Patent Description:
Radioactive nuclear waste is hazardous to all forms of life and the environment, and is regulated by government agencies in order to protect human health and the environment. Radioactive materials naturally decay over time, so radioactive nuclear waste can be isolated and confined in appropriate disposal and storage facilities for a sufficient period until it no longer poses a threat. The time radioactive nuclear waste must be stored for depends on the type of waste and radioactive isotopes. Current approaches to managing radioactive nuclear waste have been segregation and storage for low level waste, near-surface disposal for low and some intermediate level waste, and deep burial or partitioning/transmutation for the high-level waste.

Low level nuclear waste, generally referred to as LLW, originates from for example hospitals, laboratories or industry and may include paper, wiping rags, mops, medical tools such as tubes, clothing, filters, animal carcasses, and other materials which in use may have been contaminated with mostly short-lived or low activity radioactive material. Some relatively high-activity LLW may require extra shielding during handling and transport but most LLW is suitable for storage in a on-surface storage facility, and can be stored up to <NUM> years before their disposal.

Intermediate level nuclear waste, generally referred to as ILW, contains higher amounts of radioactivity and in general require shielding. Intermediate-level waste includes radioactive resins, chemical sludge and metal nuclear fuel cladding, as well as for example contaminated materials from reactor decommissioning. It may be solidified in concrete or bitumen for disposal. Often ILW that contains long-lived radioisotopes will be temporarily stored in an on-surface storage facility pending disposal to an underground facility. ILW should be suitable to be stored in an underground storage or disposal facility for normally longer than <NUM> years.

Low level and intermediate level radioactive waste is generally stored in waste drums of for example <NUM> liter, i.e. <NUM> gallons, steel or stainless steel waste drums, compliant with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) guidelines for storage and transport of nuclear waste. The waste drums constitute a first containment barrier against leakage of radioactive fluids These waste drums are generally stored in on-surface or underground storage facilities The drums may be stacked on top of each other directly or using pallets in between layers of waste drums.

In the past waste drums having LLW or ILW may have been improperly stored and inappropriately disposed of, and presently these waste drums are known to be corroding and leaking on there original storage site. These older stored waste drums with low and intermediate level waste are often transported back from their storage to a decommissioning facility to be decommissioned. The radioactive waste materials in the waste drums need to sorted by measure of their radioactivity. When the sorted materials are redistributed the materials can be compacted to reduce their volume and packed back into new waste drums for renewed storage or disposal.

In the art, to facilitate handling, the waste drums can be packed in metal containers wherein they are placed and sealed using a cover. Removing waste drums for decommissioning in this situation requires hoisting of the waste drums from the container using grabs which grab the waste drums at their top. The grabs and grabbing may cause damage to the waste drums and subsequent leaking. Moreover, when aging, the waste drum may leak due to damage an corrosion, whereby the leaked fluids corrode the containers from the inside which ultimately may result in leakage of radioactive material from the container into the environment. Waste drums stored in containers are furthermore vulnerable to impact due to handling, crashes and falling of the container, which can cause damage and leaking of the waste drums next to corrosion. Therefore, removing damaged waste drums from such a container for decommissioning requires even more specialized handling.

To prevent impact damage, the container provided with waste drums can be filled with concrete to stabilize the waste drums, however removing waste drums from the container for decommissioning is extremely laborious. In that case, the waste must be extracted from the waste drum directly in an elaborate extraction process. Remains of such containers, after removal of the radioactive waste, can still be radioactively contaminated and may require secure secondary storage.

As a consequence, large scale extraction of nuclear waste material from waste drums in containers, damaged or not, requires on-surface facilities and subsequent transport from underground facilities to the earth surface and back.

In a packaging system according to international patent application nr <CIT>, nuclear waste drums can be loaded vertically into cavities of a support framework. The support framework accommodating the drums can subsequently be loaded into a container. The vertical loading of drums into such a support framework requires handling the drum by their top portions, for example the top rims, to allow the drum to be lowered into the cavities. This handling can be hazardous especially with aged and possibly corroded drums. The drums top portion or rims may break and thereby cause radiation leakage into the environment.

