Patent GB-1456860-A (GB)
Title: Enclosure for confining radio-active products or waste
IPC: G21F9/36
Filed: 1973-12-06
Abstract: 1456860 Shielded enclosures TECHNIGAZ 6 Dec 1973 [13 Dec 1972] 56714/73 Heading B4Q [Also in Division G6] An enclosure for the underground storage of radioactive products or waste comprises an outer reinforced concrete supporting shell structure, buried in the ground and opening to a height above the ground through a concrete chimney stack, inner and outer vessels formed of stainless steel sheet having two orthogonally intersecting series of spaced parallel corrugations located within the supporting shell structure, and means for cooling the vessel through fluid circulation induced by natural convection channels adjacent to at least one of the vessels. Radioactive products or waste in a liquid state are enclosed for a period of 10 years within the Fig. 1 embodiment in which an outer shell or casing 1 of reinforced concrete forms the rigid supporting structure for inner and outer stainless steel vessels 10, 11 containing the radioactive liquid. As shown in Fig. 2, the inner vessel 10 is spot welded to the radially inner faces of stainless steel ducts 12 forming cooling liquid channels which are in turn welded to the inner face of the outer vessel 11, the latter being secured by anchoring members (not shown) to the concrete casing 1. Anchoring and support means for the ducts 12 are shown diagrammatically at 20. The casing 1 has a lower roof 2 in the centre of which is formed the base 3 of a chimney-stack with a layer of thermal insulation material 4, e.g. dry sand, extending from the roof 2 to a partition 5 at ground level, a basin 6 forming a cooling water storage tank being provided above the partition 5 and being covered by an upper roof 7 in the centre of which is formed the upper portion 8 of the chimneystack. The insulation material 4 also serves as shielding against radiations emitted by the radioactive liquid. Cooling air channels 21, 22 are defined by the corrugations in the inner and outer vessels 10, 11 and the adjacent surfaces of the ducts 12, cold air flowing down within the corrugations of the outer vessel 11 and hot air flowing up within the corrugations of the inner vessel 10. The hot air channels 22 communicate with the outer atmosphere through a Venturi nozzle 24 located within the chimney-stack and including a filter 26 forming a trap for radioactive dust and particles. The stainless steel ducts 12 are divided by sectional members of asbestos cement into feed and return channels 13, 14 for the cooling water stored in the basin 6. A draught of fresh air is caused to blow over the surface of the water in the basin 6 through holes 25 provided below the roof 7 by the passage of hot air through the Venturi nozzle 24. Compressed air blown through a feed duct 31 is distributed over the base of the inner vessel 10 by distribution ducts and nozzles 32 so preventing radioactive particles from settling on the bottom of the vessel 10 and diluting radioactive gases produced by the liquid. The radioactive gases are removed via a control duet 33 opening into the Venturi nozzle 24. The radioactive liquid is supplied via a feed line 35, while a steam ejector 36 and Venturi nozzle 37 are provided for emptying the vessel 10. After confinement for 10 years, the radioactive liquid is withdrawn from the enclosure described above and converted into a powdery solid which is in turn confined for a period of 500 years in an enclosure shown in Fig. 10 in which an outer reinforced concrete vault 50 buried in the ground and opening to the atmosphere by means of a chimney-stack 51 forms the rigid supporting shell structure for inner and outer stainless steel vessels 52, 53 with the inner vessel 52 containing the powdery radioactive material. The orthogonally intersecting corrugations of this embodiment project radially inwards and are located one within the other while the cooling fluid circulation channels 54 are located outside the vessel 53. They consist of sectional members (not shown) made from fibro-cement the radially outer part of which is embedded in concrete and surrounded by steel clamping hoops. The inner vessel 52 is spot welded to the flat portions of the walls of the outer vessel 53 and the whole assembly is secured by anchoring means to the clamping hoops. A vertical fresh air supply duct 63 is provided within the thickness of the concrete vault 50 and opens into the atmosphere slightly above ground level. At its lower end, the duct 63 is joined to a central cooling duct 62 and to the channels 54. The duct 62 and the channels 54 open at their upper ends into the base portion of the chimney-stack 51. The small inner space between the walls of the vessels 52, 53 communicates with at least one duct 65 which enables a partial vacuum to be effected between the vessels. A pipeline 66 extends through the roof of the vault 50 and into the interior of the vessel 52 to enable the vessel to be filled with fluidized powdery radioactive material, the fluidizing air being discharged through a second pipeline 67 connecting the inside of the vessel 52 to the outside of the vault 50.