[en] The present invention treats, in a general way, the leaktightness devices used for passages between pools, and in particular, the fixed leaktight joints used for the contiguous pools of nuclear facilities. These pools are employed for the storage and maintenance of irradiated components. Components are immersed in water or other liquids in these pools so as to assure protection from radiation and the cooling of the components. These pools are often connected to one another by a series of passages, which may either be closed or which may allow the transfer of irradiated components under water

[en] Irradiated nuclear fuel has been stored in water pools at essentially all nuclear reactors, beginning with the earliest plants in 1943. Fuel from water-cooled power reactors is clad either with Zircaloy or with stainless steel. Zircaloy-clad fuel has been stored US pools since 1959. Some experimental stainless-steel-clad fuel was stored for 12 yr in the US before reprocessing. Canadian Zircaloy-clad fuel has been stored since 1962. There has been no evidence that the fuel has degraded during pool storage, based principally on visual observations and radiation monitoring of pool air and water. However, several fuel rods have been subjected to metallographic examination after pool exposures up to 11 yr, also with no evidence that the fuel cladding has degraded in the pool. Canadian fuel stored up to 10 yr was returned to a reactor and performed well. Favorable storage experience also has been indicated for other countries with fuel residence times of 5 to 10 yr. The pool storage environment is high-purity water at 5.3 to 7.5 pH, except for pools for pressurized water reactors, which utilize boric acid pool chemistry at 4.5 to 6.0 pH. Pool water temperatures generally range between 20 and 50⁰C. The favorable storage experience, demonstrated technology, successful handling of fuel with reactor-induced defects, benign storage environments, and corrosion-resistant materials offer sufficient bases to proceed with expanded storage capacities and extended fuel storage until questions regarding fuel reprocessing and final storage of nuclear wastes have been resolved. Some surveillance is justified to detect degradation if it becomes significat. Surveillance programs are already under way in several countries. 1 figure, 6 tables

[en] It is proposed to fix the plates (made of sintered boron) used for radiation shielding for chambers which are used for storing spent nuclear fuel elements, with the help of a double sheet on the outside of the chambers. Areas which are to take the plates are divided by reinforcements running longitudinally and transversely. (UWI)

[en] The storage frame consists of a bottom plate and plates placed edgewise and parallel to one another on it. The plates are made corrugated so that long cut-outs for accommodating the fuel elements are formed. The corrugations from alternating shafts and seams, where to improve the stability, the plates are rigidly connected to each other at the seams. The plates themselves are made of high quality steel or boron steel. (DG)

[en] Whatever the alternative selected for the 'back end' of the nuclear fuel cycle, from reprocessing to final disposal in a geological repository, the electrical power utilities throughout the world have to solve the problem of interim fuel storage. The ideal storage facility, both for the reactor and for a centralized installation, must be 'safe' and as 'compact' as possible. Underwater storage is currently the most proven technology. It represents the most widely used solution on the industrial scale, and is of interest for its adaptability to high-density storage

No abstract available

[en] This invention relates to sodium cooled fast breeder reactors. It particularly concerns facilities for the transfer of fuel assemblies between the reactor core and a fuel transfer area. The installation is simple in construction and enables a relatively small vessel to be used. In greater detail, the invention includes a vessel with a head, fuel assemblies housed in this vessel, and an inlet and outlet for the coolant covering these fuel assemblies. The reactor has a fuel transfer area in communication with this vessel and gear inside the vessel for the transfer of these fuel assemblies. These facilities are borne by the vessel head and serve to transfer the fuel assemblies from the vessel to the transfer area; whilst leaving the fuel assemblies completely immersed in a continuous mass of coolant. A passageway is provided between the vessel and this transfer area for the fuel assemblies. Facilities are provided for closing off this passageway so that the inside of the reactor vessel may be isolated as desired from this fuel transfer area whilst the reactor is operating

[en] Bases were developed for the conceptual design of a water basin to store 5000 MT of irradiated light water reactor fuel. The basin, which could be operational by 1983, is designed to receive over 2000 MT per year of spent fuel and to provide interim storage of U.S. and some foreign fuel in support of U.S. policy of receiving and taking title to spent fuel rather than reprocessing this fuel. The bases for various design decisions are discussed

[en] The present invention proposes a beam forming a plane bearing surface for the inner metal sheet of a pond while providing a channel allowing the introduction of a radiography apparatus after the beam has been incorporated in the concrete and, an efficiency drainage of leaking fluids from the welding joint between the sheets that this beam has to support

[en] A stable fixing of a storage rack in a fuel element pond equipped with metal cladding can be achieved, according to the invention, by dividing the support into two parts. A peg is connected (e.g. by welding) to the metal cladding, above which a supporting bolt is inverted when the storage rack is inserted, whose edge is opened up to form a hood and which surrounds the peg with little play. It should be at a smaller distance from the metal cladding than the diameter of the peg. (UWI) 891 HP