to a container holding radioactive materials. In one aspect, the invention is an apparatus that includes a tubular shell constructed of a gamma radiation absorbing material and having an inner surface that forms a cavity having an axis, the cavity having an open top end and an open bottom end; a plurality of spacers extending from the inner surface of the shell toward the axis of the cavity, the spacers extending a first height from the inner surface of the tubular shell; and one or more flange members located at or near the open top end of the cavity extending from the tubular shell toward the axis of the cavity, the flange member extending a second height from the inner surface of the shell, the second height being greater than the first height. | 06-07-2012 |
| 20120226088 | APPARATUS, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR FACILITATING TRANSFER OF HIGH LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE TO AND/OR FROM A POOL - A method, apparatus and system for the transferring a container for receiving high level radioactive waste into and/or out of a pool. The instant invention utilizes a specially designed container in order to make effective use of a stand placed within the pool. In one embodiment, the invention is a system for transferring high level radioactive waste comprising: a container for receiving high level radioactive waste, the container having a support structure; a stand comprising a cavity for receiving the container and an opening forming a passageway into the cavity; wherein the support structure is sized, shaped and/or arranged so that: (i) when the container is substantially vertically oriented in a first rotational position, the support structure can not pass through the opening due to contact between the support structure and the stand; and (ii) when the substantially vertically oriented container is rotated an angle about a vertical axis to a second rotational position, the support structure can pass through the opening in an unobstructed manner. | 09-06-2012 |
| 20130070885 | CANISTER APPARATUS AND BASKET FOR TRANSPORTING, STORING AND/OR SUPPORTING SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL - A canister apparatus, basket apparatus and combinations thereof for transporting and/or storing high level radioactive waste, such as spent nuclear fuel In one embodiment, the invention can be a basket apparatus for supporting a plurality of spent nuclear fuel rods within a containment structure, the basket apparatus comprising a plurality of disk-like grates, each disk-like grate, having a plurality of ceils formed by a gridwork of beams; and means for supporting the disk-like grates in a spaced arrangement with respect to one another and so that the cells of the disk-like grates are aligned. | 03-21-2013 |
| 20130343503 | SNAP-IN INSERT FOR REACTIVITY CONTROL IN SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL POOLS AND CASKS - A neutron absorbing apparatus, for insertion into a fuel cell storage system, includes a corner spine, a first all and a second wall, each wall being affixed to the corner spine to form a chevron shape. Each wall includes an absorption sheet affixed to the corner spine, each absorption sheet being formed of a metal matrix composite having neutron absorbing particulate reinforcement, and a guide sheet affixed to and covering a fractional upper portion of the absorption sheet and extending over a top of the absorption sheet. The absorption sheet extends along the corner spine a greater length than the guide sheet. | 12-26-2013 |
| 20140070118 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TRANSFERRING AND/OR WORKING NEAR A RADIOACTIVE PAYLOAD USING SHIELD-GATE APPARATUS - A system and method of transferring a radioactive payload using a shield-gate apparatus, including a method of performing work within a cavity of a shielding container using a shield-gate apparatus and shielding block, in one embodiment, the invention is a system comprising: a shield-gate apparatus comprising a body, a passageway extending along an axis through the body, and one or more movable shielding gates; a shielding block positioned atop the body of the shield-gate apparatus to enclose a first opening of the passageway; and a retaining feature that prevents relative transverse movement between the shielding block and the shield-gate apparatus while allowing relative rotation between the shielding block and the shield gate apparatus about a central axis of the shielding block. | 03-13-2014 |
| 20140105347 | APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING RADIOACTIVE FUEL ASSEMBLIES AND METHODS OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME - An apparatus for supporting radioactive fuel assemblies, such as spent nuclear fuel. In one aspect, the invention is an apparatus, which can be in the form of a fuel basket, fuel rack, or the like, in which polygonal storage tubes are used not only for their internal cells but are also strategically patterned to create resultant cells with their outside surfaces. | 04-17-2014 |
| 20150060705 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TRANSFERRING AND/OR WORKING NEAR A RADIOACTIVE PAYLOAD USING SHIELD-GATE APPARATUS - A method of transferring a radioactive payload and a method of performing work within a cavity of a shielding container. In one embodiment, the invention is a method comprising a) positioning a shield-gate apparatus atop a first shielding container, the shield-gate apparatus comprising a body, a passageway extending through the body, and one or more movable shielding gates that are open; and b) lifting a removable shielding lid of the first shielding container through the passageway, wherein during closing of the one or more shielding gates the removable shielding lid is maintained in a position in which either: (1) a bottom surface of the removable shielding lid is disposed within the passageway at a height above the one or more shielding gates; or (2) the bottom surface of the removable shielding lid is substantially flush with the top surface of the body of the shield-gate apparatus. | 03-05-2015 |
