Patent ID: 9349493
Filing Date: 2016-05-24
CPC Classification: G21C,G21F,Y02E

Claim Text:
1. A canister for the transportation and storage of nuclear fuel assemblies, comprising a basket assembly receivable into a canister shell, the basket assembly comprising: a plurality of interlocking structural plates that are disposed in spaced parallel relationship to each other in a first direction and a plurality of structural plates disposed in a second direction transverse to the first direction; said structural plates comprising portions defining spaced apart transverse slots formed along the structural plates, with the slots of the structural plates disposed in a first direction engaging with the slots of the structural plates disposed in the second transverse direction; and wherein the structural plates include a plurality of layers comprising a first layer composed of structural material, a second layer composed of a heat conducting material selected from the group consisting of aluminum and copper, and a third layer composed of a neutron absorbing material, wherein the third layer is between the first and second layers, wherein each of the first, second, and third layers include aligned transverse slots, and wherein the first, second, and third layers of the structural plates extending in the second transverse direction extend continuously from a first proximity with the inner surface of the canister shell to a second proximity with the inner surface of the canister shell, wherein the second proximity is distanced from the first proximity.