Storing irradiated nuclear fuel elements - by filling tanks in storage racks with fuel pins removed from elements after deactivation period and disposed in very dense form

摘要

A method of storing irradiated nuclear fuel elements, partic. exhausted fuel elements, in storage racks provided with tanks comprises filling the tanks with the fuel pins removed from the fuel elements and disposed in the denest way possible after a period of deactivation. The cental temp. of the tanks conditioned by the radioactivation disintegration is adjusted so as not to affect the integrity of the material stored and the tanks. The method allows a greater storage capacity to be obtd. without modifications of the racks available for normal or compact storage. The capacity is increased because of the increase in the density of loading made possible. The fuel pins can be placed in bulk in the tanks without their number being limited by the network formed by the separators in the body of the fuel elements. elements.