CASK TRANSPORT ASSEMBLY
A cask transport system includes a support assembly including a plurality of wheels and a support frame coupled to and supported by the wheels. The cask transport system also includes a tower disposed above the support assembly, the tower including a base portion and a tower frame coupled to the base portion, the tower frame movable relative to the base portion. The cask transport system also includes an upper beam assembly coupled to the tower frame, and a bottom block assembly coupled to the upper beam assembly, the bottom block assembly movable relative to the upper beam assembly.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/671,507, filed Jul. 13, 2012, the entire contents of which are herein incorporated by reference.
FIELD OF INVENTIONThe present invention relates to lifting and transporting of casks and multi-purpose canisters in the nuclear power field. Specifically, the present invention relates to lifting and transporting spent nuclear fuel casks and canisters.
BACKGROUNDCanisters are commonly used to hold nuclear fuel in the nuclear power field. Once these canisters have been used and are spent, the canisters need to be transported to large storage tanks positioned in pits in the ground for safety reasons. The process of lifting and transporting spent nuclear fuel canisters requires careful planning and precision. In particular, it is possible for seismic or other movement events to take place during the transport of the canisters, particularly in regions of the world susceptible to earthquakes. Additionally, it is possible to have single failures within a transport system (e.g., a component breaking) during the transport of canisters. Without a system built to handle these types of events, the canisters could tip, fall, be released, and/or otherwise be damaged or compromised.
SUMMARYIn one construction, the invention provides a cask transport system that includes a support assembly including a plurality of wheels and a support frame coupled to and supported by the wheels. The cask transport system also includes a tower disposed above the support assembly, the tower including a base portion and a tower frame coupled to the base portion, the tower frame movable relative to the base portion. The cask transport system also includes an upper beam assembly coupled to the tower frame, and a bottom block assembly coupled to the upper beam assembly, the bottom block assembly movable relative to the upper beam assembly
In another construction, the invention provides a cask transport system that includes a support assembly including a plurality of wheels and a support frame coupled to and supported by the wheels. The cask transport system also includes a tower disposed above the support assembly, the tower including a base portion and a plurality of tower frames coupled to the base portion, the tower frames movable relative to each other and to the base portion. The cask transport system also includes an upper beam assembly coupled to the tower frames, the upper beam assembly including a plurality of pulley systems. The cask transport system also includes a bottom block assembly coupled to the upper beam assembly, the bottom block assembly movable relative to the upper beam assembly via the pulley systems.
In another construction, the invention provides a method of using a cask transport system having a support assembly including a plurality of wheels and a support frame coupled to and supported by the wheels, a tower disposed above the support assembly, the tower including a base portion and a tower frame coupled to the base portion, an upper beam assembly coupled to the tower frame, and a bottom block assembly coupled to the upper beam assembly. The method includes coupling the bottom block assembly to a canister, changing the vertical position of the tower frame relative to the base portion, and changing the vertical position of the bottom block assembly relative to the upper beam assembly.
In another construction, the invention provides a cask transport system including a support assembly including a plurality of wheels and a support frame coupled to and supported by the wheels. The cask transport system also includes a tower disposed above the support assembly. The cask transport system also includes an upper beam assembly coupled to the tower frame, the upper beam assembly including a winch drum. The cask transport system also includes a bottom block assembly coupled to the upper beam assembly, the bottom block assembly movable from a first vertical position relative to the upper beam assembly to a second vertical position relative to the upper beam assembly.
In another construction, the invention provides a method of using a cask transport system having a support assembly including a plurality of wheels and a support frame coupled to and supported by the wheels, a tower disposed above the support assembly, the tower including a base portion and a tower frame coupled to the base portion, an upper beam assembly coupled to the tower frame, and a bottom block assembly coupled to the upper beam assembly, the upper beam assembly including a support arm extending beneath the upper beam assembly. The method includes changing the vertical position of the tower frame relative to the base portion, coupling the support arm of the upper beam assembly to a storage tank, moving the cask transport system from a first location to a second location with the storage tank coupled to the upper beam assembly, and lowering the storage tank into a pit at the second location.