As an alternative, as shown in <CIT>, to avoid vertically handling of the drums, the drums can be accommodated within the support framework, by placing them onto a support base of the framework. In the example of <CIT> however, this requires assembling the support framework around the drums using support posts surrounding the drums, to fixate and stabilize the drums.

Patent application number <CIT> discloses a support framework for transporting nuclear waste drums. The support framework comprises a pallet with a support post extending centrally from the pallet. Four drum receiving pockets are arranged around the post. The drum receiving pockets allow for receiving the drums therein in order to fix the drums in position.

United States patent publication number <CIT> discloses a support structure for transporting radioactive materials. The support structure comprises a number of stacked support trays. Each support tray consists of a top casing and bottom casing that when placed together define a number of horizontally extending cavities. The drums are received in the cavities.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a waste packing system which at least partially overcomes or counters the disadvantages set out above.

In order to achieve the object in a waste packing system of the kind mentioned in the preamble of this application, the waste packing system is characterized in that said waste drum carrying device comprises a platform and a support structure attached to said platform, wherein said support structure comprises a plurality of interconnected walls, said interconnected walls and platform defining laterally accessible pockets, wherein each pocket is adapted for accommodating one of said drums, and in that said waste drum carrying device is laterally immovably placeable inside said loading space.

The waste drum carrying device allows groupwise packing, unpacking and loading of waste drums in the loading space of the container. The waste drum carrying device, moreover, prevents damage to the waste drums while being handled, thereby preventing the waste drums from leaking and extending their life time.

The lateral access of the drum carrying device allows loading and unloading of corroded or structurally weakened drums which cannot normally be handled by their top parts, e.g. their rims. Instead such drums can be handled in a more central part of the drum body and loaded onto the drum carrying device laterally.

The drum carrying device is preferably preassembled, which allows instant lateral loading of waste drums and obviates laborious assembly of the drum carrying device and drums together.

Where each of the waste drums provides a first leaking containment barrier, the container forms an inner reservoir and thereby provides a second leakage containment barrier. Any radioactive material leaking from a waste drum, having passed the first leaking. Such waste drums can be easily removed from a container and repacked after shelf life, as damage to the waste drums is prevented. This extends storage time and allows repacking in underground facilities. It is expected that shelf life of nuclear waste containers packed this way can be extended to substantially more than <NUM> years, which is presently common, and perhaps up to <NUM> years.

According to the invention said waste drum carrying device is laterally immovably placeable inside said loading space.

This prevents the waste drum carrying device from shifting when the container is being moved, dropped or bumped while handling, transporting, loading or stacking the container.

Furthermore, according to the invention said waste drum carrying device comprises a platform and a support structure attached to said platform, wherein said support structure comprises a plurality of interconnected walls, said interconnected walls and platform defining laterally accessible pockets, wherein each pocket is adapted for accommodating one of said drums. When the container is exposed to mechanical stress due to impact induced by handling, falling or crashing, the interconnected walls of the support structure provide inner support for the container wall inside said loading space, and thereby counteract and prevent deformation of the container wall. Thereby the integrity of the waste drum stored in use inside the container is secured.

The interconnected walls of said waste drum carrying device may laterally extend to, or at least close to, said interconnected side walls of said container. This provides structural rigidity to said system of container having a waste drum carrying device placed into said loading space of said container.

An embodiment of the invention characterized in that said waste drum carrying device is provided with impact absorbing means arranged at a head end of at least one of said walls, wherein said impact absorbing means preferably comprise a resilient or compressible member, more preferably a rubber or plastic member.

The impact absorbing means allows absorption of mechanical stress in case of impact due to falling or crashing of the container. Moreover, the impact absorbing means resilient or compressible material provides a soft contact with the inner side of the container wall. Thereby these inner sides are less prone to abrasion of protective layers such as paint layers. Thus, the container's walls are inside protected against abrasion. The size or thickness of the impact absorbing means in lateral direction can be adjusted depending on further protective measures between the waste drum carrying device and inner wall of the container, as will be set out below.

