A nuclear waste cask with impact protection includes impact limiters comprising deformable energy-absorbing perforated sleeves. An impact amelioration system for nuclear fuel storage components includes impact limiter assemblies at the bottom cask to canister interface including impact limiter plugs frictionally engaging corresponding plug holes formed in the cask closure plate. A nuclear waste fuel storage system includes an unventilated cask including a heavy free-floating radiation shielding lid loosely coupled the top end of the cask in a movable manner via the anchor bosses which provides cask over pressurization protection. A nuclear waste cask includes an axially elongated rectangular cuboid cask body having a cavity for holding nuclear waste materials and cask locking mechanism including first locking protrusions on the lid which are selectively interlockable with mating second locking protrusions on the cask body to lock the lid to the cask body.

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.

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.

A package (100) comprising storage packaging (1) as well as a confinement canister (3) for irradiated fuel, the packaging comprising a lateral body (2) which extends around a longitudinal axis (12) of the packaging and which includes an internal surface (22) which delimits a cavity for housing the canister (3), the packaging furthermore comprising at least one assembly (15) forming a guide rail for the canister in the cavity, mounted on the lateral body (2) and protruding at least partly into the housing cavity (4). According to the invention, the assembly forming a guide rail (15) includes an impact shock absorbing element (28) designed to absorb the shock, by plastic deformation, of a lateral impact between the packaging (1) and the confinement canister (3).

A package (100) comprising storage packaging (1) as well as a confinement canister (3) for irradiated fuel, the packaging comprising a lateral body (2) which extends around a longitudinal axis (12) of the packaging and which includes an internal surface (22) which delimits a cavity for housing the canister (3), the packaging furthermore comprising at least one assembly (15) forming a guide rail for the canister in the cavity, mounted on the lateral body (2) and protruding at least partly into the housing cavity (4). According to the invention, the assembly forming a guide rail (15) includes an impact shock absorbing element (28) designed to absorb the shock, by plastic deformation, of a lateral impact between the packaging (1) and the confinement canister (3).

An automatically adjusting seismic restraint system for nuclear fuel storage in one embodiment comprises a free-standing first fuel storage component (FSC) configured to contain nuclear fuel, and a stationary second FSC configured to receive the first fuel storage component. An inter-body gap formed between the FSCs includes at least one seismic restraint assembly. The assembly includes a stationary wedge member fixedly coupled to the second FSC and a movable loose wedge member engaged with and supported in place by the stationary wedge member. The stationary wedge member defines an inclined load bearing surface slideably engaged with a mating inclined load bearing surface of the loose wedge member. During a seismic event or thermal expansion of the first FSC, the first FSC moves towards the second FSC which shrinks the inter-body gap and the loose wedge member is vertically displaced relative to the stationary wedge member while maintaining engagement therewith.

An automatically adjusting seismic restraint system for nuclear fuel storage in one embodiment comprises a free-standing first fuel storage component (FSC) configured to contain nuclear fuel, and a stationary second FSC configured to receive the first fuel storage component. An inter-body gap formed between the FSCs includes at least one seismic restraint assembly. The assembly includes a stationary wedge member fixedly coupled to the second FSC and a movable loose wedge member engaged with and supported in place by the stationary wedge member. The stationary wedge member defines an inclined load bearing surface slideably engaged with a mating inclined load bearing surface of the loose wedge member. During a seismic event or thermal expansion of the first FSC, the first FSC moves towards the second FSC which shrinks the inter-body gap and the loose wedge member is vertically displaced relative to the stationary wedge member while maintaining engagement therewith.

Packaging for transporting and/or storing radioactive material, comprising a packaging body which defines therein a cavity for housing radioactive material, and at least one shock absorber which is mounted on the outside of the packaging body, which has an outer surface provided with at least one first outer surface and one second outer surface which are separated by an edge that is covered by the shock absorber. The absorber comprises a metal damping structure comprising a first recess having an imaginary straight line extending therethrough, the line passing through both a center of gravity of the packaging and a point on the edge, a second recess arranged so as to face one of the outer surfaces, and a metal wall for absorbing shocks by plastic deformation. The wall is at least 5 mm thick and defines the first and second recesses on either side thereof.

Packaging for transporting and/or storing radioactive material, comprising a packaging body which defines therein a cavity for housing radioactive material, and at least one shock absorber which is mounted on the outside of the packaging body, which has an outer surface provided with at least one first outer surface and one second outer surface which are separated by an edge that is covered by the shock absorber. The absorber comprises a metal damping structure comprising a first recess having an imaginary straight line extending therethrough, the line passing through both a center of gravity of the packaging and a point on the edge, a second recess arranged so as to face one of the outer surfaces, and a metal wall for absorbing shocks by plastic deformation. The wall is at least 5 mm thick and defines the first and second recesses on either side thereof.

A shipping container comprises a tubular or cylindrical shell having a closed end and an open end, a top end-cap removably secured to the open end of the tubular or cylindrical shell, and at least one fuel assembly compartment defined inside the shell. Each fuel assembly compartment includes elastomeric sidewalls and is sized and shaped to receive an unirradiated nuclear fuel assembly through the open end of the shell. The shipping container may further include a divider component, for example having a cross-shaped cross-section with ends of the cross secured to inner walls of the shell, and the divider component and the inner walls of the shell define the fuel assembly compartments. To load, the shipping container is arranged vertically and an unirradiated nuclear fuel assembly is loaded through the open end of the shell into each compartment, after which the open end is closed off by securing the top end-cap.