In another construction, the invention provides a method of transporting a canister with a cask transport system having a support assembly including a plurality of wheels and a support frame coupled to and supported by the wheels, a tower disposed above the support assembly, the tower including a base portion and a tower frame coupled to the base portion, an upper beam assembly coupled to the tower frame, and a bottom block assembly coupled to the upper beam assembly, the upper beam assembly including a support arm extending beneath the upper beam assembly. The method includes moving a cask underneath the support arm, the cask including a canister disposed inside the cask. The method also includes changing the vertical position of the tower frame relative to the base portion, coupling the support arm to the cask, and raising the cask. The method also includes moving the cask transport system from a first location to a second location with the cask coupled to the upper beam assembly.
Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
DETAILED DESCRIPTIONAs shown in
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The first pair of moving frames 40, 42 are coupled to the base portion 38 and telescope vertically in and out of the substantially hollow rectangular frame defined by the base portion 38. The first pair of moving frames 40, 42 are substantially hollow rectangular frames. The first pair of hydraulic cylinders 44, 46 are coupled to the base portion 38 at one end and to a respective one of the first pair of moving frames 40, 42 at the other end. The first pair of hydraulic cylinders 44, 46 are heavy duty double-acting hydraulic cylinders and are operable to move the first pair of moving frames 40, 42 vertically both up and down.
The second pair of moving frames 48, 50 are coupled to the respective first pair of moving frames 40, 42 and telescope vertically in and out of the substantially hollow rectangular frames defined by the first pair of moving frames 40, 42. The second pair of moving frames 48, 50 are substantially hollow rectangular frames. The second pair of hydraulic cylinders 52, 54 are coupled to the first pair of moving frames 40, 42 on one end and to the upper beam assembly 16 at the other end. The second pair of hydraulic cylinders 52, 54 are heavy duty double-acting hydraulic cylinders and are operable to move the second of moving frames 48, 50 vertically both up and down.
The safety catch 56 is included to catch the upper beam assembly 16 in the event of hydraulic pressure loss.
In
In some constructions, the range of travel 64 of the bottom block assembly 18 with respect to the upper beam assembly 16 is between about 8 feet and about 42 feet. In some constructions, the range of travel 64 is between about 17 feet and about 33 feet. In some constructions, the range of travel 64 is between about 21 feet and about 29 feet.
In the illustrated construction, the tower 14 travels between the first height 58 and the second height 60 and independently, the bottom block assembly 18 moves with respect to the upper beam assembly 16 over the range of travel 64. These travel ranges can be added to create an even greater range of motion for the bottom block assembly 18 with respect to the ground, as shown in
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The adjustable sheave 98 is positioned a first distance 102 (
The wires 88 extend around the various sheaves in the upper beam 16 and are connected to the bottom block assembly 18. When the hydraulic cylinders 100 move the adjustable sheave 98, the wires 88 are either drawn up into the upper beam 16 (
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The bottom block assembly 18 is reeved to be single failure proof per ASME NOG-1-2004. The second roller guide 112 is installed perpendicular to the centerline of a path of at least one of the wires 88. The first and second roller guides 110, 112 permit the bottom block assembly 18 to have a small outside diameter in which the wires 88 cross below the bottom block assembly 18. The outside diameter of the illustrated bottom block assembly 18 is about 26 inches. This permits the bottom block assembly 18 to be inserted into small openings. The rollers in the roller guides 110, 112 can be arranged as a half circle in which the outer diameter of each roller is tangent to the arc corresponding to the minimum bend radius of the specified wire rope utilized.
With continued reference to FIGS. 1 and 4-7, the upper beam assembly 16 further includes support arms 116. The support arms 116 are rigid structures extending vertically beneath the upper beam assembly 16, and are used to releasably couple to devices that are being transported (e.g., a cask storage container). Two support arms 116 are illustrated, though in other constructions different numbers or arrangements of support arms 116 are used. Each of the support arms 116 includes a coupling component 118 (
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The second side 236 includes a base portion 238, a single pair of moving frames 240, 244, and a single pair of hydraulic cylinders 248, 252. The second side 236 also includes a safety catch 256. The base portion 238 is substantially fixed to the second side 236 of the frame 222 and extends upwardly therefrom. The base portion 238 is a substantially hollow rectangular frame.