A loading opening may be formed by a top edge of said interconnected side walls for receiving said waste drums, and that the container comprises a lid for covering said loading opening. This allows the waste drum carrying device to be loaded in the loading space from above, which loading space can subsequent be closed and sealed off by a seal.

Said waste drum carrying device may have outer dimensions corresponding to dimensions of said loading space of said container. This allows a tight fit of the waste drum carrying device, which thereby not only keeps the waste drum in place while packing or unpacking, but also provides structural reinforcement of the container when said container is for example dropped, or crashed into another structure, while being handled.

An embodiment of the invention is characterized in that said waste drum carrying device is provided with hoisting means. This allows easy placement and positioning of the waste drum carrying device into the container. This allows the waste drum carrying device to be hoisted in and out of the container.

Said hoisting means may comprise at least one hoisting eye attached to said support structure. A hoisting eye can for example be attached to the center of the cross connected walls of the waste drum carrying device. Hoisting eyes can furthermore be placed near the lateral ends of the cross connected walls of the waste drum carrying device, to distribute the hoisting force needed to lift the waste drum carrying device.

Said hoisting means may comprise a plurality of hoist openings in a top section of said support structure. This provides an alternative for hoist eyes which need attaching to the walls of the waste drum carrying device, for example by screwing. Hoist eyes may not be permanently connected to the support structure and after placing the waste drum carrying device into the container they may have to be removed. The hoist openings extend through the centrally connected walls of the waste drum carrying device, to which hooks of a crane may be coupled for easy connecting and lifting. The hooks can be easily removed after positioning the waste drum carrying device into the container.

An embodiment of the invention is characterized in that said container is arranged in a cuboid or block shape, wherein said container has reinforcement elements arranged at outer corners of said cuboid or block shape. This allows the containers to be stored in a regular pattern e.g. in rows and columns on a storage floor. The reinforcements elements provide additional protection against deformation of the container in case of impact due to crashing or falling or any other incident. The reinforcement elements can be provided with means for hoisting the container, such as an opening for attaching a hoist eye or a hook.

A further embodiment of the invention is characterized in that said reinforcement elements are provided with stacking guides. The stacking guides allow containers to be stacked whereby lateral shift of the stacked container is prevented. The stacking guides thereby provide additional stability to the stack in case of lateral impact due to for example earth quakes or any other incident.

Said waste drum carrying device comprise a platform and a support structure attached to said platform, wherein said support structure comprises a plurality of interconnected walls, said interconnected walls and platform defining laterally accessible pockets, wherein each pocket is adapted for accommodating one of said drums. The pockets allow lateral loading of waste drums. The drums can be placed on the platform directly whereby the drum can be stably held in a central portion of the drum, thereby preventing structural damage to the drum. Preferably, the interconnected walls of said waste drum carrying device are cross-connected for stability and rigidity.

Said interconnected walls of said waste drum carrying device may be interconnected to a central support of said support structure. The central support allows the definition of equally sized and/or equally distributed pockets on said platform of said waste drum carrying device.

Said waste drum carrying device may have a footprint corresponding to a horizontal cross section of said loading space for loading said waste drum carrying device into said container. This allows the waste drum carrying device to fit closely into the inside of the container. The walls of the waste drum carrying device can in combination with the corresponding footprint be chosen to correspond to the inner height of the container, to provide optimum protection against deformation of the container in case of impact due to crashing or falling or any other incident.

Said base of said container may be provided with at least two fork pockets on a back side of said base for accommodating forks of a fork lift truck. This allows the container to be transported and handle similar to handling and transporting pallets having waste drums.

An embodiment of the invention is characterized in that the container is provided with a radiation shielding liner. The radiation shielding liner is preferably arranged inside the container in the loading space, between the container wall and base and the waste drum carrying device. This provides additional shielding and protection against higher intensity radiation from waste drums inside the container, where shielding from the waste drum and container wall as such may not be sufficient. The radiation shielding liner can be made from a suitable radiation absorbing material such as lead, or tungsten. The radiation shielding liner may also be provide at the exterior of the container.

