Apparatus and method for consolidating spent fuel rods

An apparatus is described for consolidating spent fuel rods from spent fuel assemblies, comprising a container having a front wall, a back wall, side walls connected between the front and back walls, a bottom, and stationary flutes along the front wall. The stationary flutes define channels along the front wall. Each channel is sized to accept a fuel rod, the flutes and the channels stationary; springs aligned with and bearing against the flutes and the channels when no fuel rods have been inserted into the container. The springs are located proximate the front wall. Each spring is capable of maintaining a fuel rod in a preselected location in the container; support means located within the container for supporting the springs, the support means being movable within the container in a substantially horizontal direction between the front and back walls of the container; and positioning means for positioning the support means between the front and back walls of the container, the positioning means permitting the support means to take nondiscrete positions between the front and back walls