Storage racks for long fuel elements esp. of water reactor - arranged in two layers with shielding tubes of upper layer used as lifting baskets

摘要

A storage rack for rod-shaped fuel elements, esp. from light water reactors, stores the elements at defined positions individually surrounded by tubes of neutron-absorbing material. These tubes are stored in two different levels or storeys the tubes of the lower storey being firmly mounted in a lattice structure, while the tubes of the upper storey constitute a lifting basket, being suspended by pins in vertical slits of guide bars. For a given floor area of storage pool, the number of elements stored is doubled. The open structure of the top storey provides access to the lower layer. The tubes of the upper layer can rest upon those of the lower layer, thus relieving the support pins of weight.