Proposed is a system for closing a drum unit for storing radioactive waste, the system including: a supporting unit configured to be seated on the ground; a drum unit configured to be seated on a top part of the supporting unit and having a plurality of first fastening holes; a moving unit configured to move to a side of the drum unit; a cover unit provided at the inside of the moving unit or at one side of the drum unit and having a plurality of second fastening holes; tightening units configured to be inserted into the associated second fastening holes; a fastening unit configured to grip the cover unit through a gripping part to move the cover unit to the top part of the drum unit simultaneously, thereby closing a gap between the drum unit and the cover unit; and a controller configured to control the fastening unit.

An underground ventilated system for storing nuclear waste materials. The system includes a storage module having an outer shell defining an internal cavity and an inner shell. A majority of the height of the outer shell may be disposed below grade. The outer shell may include a hermetically sealed bottom. First and second canisters are positioned in lower and upper portions within the cavity respectively in vertically stacked relationship. A centering and spacing ring assembly is interspersed between the first and second canisters to transfer the weight of the upper second canister to the lower first canister. The assembly may include centering lugs which laterally restrain the first and second canisters in case of a seismic event. A natural convection driven ventilated air system cools the canisters to remove residual decay heat to the atmosphere. In one non-limiting embodiment, the shells are made of steel.

An underground ventilated system for storing nuclear waste materials. The system includes a storage module having an outer shell defining an internal cavity and an inner shell. A majority of the height of the outer shell may be disposed below grade. The outer shell may include a hermetically sealed bottom. First and second canisters are positioned in lower and upper portions within the cavity respectively in vertically stacked relationship. A centering and spacing ring assembly is interspersed between the first and second canisters to transfer the weight of the upper second canister to the lower first canister. The assembly may include centering lugs which laterally restrain the first and second canisters in case of a seismic event. A natural convection driven ventilated air system cools the canisters to remove residual decay heat to the atmosphere. In one non-limiting embodiment, the shells are made of steel.

Open pit mine (OPM) structures are modified or built new for use in disposing of low-level radioactive/nuclear waste (LLW). A drainage system is added to the OPM to drain water, such as, but not limited to, rain water, out of a volume of the OPM and to a particular geologic zone located far below the OPM that is isolated away from the local water table. Cells are formed within the volume of the OPM that are configured to receive the LLW. Cells are added to the OPM from a bottom towards a top of the OPM. Void spaces around the LLW materials within the cells are filled in with a protective-medium to mitigate against radionuclide migration away from the LLW materials within the cells. The protective-medium may be a blend of carbon nanotubes and a foam cement slurry. The carbon nanotubes may be made from reacting ethylene with vermiculite.

The present invention provides an eddy current flaw detection device that sufficiently removes noise from a detection signal. A magnetic field is applied to a test object by a magnetic-field forming magnet. The magnetic flux density of a magnetic field generated by the magnetic-field forming magnet is set at a value in a predetermined range according to a distance between the magnetic-field forming magnet and a detection surface and the thickness of the test object.

A container holds radioactive material. A sub-criticality controller protects the radioactive material from reaching a criticality from contact with the water. The sub-criticality controller includes a metallic composition having at least one metal component and at least one borate component bonded to the at least one metal component. The metallic composition forms borates when the metallic composition contacts the water.

A container holds radioactive material. A sub-criticality controller protects the radioactive material from reaching a criticality from contact with the water. The sub-criticality controller includes a metallic composition having at least one metal component and at least one borate component bonded to the at least one metal component. The metallic composition forms borates when the metallic composition contacts the water.

Systems and methods for long-term disposal of nuclear and/or radioactive waste materials, in liquid, solid, and/or other physical forms, using an array deeply located human-made caverns (caverns), wherein the array of caverns are within a deep geologic rock formation and below a grid pattern on a surface of the Earth. Each cavern is made from a substantially vertical wellbore, by drilling and under reaming operations upon a distal portion of the substantially vertical wellbore. At least some of the caverns may be connected by intersecting substantially lateral wellbores that may facilitate injection of protective materials into the caverns that are so intersected. The nuclear and/or radioactive waste may be preprocessed from original surface storage site(s), transported, temporarily surface stored, and then finally further processed at a selected wellsite before injection into a given of the subterranean deep caverns within the deep geologic rock formation.

A nuclear waste-capsule may include: an outer shell; an inner tube, located in that outer shell; and one or more spent nuclear fuel (SNF) assemblies (or portions thereof), with particular structure(s) attached thereto, within that inner tube. The particular structure(s) may be one or more spring-loaded receptacles (SLRs), such that each of the one or more SNF assemblies (or portions thereof), within the given inner tube, may have circumferentially attached thereto at least one SLR. Each such SLR may act as shock absorbing suspension means and may structurally support and centralize its associated SNF assembly (or portion thereof) within the given inner tube. Additionally, the one or more SNF assemblies (or portions thereof), along with the associated SLRs, may be immersed within a protective/preventative medium, within the given inner tube. The so loaded waste-capsule may be deposited within a wellbore that is located within a repository geological formation.

A nuclear waste-capsule may include: an outer shell; an inner tube, located in that outer shell; and one or more spent nuclear fuel (SNF) assemblies (or portions thereof), with particular structure(s) attached thereto, within that inner tube. The particular structure(s) may be one or more spring-loaded receptacles (SLRs), such that each of the one or more SNF assemblies (or portions thereof), within the given inner tube, may have circumferentially attached thereto at least one SLR. Each such SLR may act as shock absorbing suspension means and may structurally support and centralize its associated SNF assembly (or portion thereof) within the given inner tube. Additionally, the one or more SNF assemblies (or portions thereof), along with the associated SLRs, may be immersed within a protective/preventative medium, within the given inner tube. The so loaded waste-capsule may be deposited within a wellbore that is located within a repository geological formation.