Abstract: A natural passively cooled ventilated cask includes a cavity which holds a canister containing heat and radiation emitting spent nuclear fuel assemblies or other high level wastes. Ambient ventilation or cooling air is drawn inwards beneath the cask and vertically upwards into a lower portion of the cavity through air inlet ducts formed integrally with a bottom canister support structure coupled to the cask. The air heated by the canister flows upwards in the cavity and returns to atmosphere through air outlet ducts in the cask lid. Air circulation is driven via natural convective thermo-siphon flow. Structural standoff members elevate the bottom of the cask above a concrete base pad forming an air inlet plenum beneath the canister support structure. The lateral sidewall surface of the cask has no penetrations for the air inlets, which eliminates any streaming path for radiation emanating from the spent nuclear fuel.

Abstract: An apparatus for supporting spent nuclear fuel including a plurality of wall plates arranged in an intersecting manner to define a basket apparatus extending along a longitudinal axis. The basket apparatus may include a plurality of fuel cells and a plurality of flux traps between adjacent fuel cells. A plurality of reinforcement members may be positioned in the flux traps and may extend between opposing ones of the wall plates that form the flux traps. Each of the wall plates may be a slotted wall plate. The slotted wall plates may be interlocked with one another to form the basket apparatus. Each of the slotted wall plates may include an upper edge, a lower edge, and a plurality of plate slots formed in each of the upper and lower edges. The plate slots of the slotted wall plates may receive intersecting slotted wall plates.

Abstract: A natural passively cooled ventilated cask includes a cavity which holds a canister containing heat and radiation emitting spent nuclear fuel assemblies or other high level wastes. Ambient ventilation or cooling air is drawn inwards beneath the cask and vertically upwards into a lower portion of the cavity through air inlet ducts formed integrally with a bottom canister support structure coupled to the cask. The air heated by the canister flows upwards in the cavity and returns to atmosphere through air outlet ducts in the cask lid. Air circulation is driven via natural convective thermo-siphon flow. Structural standoff members elevate the bottom of the cask above a concrete base pad forming an air inlet plenum beneath the canister support structure. The lateral sidewall surface of the cask has no penetrations for the air inlets, which eliminates any streaming path for radiation emanating from the spent nuclear fuel.

Abstract: A natural passively cooled ventilated cask includes a cavity which holds a canister containing heat and radiation emitting spent nuclear fuel assemblies or other high level wastes. Ambient ventilation or cooling air is drawn inwards beneath the cask and vertically upwards into a lower portion of the cavity through air inlet ducts formed integrally with a bottom canister support structure coupled to the cask. The air heated by the canister flows upwards in the cavity and returns to atmosphere through air outlet ducts in the cask lid. Air circulation is driven via natural convective thermo-siphon flow. Structural standoff members elevate the bottom of the cask above a concrete base pad forming an air inlet plenum beneath the canister support structure. The lateral sidewall surface of the cask has no penetrations for the air inlets, which eliminates any streaming path for radiation emanating from the spent nuclear fuel.

Abstract: An apparatus for supporting spent nuclear fuel including a plurality of wall plates arranged in an intersecting manner to define a basket apparatus extending along a longitudinal axis. The basket apparatus may include a plurality of fuel cells and a plurality of flux traps between adjacent fuel cells. A plurality of reinforcement members may be positioned in the flux traps and may extend between opposing ones of the wall plates that form the flux traps. Each of the wall plates may be a slotted wall plate. The slotted wall plates may be interlocked with one another to form the basket apparatus. Each of the slotted wall plates may include an upper edge, a lower edge, and a plurality of plate slots formed in each of the upper and lower edges. The plate slots of the slotted wall plates may receive intersecting slotted wall plates.

Abstract: A ventilated apparatus for storing and/or transporting high level radioactive waste. In one aspect, the invention is a ventilated apparatus comprising: an overpack body having an inner surface forming a cavity about a longitudinal axis. A bottom portion of the overpack body is formed by a plurality of segments. Each of the segments extends from a first end wall having a projection to a second end wall having a channel. The segments circumferentially surround a longitudinal axis and are arranged in an intermeshing and spaced-apart configuration such that the projections of the first end walls of the segments project into the channels of the second end walls of adjacent ones of the segments, thereby forming inlet ducts between adjacent ones of the segments. The inlet ducts form air inlet passageways from the external atmosphere to a bottom portion of the cavity.

Abstract: A ventilated apparatus for storing and/or transporting high level radioactive waste. In one aspect, the invention is a ventilated apparatus comprising: an overpack body having an inner surface forming a cavity about a longitudinal axis. A bottom portion of the overpack body is formed by a plurality of segments. Each of the segments extends from a first end wall having a projection to a second end wall having a channel. The segments circumferentially surround a longitudinal axis and are arranged in an intermeshing and spaced-apart configuration such that the projections of the first end walls of the segments project into the channels of the second end walls of adjacent ones of the segments, thereby forming inlet ducts between adjacent ones of the segments. The inlet ducts form air inlet passageways from the external atmosphere to a bottom portion of the cavity.

Abstract: A ventilated apparatus for storing and/or transporting high level radioactive waste. In one aspect, the invention is a ventilated apparatus comprising: an overpack body having an inner surface forming a cavity about a longitudinal axis. A bottom portion of the overpack body is formed by a plurality of segments. Each of the segments extends from a first end wall having a projection to a second end wall having a channel. The segments circumferentially surround a longitudinal axis and are arranged in an intermeshing and spaced-apart configuration such that the projections of the first end walls of the segments project into the channels of the second end walls of adjacent ones of the segments, thereby forming inlet ducts between adjacent ones of the segments. The inlet ducts form air inlet passageways from the external atmosphere to a bottom portion of the cavity.

Abstract: A ventilated apparatus for storing and/or transporting high level radioactive waste. In one aspect, the invention is a ventilated apparatus comprising: an overpack body having an inner surface forming a cavity about a longitudinal axis. A bottom portion of the overpack body is formed by a plurality of segments. Each of the segments extends from a first end wall having a projection to a second end wall having a channel. The segments circumferentially surround a longitudinal axis and are arranged in an intermeshing and spaced-apart configuration such that the projections of the first end walls of the segments project into the channels of the second end walls of adjacent ones of the segments, thereby forming inlet ducts between adjacent ones of the segments. The inlet ducts form air inlet passageways from the external atmosphere to a bottom portion of the cavity.