Nuclear fuel storage rack
First Claim
1. A nuclear fuel storage rack comprising a plurality of elongated, corner-adjoining, parallel enclosures each of generally rectangular cross-section and structural means distributed along portions of their length and permanently joining each of the enclosures to their neighboring enclosures at their corners in a checkerboard array to form a rigid honeycomb structure having transverse shear walls extending across the rack and wherein the number of fuel-receiving slots present is approximately equal to twice the number of enclosures present, each fuel enclosure having structural wall portions comprising poison material forming a continuous tube surrounding the fuel-receiving slot therein, top stiffening means secured to the top of the honeycomb structure at each enclosure, means for mounting said honeycomb structure within a fuel storage pool, and a plurality of elongated tubes constituted of poison material, one of said poison tubes being located within each of the fuel-receiving slots located between the interconnected enclosures.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Nuclear fuel storage rack comprising a rigid honeycomb formed of checkerboard-arrayed, corner-joined elongated tubular enclosures. Each enclosure comprises a structural wall section containing embedded poison material. Additional poison filled tubes may be located in the spaces formed between the connected enclosures.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A nuclear fuel storage rack comprising a plurality of elongated, corner-adjoining, parallel enclosures each of generally rectangular cross-section and structural means distributed along portions of their length and permanently joining each of the enclosures to their neighboring enclosures at their corners in a checkerboard array to form a rigid honeycomb structure having transverse shear walls extending across the rack and wherein the number of fuel-receiving slots present is approximately equal to twice the number of enclosures present, each fuel enclosure having structural wall portions comprising poison material forming a continuous tube surrounding the fuel-receiving slot therein, top stiffening means secured to the top of the honeycomb structure at each enclosure, means for mounting said honeycomb structure within a fuel storage pool, and a plurality of elongated tubes constituted of poison material, one of said poison tubes being located within each of the fuel-receiving slots located between the interconnected enclosures.
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2. A nuclear fuel storage rack comprising a plurality of elongated, corner-adjoining, parallel enclosures each of generally rectangular cross-section and structural means distributed along portions of their length and permanently joining each of the enclosures to their neighboring enclosures at their corners in a checkerboard array to form a rigid honeycomb structure having transverse shear walls extending across the rack and wherein the number of fuel-receiving slots present is approximately equal to twice the number of enclosures present, each fuel enclosure having structural wall portions comprising poison material forming a continuous tube surrounding the fuel-receiving slot therein, top stiffening means secured to the top of the honeycomb structure at each enclosure, and means for mounting said honeycomb structure within a fuel storage pool, the enclosures having at their corners longitudinally-extending flanges, the corner joining means rigidly joining together the enclosures at their corner flanges.
- 3. A nuclear fuel storage rack comprising a plurality of elongated, corner-adjoining, parallel enclosures each of generally rectangular cross-section and structural means distributed along portions of their length and permanently joining each of the enclosures to their neighboring enclosures at their corners in a checkerboard array to form a rigid honeycomb structure having transverse shear walls extending across the rack and wherein the number of fuel-receiving slots present is approximately equal to twice the number of enclosures present, each fuel enclosure having structural wall portions comprising poison material forming a continuous tube surrounding the fuel-receiving slot therein, top stiffening means secured to the top of the honeycomb structure at each enclosure, and means for mounting said honeycomb structure within a fuel storage pool, each enclosure comprising upper, central, and lower wall sections, the poisoning material being located only in the central wall section.
- 5. A nuclear fuel storage rack installation comprising a plurality of interconnected adjacent rack assemblies each comprising a plurality of elongated, corner-adjoining, parallel enclosures joined to their neighboring enclosures at their corners in a checkerboard array to form a rigid honeycomb structure having transverse shear walls extending across the rack, means for mounting said rack assemblies within a fuel storage pool, said installation providing support against overturning caused by lateral seismic loads while permitting horizontal expansion and contraction of individual rack assemblies in response to pool temperature variations, and the rack assembly interconnections comprising means for preventing relative vertical movement but allowing limited relative horizontal movement between adjacent rack assemblies.
- 10. A nuclear fuel storage rack installation comprising a plurality of interconnected adjacent rack assemblies each comprising a plurality of elongated, corner-adjoining, parallel enclosures joined to their neighboring enclosures at their corners in a checkerboard array to form a rigid honeycomb structure having transverse shear walls extending across the rack, and means for mounting said rack assemblies within a fuel storage pool, said pool mounting means providing support against lateral seismic loads while permitting horizontal expansion and contraction of individual rack assemblies in response to pool temperature variations and comprising a hydraulic cylinder and piston mounted between the pool wall and the adjacent rack assembly.
- 14. A nuclear fuel storage rack comprising a plurality of elongated, corner-adjoining, parallel enclosures each of generally rectangular cross-section and structural means distributed along portions of their length and permanently joining each of the enclosures to their neighboring enclosures at their corners in a checkerboard array to form a rigid honeycomb structure having transverse shear walls extending across the rack and wherein the number of fuel-receiving slots present is approximately equal to twice the number of enclosures present, each fuel enclosure having structural wall portions comprising poison material forming a continuous tube surrounding the fuel-receiving slot therein, and the corner-adjoining means rigidly joining the enclosures at said structural wall portions.
- 20. In a nuclear fuel storage rack installation comprising a plurality of interconnected adjacent rack assemblies each comprising a plurality of elongated, corner-adjoining, parallel enclosures joined to their neighboring enclosures at their corners in a checkerboard array to form a rigid honeycomb structure having transverse shear walls extending across the rack and means for mounting said rack assemblies within a fuel storage pool, the improvement comprising said installation comprising means providing a substantially rigid support against suddenly-applied loads while permitting movement of individual rack assemblies in response to temperature changes.
Specification