A storage apparatus is provided for dry storage of radioactive nuclear waste. The storage apparatus comprises a sealed canister containing the radioactive nuclear waste and an outer ventilated metal storage overpack (VMSO). The VMSO has a plurality of vents to enable ambient air flow through the VMSO and around the canister to thereby dissipate heat from the canister. The VMSO has a side wall having an inner metal layer and one or more sets of alternating layers. Each set includes a neutron absorbing layer adjacent to another metal layer so that neutron absorbing and metal layers alternate throughout the side wall. The neutron absorbing layer or layers are designed to absorb neutron particles radiated from the radioactive nuclear waste and the metal layers are designed to absorb gamma particles radiated from the radioactive nuclear waste as well as radiated from the neutron absorbing layer or layers that result from reactions associated with absorption of neutron particles.

A fuel rack comprises a base plate and vertically-extending hexagonal tubes. Each tube defines a cell. A top surface of the base plate forms a floor of each cell. Adjustable height pedestals can be connected to a bottom surface of the base plate. Each pedestal includes a tool engagement portion in a top surface of a peg. Rotation of the peg causes pedestal height adjustment. Each peg is aligned with a hole in a cell floor. A tool can extend through the hole to adjust the height of the pedestal. Vertically elongated spacing rods are positioned in gaps between adjacent hexagonal tubes to maintain the gaps. Each spacing rod is plug welded to a corner edge of three adjacent hexagonal tubes at a juncture via holes located in the corner edges of each of the three adjacent hexagonal tubes.

A dry storage systems for radioactive nuclear waste materials may include a double-walled canister system. The canister system may include a canister having a tubular inner shell defining an internal cavity for storing nuclear waste material, a first lid sealably welded to a first end of the inner shell, a primary base plate defining a peripheral edge portion and having an annular closure flange, and an annular full thickness butt weld formed at an abutment joint between the annular closure flange and a second end of the inner shell. The inner shell, first lid, and first end closure may collectively define a sealed primary pressure retention barrier. A tubular outer shell may adjoin the inner shell. The outer shell may be welded to the canister to form a hermetically sealed secondary pressure retention barrier.

A vacuum volume reduction system and method for reducing a volume to be evacuated at a vacuum tube vehicle station are provided. The system has a station vacuum tube in an interior of a station wall of the vacuum tube vehicle station. The station vacuum tube has a tube volume. The system has a volume reduction assembly coupled to the station vacuum tube, and a control system for radially moving the assembly to and from a vehicle outer surface of a vacuum transport tube vehicle, to engage around the vehicle outer surface, for loading and unloading of passengers and/or cargo. The system further has door seal(s), an air supply assembly, and a vent-to-vacuum assembly. The system displaces the tube volume between the station wall and the vehicle outer surface, and in turn, reduces a volume to be evacuated at the vacuum tube vehicle station.

A vacuum volume reduction system and method for reducing a volume to be evacuated at a vacuum tube vehicle station are provided. The system has a station vacuum tube in an interior of a station wall of the vacuum tube vehicle station. The station vacuum tube has a tube volume. The system has a volume reduction assembly coupled to the station vacuum tube, and a control system for radially moving the assembly to and from a vehicle outer surface of a vacuum transport tube vehicle, to engage around the vehicle outer surface, for loading and unloading of passengers and/or cargo. The system further has door seal(s), an air supply assembly, and a vent-to-vacuum assembly. The system displaces the tube volume between the station wall and the vehicle outer surface, and in turn, reduces a volume to be evacuated at the vacuum tube vehicle station.

Provided are systems for filling containers with radioactive and/or other types of potentially hazardous materials. In some aspects, the systems include a shielding material that substantially defines a chamber and, preferably, substantially blocks radioactivity, a conduit extending from outside to into the chamber, and a unit that is disposed in the chamber proximal to the conduit and is adapted to receive a capsule through the conduit. The systems of the present disclosure can further comprise a syringe, a syringe controller that is disposed in the dispensing chamber and adapted to meter an aliquot from a radioactive stock solution and inject the aliquot into the capsule or a vial.

[Object] To provide a radiation shielding material that includes a resin composition obtained by filling a matrix formed of resin with a radiation-absorbing substance and is capable of obtaining a structure in which transparency is significantly improved as compared with the conventional radiation shielding material while having a radiation shielding effect similar to that of the conventional radiation shielding material. [Solving Means] A radiation shielding material includes: a resin composition containing a proportion of 20 to 80 vol % of fluoride powder containing barium as a constituent element. The fluoride powder is favorably barium fluoride or lithium barium fluoride, the resin favorably has a refractive index (n) of 1.4 to 1.6, and particularly, a difference between a refractive index of the resin and a refractive index of the fluoride powder is favorably within 0.05.

[Object] To provide a radiation shielding material that includes a resin composition obtained by filling a matrix formed of resin with a radiation-absorbing substance and is capable of obtaining a structure in which transparency is significantly improved as compared with the conventional radiation shielding material while having a radiation shielding effect similar to that of the conventional radiation shielding material. [Solving Means] A radiation shielding material includes: a resin composition containing a proportion of 20 to 80 vol % of fluoride powder containing barium as a constituent element. The fluoride powder is favorably barium fluoride or lithium barium fluoride, the resin favorably has a refractive index (n) of 1.4 to 1.6, and particularly, a difference between a refractive index of the resin and a refractive index of the fluoride powder is favorably within 0.05.

A method for detecting gas leakage from a radioactive material sealed container includes measuring a temperature at a top portion of a metallic sealed container, a temperature at a bottom portion of a lid portion of a concrete-made storage container facing the top portion of the metallic sealed container, or a temperature of a member existing between the bottom portion of the lid portion and the top portion of the metallic sealed container. An inner temperature of the lid portion of the concrete-made storage container is also measured. Presence of leakage of inactive gas is estimated by comparing the temperatures.

A vacuum volume reduction system and method for reducing a volume to be evacuated at a vacuum tube vehicle station are provided. The system has a station vacuum tube in an interior of a station wall of the vacuum tube vehicle station. The station vacuum tube has a tube volume. The system has a volume reduction assembly coupled to the station vacuum tube, and a control system for radially moving the assembly to and from a vehicle outer surface of a vacuum transport tube vehicle, to engage around the vehicle outer surface, for loading and unloading of passengers and/or cargo. The system further has door seal(s), an air supply assembly, and a vent-to-vacuum assembly. The system displaces the tube volume between the station wall and the vehicle outer surface, and in turn, reduces a volume to be evacuated at the vacuum tube vehicle station.