An embodiment of the invention is characterized in that the container is provided with a fluid-tight liner arranged in said loading space. The fluid-tight liner is preferably arranged inside the container in the loading space, between the container wall and base and the waste drum carrying device. If the container is provided with a radiation absorbing liner inside the container, the fluid-tight liner may be arranged between the radiation absorbing liner and the waste drum carrying device. This provides a additional protection against leaking from any one of the waste drums inside the container, especially when the waste drums have been filled with fluids for submerging the radioactive waste materials inside the waste drums. The fluid-tight liner is preferably made from a plastic material.

An embodiment of the invention is characterized in that the waste drum carrying device is provided with a fluid tight waste drum envelope for at least partially containing a waste drum. This allows a further protection and shielding from fluids leaking from individual waste drums, which can be contained in the fluid tight waste drum envelope.

Said container may have at least one drain arranged in a side wall of said container. This allows fluids, that have leaked from the waste drums despite all protective measures, to be drained from the container. When replacing or servicing the waste drums, these can be removed from the container more safely as any leaked fluid can be drained before handling the waste drum carrying device.

An embodiment of the invention is characterized in that said means for fixating said waste drums comprise one or more straps connected to said support structure. The straps can be made of a woven plastic fabric and allow easy fixation of the waste drums for lateral displacement relative to the walls of the waste drum carrying device. Thereby protection against damage of the waste drums is provided.

An embodiment of the invention is characterized in that said means for fixating said waste drums comprise a door or brace, wherein said door or brace is at one lateral end hingeably connected to said support structure, and wherein said door or brace is at an opposite end provided with a locking mechanism for lockable connecting said door or brace to said support structure. The door or brace is an alternative for the straps for fixating the waste drums to the waste drum carrying device. The door or brace can be manufactured from metal or a solid plastic material to provide rigidity.

An embodiment of the invention is characterized in that said loading space of said container is provided with pressure relief means. This allows pressure built up in time inside the container to be released. The pressure may be built up for example due to a leakage of gas and /or fluids from any one of the waste drums. The pressure relief means may comprise at least one of a pressure relief opening and a pressure relief valve. The pressure relief means may be provided in a base, a wall or lid of the container.

The container may be provided with an instrument insertion slot. This allows insertion of for example instruments having one or more sensors for monitoring the container condition and its contents over time. The instrument insertion slot accommodates an instrument having at least one sensor from a group comprising a radiation sensor, a pressure sensor and a temperature sensor. The instrument may be provided with communication means, which allow the monitoring to be performed remotely or locally. The instrument insertion slot may be provided in the lid of the container, wherein the instrument insertion slot is aligned with a central support of the waste drum carrying device, wherein the central support is hollow for accommodating the instrument. This allows monitoring the drums from a central location within the loading space. A sensor, for example a radiation sensor, having a unidirectional sensitivity, may be rotated within the central support to point to a particular waste drum, to obtain measurements values pertaining to said waste drum.

An embodiment of the invention is characterized in that said waste packing system is a waste packing system for storage of low level or intermediate level radioactive waste, which contains radioactive material, and that said waste drums contain low level or intermediate level nuclear waste material.

The system further comprises a plurality of waste drums arranged on said drum carrier device. Thus, a complete solution for long-time storage of waste, including low and intermediate level nuclear waste, is achieved.

The invention will be further elucidated with reference to drawings and a detailed description of embodiments according to the invention. In the drawings:.

It must be noted that the figures are schematic only and their scales may deviate mutually. Some dimensions may be exaggerated for the sake of clarity. Similar features are represented by same reference numerals.

In <FIG>, a waste packing system <NUM> is shown having a container <NUM>, a waste drum carrier <NUM> for accommodating waste drums <NUM> and a lid <NUM>.

The waste drum carrier <NUM> is shown placed inside the container <NUM>, wherein the waste drums <NUM> are supported by the waste drum carrier <NUM>. The container <NUM> has a side wall mounted on a base <NUM>, which defines a loading space <NUM> for accommodating the waste drum carrier <NUM> having the waste drums <NUM>. The side wall can be arranged contiguously on the base <NUM>. Preferably the side wall comprises interconnected side walls <NUM> as shown in <FIG>. The container <NUM>, waste drum carrier <NUM>, interconnected side walls <NUM> and lid <NUM> can be made from metal such as steel or stainless steel or carbon steel. Other materials with comparable mechanical strength may apply as well. The container has a top edge <NUM>. The lid <NUM> has a lid edge <NUM>.

