Experience with welding multi-assembly selaed baskets at palisades

摘要

Four utilities wer using operational canister-based dry storage facilities at year-end, and seven more have contracts to establish similar facilities. Consumers Power's Palisades Nuclear Power Plant has successfully completed loading its eight dry storage canister with the Ventilated Storage Cask (VSC) system, under license to Sierra Nuclear Corporation. The VSC has a Multi-Assembly sealed Basket (MSB) containing 24 specially-selected and aged spent fuel assembvlies. MSB closure occurs when two independent lids are welded at the utility. The canister wall and lids are SA-516 Grade 70 carbon steel. This paper discusses the welding system design, closure operations and MSB closure operations at Palisades.