Patent Number: 
Section: description

As seen in FIG. 1 a storage container for radioactive articles is formed of a metal outer shell 1 and a metal inner shell 2 disposed coaxially therewith relative to a center axis A (FIG. 3). An initially empty cylindrically annular intermediate space 3 is thus formed between the outer shell 1 and the inner shell 2. Webs 4 of a thermally conductive material extend between the inner shell 2 and the outer shell 1 and have extended window elements 5. These thermally conductive radial webs 4 are welded to U-bars 6 which are in turn fixed on the inner shell 2. U-bars 7 are also fixed on the outer shell 1 but the thermally conductive radial webs 4 only bear against them and are not permanently attached thereto. A perforated or otherwise foraminous diaphragm or partition 8 subdivides the chamber or space 3 into two concentric compartments 31 and 32. The partition 8 is formed by open and closed profiles 81 or 82 of perforate screen, plate, or wire netting inserted between the thermally conductive radial webs 4 and bearing against and welded thereto. As shown in FIG. 3, to complete the container, a mass M of concrete aggregate having a minimum particle size is introduced from a vessel 13 into the inner compartment 31 and then a suspension S of cement, water and additives is introduced from another vessel 14 into the inner compartment 31. The mesh or opening size of the partition 8 is such that only the suspension S passes into the outer compartment 32. It is possible to introduce the aggregate mass M into one of the compartments and the suspension S separately into the other compartment, or introduce the two simultaneously into one of the compartments. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the partition 8 is held by an inner sub-array 41 of thermally conductive radial webs 4 and a complementary outer sub-array 42 of webs is placed on the partition 8 and is screwed to the inner shell 2. In these conditions, the partition 8, the inner web sub-array 41 and the outer web sub-array 42 are fitted together at complementary longitudinal corrugations 9. Each pair of adjacent radial sub-webs of the outer sub-array 42 is interconnected by a respective external bridge 10. Correspondingly, each pair of adjacent radial webs of the inner sub-array 41 are interconnected by a respective inner bridge 11. The screw connection 12 is made through the outer bridge 10 and the partition 8 to the inner shell 2. The outer shell 1 has been placed in position with elastic deformation of the thermally conductive radial webs 4. Filling is effected in the same way as indicated above. The composition of the mass M can be the same as that described in WO 98/59346.