The pair of moving frames 240, 244 are coupled to the base portion 238 and telescope vertically in and out of the substantially hollow rectangular frame defined by the base portion 238. The moving frames 240, 244 are substantially hollow rectangular frames. The hydraulic cylinders 248, 252 are coupled to the base portion 238 at one end and to a respective one of the pair of moving frames 240, 244 at the other end. The pair of hydraulic cylinders 248, 252 are heavy duty double-acting hydraulic cylinders and are operable to move the pair of moving frames 240, 244 vertically both up and down.
The safety catch 256 is included to catch the upper beam assembly 16 in the event of hydraulic pressure loss.
Similar to the cask transport assembly 10, the cask transport assembly 210 is adjustable vertically so that the upper beam assembly 216 may be raised as high as between about 17 feet and about 58 feet above a support surface (e.g., support surface 62 in
The upper beam assembly 216 may be lowered to as low as between about 4 feet and about 42 feet above the support surface. In some constructions, the upper beam assembly 216 may be lowered to as low as between about 12 feet and about 33 feet above the support surface. In some constructions, the upper beam assembly 216 may be lowered to as low as between about 21 feet and about 25 feet above the support surface.
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Overall, the range of travel of the bottom block assembly 372 with respect to the upper beam assembly 216, through use of the wires 296, the sheave 264, the winch drums 300, and the sheave 360, is between about 8 feet and about 42 feet. In some constructions, the range of travel is between about 17 feet and about 33 feet. In some constructions, the range of travel is between about 21 feet and about 29 feet.
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With the cask 444 positioned underneath the upper beam assembly 16, the upper beam assembly 16 is lowered. Specifically, the frames 40, 42 and/or 48, 50 are lowered, until the support arms 116 are positioned adjacent two outwardly protruding pins 460 on the cask 444. The cask 444 is then coupled to the support arms 116, for example by inserting the pins 460 through the coupling components 118 on the support arms 116. Other constructions include different methods by which the cask 444 may be coupled to the upper beam assembly 16. With the cask 444 coupled to the supper beam assembly 16, the upper beam assembly 16 is raised, thereby lifting the cask 444 off of the dolly 448 so that the vertical cask transport 10 and cask 444 may be moved together toward the pit 408.
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While not illustrated, the cask 444 further includes a lower cover that is removable from the cask 444. Once this lower cover is removed, the upper beam assembly 16 is then used to lower the bottom block assembly 18, and the coupled canister 472, down into the storage tank 404. In particular, the pulley systems of upper assembly 16, or in the case of cask transport 210 the winch drum and sheave systems of upper assembly 216, are used to lower the canister down into the chamber 432 of the storage tank 404.
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Although the invention has been described in detail with reference to certain preferred constructions, variations and modifications exist within the scope and spirit of one or more independent aspects of the invention as described.
Claims
1. A cask transport system comprising:
- a support assembly including a plurality of wheels and a support frame coupled to and supported by the wheels;
- a tower disposed above the support assembly, the tower including a base portion and a tower frame coupled to the base portion, the tower frame movable relative to the base portion;
- an upper beam assembly coupled to the tower frame; and
- a bottom block assembly coupled to the upper beam assembly, the bottom block assembly movable relative to the upper beam assembly.
2. The cask transport system of claim 1 wherein the support frame is U-shaped.
3. The cask transport system of claim 1 wherein the support frame includes first and second legs, and a middle portion disposed between the first and second legs, each of the legs being supported by at least one of the plurality of wheels.
4. The cask transport system of claim 1 wherein the support assembly further includes a prime mover supported on the support frame.
5. The case transport system of claim 1 wherein tower frame telescopes in and out of the base portion.
6. The case transport system of claim 1 wherein the tower includes a hydraulic cylinder that moves the tower frame relative to the base portion, the hydraulic cylinder coupled to both the tower frame and the base portion.
