GB2110154A

GB2110154A - Storage arrangement for nuclear fuel rods

Info

Publication number: GB2110154A
Application number: GB08231865A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Berthold Kempf
Original assignee: Alkem GmbH
Current assignee: Alkem GmbH
Priority date: 1981-11-13
Filing date: 1982-11-08
Publication date: 1983-06-15
Also published as: DE8133276U1; BE894955A; FR2516694B1; FR2516694A1; DE3145225A1; GB2110154B

Abstract

A storage arrangement for nuclear fuel rods, which can be adapted to the number of fuel rods to be stored in a flexible manner, consists of a vertical supporting post (2) provided with horizontal arms (4, 5, 6, 7) and an upright containers (10, 21) each of which serves to receive at least one fuel rod. The containers (10, 21) are connected to the arms of the supporting post (2), either directly or via another upright container (10, 21), in a rigid manner by means of detachable clamps (17). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Storage arrangement for fuel rods of nuclear reactor fuel elements This invention relates to a storage arrangement for fuel rods of nuclear reactor fuel elements.

A known storage arrangement of this type consists of a support having suspended rails for travelling trollies, on which fuel rods, to be assembled to form fuel elements by the use of skeletal structures, are suspended for storage purposes. The support is installed in a fixed manner in a storage area, and must be designed not only for a specific given storage capacity but also for specific given measurements of the nuclear reactor fuel elements which are to be stored. If the intended quantity of fuel elements to be stored is not obtained at one time, the storage space cannot be used for other purposes.

According to the present invention, there is provided a storage arrangementforfuel rods of nuclear reactor fuel elements, the arrangement comprising a supporting member disposed upright on or in the ground, and at least one container for containing at least one fuel rod, disposed upright on the ground, wherein the or each container is connected to the supporting member in a rigid manner by means of at least one detachable connecting member, either directly or via another said container.

Thus, the invention provides a storage arrangement which can be adapted to the number of fuel rods to be stored, in flexible manner, and which is not restricted in terms of space.

The supporting member such as a supporting post can be set up vertically at any point on the ground in the storage area. Then, the upright containers are set up vertically on the ground, one next to the other, and are connected in a rigid orform-locked manner to the supporting post ortho one another by means of detachable connectirig members. In this way, there is obtained a large array of upright containers, which is supported at first bythesupporting post, and which finally, however, the larger it becomes, gains more and more natural stability and guarantees storage of the fuel rods in the upright containers in a manner which issafe in mechanical terms.

It is preferred if on the supporting port there is at least one horizontal arm, to which one upright container is frii:tionally connected by means of a detachable connecting member. This offers the opportunity of frictionally connecting not only several upright containers but a whole row of upright containers,. directly to the supporting post, thereby improvingstill further the upright stability of the array of upright containers which is finally obtained.

In this respect, it is also preferred for there to be mounted, on the horizontal arm, a support leg which stands on the ground. More particularly, when this support leg is located at the free end of the horizontal arm, not only is deflection of the horizontal arm avoided on account of its weight, but the upright stability is also improved, more particularly at the beginning of the assembly of the array of upright containers.

The or at least one container may be provided with a suspending arrangement for suspending at least one fuel rod in the container, and/or with a screening member for preventing or reducing the escape from the container or radiation emanating from the fuel rod or rods to be contained therein.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side view of a storage arrangement according to the invention; and Figure 2 is a plan view of this storage arrange ment.

The storage arrangement shown in the Figures includes a supporting post 2 with a foot 2a, standing vertically on level horizontal ground 3. The support ing post 2 has two horizontal arms 4 and 6 and also two horizontal auxiliary arms 5 and 7, each of the latter arms being at right angles to the former arms.

At the free end of the arm 4, there is furthermore a support leg 25 which stands on the ground 3.

Between the arms 4 and 5, there are arranged elongated upright containers 8 having a circular cross-section. These upright containers 8 are closed at their lower ends by closure members 9 which stand on the ground 3. On the upper ends of the upright containers 8, there is in each case a screening member 10 which is co-axial to the respective upright container 8. Each screening member is in the form of a hollow cylinderwhich is opaque to ionizing radiation, and is provided with lips 11 and 12 on its upper and lower edges.

In each upright container 8, there is vertically arranged a fuel rod 13 which contains nuclear fuel and which is laterally supported by means of supporting members 14 which are connected with one another by means of a vertical rod 15.

The screening members 10 rest against the arms 4 or5. Furthermore the screening members 10 neighbouring one another are in contact. On the arms 4 and 5, tongues 16 are mounted in the regions of contact of the screening members 10 with the arms 4 and 5. The screening members 10, and therefore the upright containers 8, are connected to the tongues 16 in a rigid or form-locked manner by means of known detachable clamps 17 which act on the lips 11 of the screening members 10 and onthetongues 16. The screening members 10, and therefore the upright containers 8, are connected with one another in a rigid or form-locked manner by means of further detachable clamps 17 which act on the lips 11 of neighbouring screening members 10.In a similar way, the lips 12 at the lower edges of the screening members 10 are also connected with one another in a rigid or form-locked manner by means of detachable clamps 18.

A further upright container 21, having a square cross section, is arranged between the arms 5 and 6 of the supporting post 2. This upright container 21 is connected in a rigid or form-locked manner to each of arms 5 and 6 by means of detachable clamps 17 which act on tongues 16 on the arms 5 and 6.

A shackle is arranged at the upper end of the upright container 21, as a supporting arrangement for the purposes of suspending a nuclear reactorfuel element 24. This fuel element 24 consists of several fuel rods and a skeletal structure in which the fuel rods are supported. It is arranged on the shackle 23 suspended in the upright container 21.

Further upright containers 8 and 21 for fuel rods or nuclear reactor fuel elements can be connected in a rigid or form-locked manner, by means of clamps 17, to the upright containers 8 or 21 when required.

Claims

1. A storage arrangement for fuel rods of nuclear reactor fuel elements, the arrangement comprising a supporting member disposed upright on or in the ground, and at least one container for containing at least one fuel rod, disposed upright on the ground, wherein the or each container is connected to the supporting member in a rigid manner by means of at least one detachable connecting member, either directly or via another said container.

2. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the supporting member comprises an upright post and at least one horizontal arm.

3. An arrangement as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a support leg which stands on the ground and which supports said horizontal arm.

4. An arrangement as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein the supporting member comprises an upright post and four horizontal arms, each arm being at right angles to two other said arms.

5. An arrangement as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the or each container has a circular cross-section or a square cross-section.

6. An arrangement as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the or at least one container is provided with a suspending arrangement for suspending at least one fuel rod in the container.

7. An arrangement as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the or at least one container is provided with a screening member for preventing or reducing the escape from the container or radiation emanating from the fuel rod or rods to be contained therein.

8. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the drawings.

9. A method of storing fuel rods of nuclear fuet elements, which comprises storing the fuel rods in a storage arrangement as claimed in any of claims 1 to 8.