A container is designed to safely store radioactive debris from, for example, a nuclear reactor meltdown, in water or air. The container, with preferably although not necessarily all metal parts, has an overpack having an elongated cylindrical body extending between a top end and a bottom end, a planar bottom part at the bottom end, an open top at the top end, and a circular planar lid mounted over the open top. A basket is situated inside of the overpack. The basket has a plurality of elongated cylindrical canisters that are in parallel along their lengths. Each of the canisters has an elongated cylindrical body extending between a top end and a bottom end, a planar bottom part at the bottom end, an open top at the top end, and a circular planar lid mounted over the open top.

A disposal system is provided for transferring material to a container. The disposal system includes a discharge chute having a mating surface. The mating surface is configured to engage with a container, and the discharge chute is configured to extend and retract so that the mating surface moves along a path between an extended position and a retracted position. The disposal system also includes at least one controller that is configured to cause the discharge chute to extend and retract.

A modularized system for processing, storing and/or disposing of a hazardous waste material is described. In one exemplary embodiment, the modularized system includes a container configured to sealingly contain hazardous waste material; a first cell, the first cell comprising a first area for manipulating the container; and a second cell, the second cell comprising a second area for manipulating the container. The second cell is isolated from the first cell. The first cell is held at a first pressure and the second cell held at a second pressure, the first pressure being less than the second pressure. An interlock couples the first cell to the second cell. The first cell, second cell and interlock are configured to allow the container to be transferred from the first cell to the second cell while maintaining at least one seal between the first cell and the second cell.

A basket for incinerating waste inside an incinerator for a duration longer than fifteen minutes with no need for waste to be molten earlier, particularly when waste is introduced inside the incinerator. The basket includes mainly of a glass fiber envelope: it is preferably stiffened by a lightweight metal structure located inside or outside the envelope or built into it. A gripping handle is installed on top of the assembly that is stiffened at the top by a metal tube to which a lightweight metal structure is fixed and by a base formed from a drip pan fixed to the base of the lightweight metal structure.

A basket for incinerating waste inside an incinerator for a duration longer than fifteen minutes with no need for waste to be molten earlier, particularly when waste is introduced inside the incinerator. The basket includes mainly of a glass fiber envelope: it is preferably stiffened by a lightweight metal structure located inside or outside the envelope or built into it. A gripping handle is installed on top of the assembly that is stiffened at the top by a metal tube to which a lightweight metal structure is fixed and by a base formed from a drip pan fixed to the base of the lightweight metal structure.

A system and method for drying cavities containing spent nuclear fuel is devised. The invention utilizes a non-intrusive procedure that is based on monitoring the dew point temperature of a non-reactive gas that is circulated through the cavity. In one aspect, the invention is a system for drying a cavity loaded with spent nuclear fuel comprising: a canister forming the cavity, the cavity having an inlet and an outlet; a source of non-reactive gas; means for flowing the non-reactive gas from the source of non-reactive gas through the cavity; and means for repetitively measuring the dew point temperature of the non-reactive gas exiting the cavity.

A system and method for drying cavities containing spent nuclear fuel is devised. The invention utilizes a non-intrusive procedure that is based on monitoring the dew point temperature of a non-reactive gas that is circulated through the cavity. In one aspect, the invention is a system for drying a cavity loaded with spent nuclear fuel comprising: a canister forming the cavity, the cavity having an inlet and an outlet; a source of non-reactive gas; means for flowing the non-reactive gas from the source of non-reactive gas through the cavity; and means for repetitively measuring the dew point temperature of the non-reactive gas exiting the cavity.

A natural passively cooled ventilated cask includes a cavity which holds a canister containing heat and radiation emitting spent nuclear fuel assemblies. Cooling air inlet ducts draw ambient cooling air inwards into a lower portion of the cavity. The air heated by the canister flows upwards along the canister and is discharged from at least one air outlet duct formed by the cask lid to atmosphere via natural convective thermo-siphon flow. The air inlet ducts or at least one outlet duct in one embodiment may be fitted with an adjustable shutter plate which allows the flowrate of air entering the cask to be increased or decreased to maintain a predetermined canister maximum temperature limit selected in part to prevent the onset of stress corrosion cracking of the canister welds. Other embodiments may use a fixed orifice plate replaceable over time to maintain the minimum temperature.

A natural passively cooled ventilated cask includes a cavity which holds a canister containing heat and radiation emitting spent nuclear fuel assemblies. Cooling air inlet ducts draw ambient cooling air inwards into a lower portion of the cavity. The air heated by the canister flows upwards along the canister and is discharged from at least one air outlet duct formed by the cask lid to atmosphere via natural convective thermo-siphon flow. The air inlet ducts or at least one outlet duct in one embodiment may be fitted with an adjustable shutter plate which allows the flowrate of air entering the cask to be increased or decreased to maintain a predetermined canister maximum temperature limit selected in part to prevent the onset of stress corrosion cracking of the canister welds. Other embodiments may use a fixed orifice plate replaceable over time to maintain the minimum temperature.

The present invention relates to a disposal container and a storage system for high-level radioactive waste and, more specifically, to a disposal container for high-level radioactive waste using multiple barriers and a barrier system using thereof, the disposal container having the multiple barriers consisting of an inner wall made of carbon steel for excellent corrosion resistance and ease of manufacture, a middle wall made of Inconel, which is bonded to a lateral surface of the inner wall, and an outer wall made of copper, which is bonded to a lateral surface of the middle wall.