7. The cask transport system of claim 1, wherein the tower frame is a first tower frame, and further including a second tower frame coupled to the first tower frame.
8. The cask transport system of claim 7 wherein the second tower frame is movable relative to the first tower frame.
9. The cask transport system of claim 7 wherein the second tower frame telescopes in and out of the first tower frame.
10. The cask transport system of claim 9 wherein the tower includes a hydraulic cylinder that moves the second tower frame relative to the first tower frame.
11. The cask transport system of claim 1 wherein the tower includes a first side, and a second side that is substantially a mirror image of the first side, and wherein the tower includes a plurality of vertical movable tower frames on the first side, and a plurality of vertical movable tower frames on the second side, the tower frames configured to extend and retract relative to the base portion and to each other to provide varying heights for the tower.
12. The cask transport system of claim 1 further including a plurality of wires coupled to both the upper beam assembly and the bottom block assembly.
13. The cask transport system of claim 12 wherein the upper beam assembly includes a pulley system engaged with the plurality of wires.
14. The cask transport system of claim 1 wherein the upper beam assembly includes two pulley systems that are substantially mirror images of one another.
15. The cask transport system of claim 1 wherein the upper beam assembly includes a fixed sheave and an adjustable sheave.
16. The cask transport system of claim 15 wherein the upper beam assembly includes a hydraulic cylinder that moves the adjustable sheave relative to the fixed sheave.
17. The cask transport system of claim 16 wherein the hydraulic cylinder and the adjustable sheave are both configured to move horizontally.
18. The cask transport system of claim 1 wherein the bottom block assembly includes a bottom block, a lift block, a roller guide, and a pin.
19. The cask transport system of claim 18 wherein the pin connects the bottom block and the lift block.
20. The cask transport system of claim 18 wherein the bottom block assembly includes two roller guides, and wherein the pin retains the two roller guides between the bottom block and the lift block.
21. The cask transport system of claim 20 wherein one of the roller guides is installed perpendicular to a centerline of a path for a wire extending between the upper beam assembly and the bottom block assembly.
22. The cask transport system of claim 18 wherein the bottom block assembly is reeved to be a single failure proof assembly.
23. The case transport system of claim 1 wherein the tower includes a safety catch to catch the upper beam assembly in the event of a hydraulic pressure loss.
24. A cask transport system comprising:
- a support assembly including a plurality of wheels and a support frame coupled to and supported by the wheels;
- a tower disposed above the support assembly, the tower including a base portion and a plurality of tower frames coupled to the base portion, the tower frames movable relative to each other and to the base portion;
- an upper beam assembly coupled to the tower frames, the upper beam assembly including a plurality of pulley systems; and
- a bottom block assembly coupled to the upper beam assembly, the bottom block assembly movable relative to the upper beam assembly via the pulley systems.
25. A method of using a cask transport system having a support assembly including a plurality of wheels and a support frame coupled to and supported by the wheels, a tower disposed above the support assembly, the tower including a base portion and a tower frame coupled to the base portion, an upper beam assembly coupled to the tower frame, and a bottom block assembly coupled to the upper beam assembly, the method comprising:
- coupling the bottom block assembly to a canister;
- changing the vertical position of the tower frame relative to the base portion; and
- changing the vertical position of the bottom block assembly relative to the upper beam assembly.
26. The method of claim 25 further comprising coupling the cask transport system to both a cask transport and the canister at the same time.
27. The method of claim 26 further comprising fitting the bottom block assembly inside of an opening in the cask transport.
28. The method of claim 28 wherein the canister contains spent nuclear fuel.
29. The method of claim 28 wherein the method is seismically qualified.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 12, 2013
Publication Date: Jan 16, 2014
Inventors: Steve Coogan (South Milwaukee, WI), Michael Waedekin (Mukwonago, WI), Joseph A. Yustus (Hartford, WI)
Application Number: 13/941,400
International Classification: G21F 5/14 (20060101);