APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR TRANSPORTING AND/OR STORING RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS

摘要

A system, method and apparatus for transporting and/or storing radioactive materials, such as spent nuclear fuel. In one embodiment the invention is a jacket apparatus that is filled with a neutron absorbing fluid and adapted to facilitate a cyclical thermosiphon flow of the neutron absorbing fluid within the jacket when the neutron absorbing fluid is subjected to heat emanating from the cavity. In another embodiment the invention is a system, apparatus and method of processing and/or removing radioactive materials from a body of water that utilizes the buoyancy of the water itself to minimize the load experienced by a crane and/or other lifting equipment. In a third embodiment the invention utilizes a sleeve-iike structure that is slid over a container holding high level radioactive materials to add radiation shielding protection. Because the sleeve-like structure and container are non-unitary and slidably separable from one another, crane lifting capacity is not affected.