Transfer cask for spent nuclear fuel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11569002-B2
Application number	US-202016997434-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 19, 2020
Priority date	Aug 21, 2019
Publication date	Jan 31, 2023
Grant date	Jan 31, 2023

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a transfer cask for transferring spent nuclear fuel. The transfer cask transfers a canister storing the spent nuclear fuel and includes a transfer container having a space for accommodating the canister; a neutron shielding body arranged on an outer periphery of the transfer container to shield neutrons; and an opening/closing portion that is coupled to a lower portion of the transfer container and opens and closes the lower portion of the transfer container, wherein the opening and closing portion, a support portion supporting the transfer container and having a first through hole in communication with the transfer container; a lid assembly having a first lid portion and a second lid portion that open and close the first through hole; and a base plate on which the support portion is seated and a second through hole through which the canister is drawn out is formed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A transfer cask for transferring a canister storing spent nuclear fuel, the transfer cask comprising:
a transfer container having a space for accommodating the canister;
a neutron shielding body arranged on an outer periphery of the transfer container to shield neutrons; and
an opening/closing portion that is coupled to a lower portion of the transfer container and opens and closes the lower portion of the transfer container,
wherein the opening/closing portion comprises:
a support portion which supports the transfer container and in which the lower portion of the transfer container is placed and a first through-hole communicating with the transfer container is formed;
a base plate on which the support portion is placed and in which a second through-hole through which the canister passes is formed; and
a lid assembly having a first lid portion that opens and closes part of the first through-hole by rotating a first lid around a first rotation axis, and a second lid portion that opens and closes a remaining portion of the first through-hole by rotating a second lid around a second rotation axis.

2. The transfer cask of claim 1 ,
wherein each of the first lid and the second lid is formed in a semicircular shape, and when the first and second lids are closed, the first and second lids form a circular shape,
wherein the first lid portion includes a first actuator having an end of a rod coupled to an outer edge of the first lid and a rod body coupled to the base plate,
wherein the second lid portion includes a second actuator having an end of a rod coupled to an outer edge of the second lid and a rod body coupled to the base plate, and
wherein the first and second through-holes are opened by rotating the first and second lids away from each other and are closed by rotating the first and second lids to be closer to each other.

3. The transfer cask of claim 2 , wherein a protrusion portion is formed to protrude in an end of the first lid, a placement portion on which the protrusion portion is placed is formed on the second lid, and the protrusion portion is placed on the placement portion having a stepped shape to close the first through-hole.

4. The transfer cask of claim 2 ,
wherein the rod body of the first actuator is rotatable around a third rotation shaft, and
wherein the rod body of the second actuator is rotatable around a fourth rotation shaft.

5. The transfer cask of claim 1 , wherein the support portion comprises:
an upper support portion on which the lower portion of the transfer container is placed; and
a lower support portion that is spaced apart from the upper support portion at a certain distance and is detachably coupled to the base plate, and
wherein the lid assembly moves between the upper support portion and the lower support portion.

6. The transfer cask of claim 5 , wherein edges of the upper support portion and edges of the lower support portion are coupled to each other by coupling pins having a certain height, and part of the coupling pins comes into contact with the lid assembly to restrict movement of the lid assembly when the lid assembly opens the first and second through-holes.

7. The transfer cask of claim 1 ,
wherein the first lid portion includes the first lid formed in a semicircular shape, a first rotation arm portion having both ends extending in directions opposite to each other about the first rotation shaft and having one of the both ends coupled to the first lid, and a first actuator having an end of a rod rotatably coupled to the other end of the first rotation arm portion,
wherein, when the first lid closes the first through-hole, an angle between a first virtual line formed by extending the rod of the first actuator and a second virtual line formed by extending the first rotation arm portion is 90° or less,
wherein, when the first lid opens the first through-hole, the angle between the first virtual line and the second virtual line is greater than 90°,
wherein the second lid portion includes a second lid formed in a semicircular shape, and a second rotation arm portion having both ends extending in directions opposite to each other about the second rotation shaft and having one of the both ends coupled to the second lid, and a second actuator having an end of a rod rotatably coupled to the other end of the second rotation arm portion,
wherein, when the second lid closes the first through-hole, an angle between a third virtual line formed by extending the rod of the second actuator and a fourth virtual line formed by extending the second rotation arm portion is 90° or less, and
wherein, when the second lid opens the first through-hole, the angle between the third virtual line and the fourth virtual line is greater than 90°.

Assignees

• Kepco Eng & Constr Co Inc

Inventors

• Park Jin Seok
• Lee Soung Kyu
• Kim Sung Hwan
• Ko Kwang Jeok
• Kim Min Gyu
• Cho Yeon Ho

Classifications

• G21F5/12

  Closures for containers; Sealing arrangements · CPC title

• G21F5/065

  Containers provided with a rotatable drum · CPC title

• G21F5/008 Primary

  Containers for fuel elements · CPC title

• G21F5/06 Primary

  Details of, or accessories to, the containers · CPC title

• G21F5/02

  with provision for restricted exposure of a radiation source within the container · CPC title