The lid <NUM>, shown upside down in <FIG>, can be placed on top of the container <NUM>, with a lid edge <NUM> contacting the container top edge <NUM>. The container's loading space <NUM> can be sealed using a seal <NUM> between lid edge <NUM> and container top edge <NUM>. The lid <NUM> can be fixed to the container top edge <NUM> using bolts <NUM> extending through corresponding fastening holes <NUM> through the lid edge <NUM>. The seal can be made from any removable flexible material which can withstand gasses and fluids and radiation which may over time leak from the waste drums <NUM>, for example from rubber or plastic material.

At least one of the container side walls <NUM>, the lid <NUM> or base <NUM> can be provided with a pressure relief opening <NUM> to release such gases from the container <NUM> in case of overpressure. The pressure relief opening <NUM> may be provided with a pressure relief valve.

The container <NUM> may be provided with a drain <NUM>, which can be formed by a closable tube extending from the loading space <NUM> to the container's exterior, to allow fluid present inside the container <NUM> to be drained. The drain <NUM> is preferably arranged at a lower portion of one of the interconnected container side walls <NUM> near the base <NUM>, or in the base <NUM>. The drain <NUM> may be closed with a drain plug. The drain <NUM> and drain plug can be threaded for secure closure of the drain <NUM> during storage.

The container may be provided with one or more feedthroughs or slots <NUM> for the insertion of measurement instruments with one or more sensor for monitoring parameters such as pressure, temperature and radioactivity in the loading space <NUM> inside the container <NUM>. These instruments may be inserted temporarily or permanently. The instruments may be provided with wired or wireless communication connection with a monitoring system, e.g. console, for remote monitoring of the container status and waste status over time. The insertion slot <NUM> may be provided through the interconnected container side walls <NUM> of container <NUM> or through lid <NUM>, or even through the container base <NUM>. In <FIG>, an instrument insertion slot <NUM> is shown in the center of lid <NUM>, to align with a central portion of the waste drum carrier <NUM>.

In <FIG>, the container <NUM> is shown with double layered side walls <NUM>, wherein an outer layer 105a is shown partially cut away. This reveals reinforcement bars <NUM> which are in this example vertically arranged between and attached to the outer layer 105a and inner layer 105b. As shown in <FIG>, a corner support <NUM> can be placed at each the intersection of container side walls <NUM> of the container <NUM> and are connected to the ends of the interconnected container side walls <NUM>. The corners at extremities of the container <NUM> may be further reinforced using reinforcement elements in the form of corner castings <NUM>. The corner castings <NUM> may be provided with holes <NUM> for hoisting and slots <NUM> for inserting a stacking guide. A stacking guide can be a guide pin or strip for stacking multiple containers, whereby the stacking guides are placeable between corresponding corner castings of stacked containers, which allow the stacked container to be laterally stabilized and prevent the stacked containers from shifting relative from each other.

The lid <NUM> can be provided with hoisting eyes <NUM> for hoisting the container <NUM> when packed and closed or sealed.

For transport by forklift truck, the base <NUM> of the container <NUM> can be provided with fork pockets <NUM>. The forks of the forklift truck can slide into the fork pockets <NUM> to securely lift and move the container <NUM>. Fork pockets <NUM> may be provided on all lateral sides of the base <NUM>. The fork pockets <NUM> provided in the base <NUM> also provide reinforcement of the base <NUM>.

In <FIG> a container <NUM> is shown having a radiation shielding liner <NUM> placed inside the container <NUM>. The radiation shielding liner <NUM> has interconnected liner side walls <NUM> and a base (not shown) at a lower side of the radiation shielding liner <NUM> interconnecting the lower sides of the liner walls <NUM>. The radiation shielding liner can be made from radiation absorbing materials such as lead and tungsten. Other suitable radiation absorbing materials may also may also be considered, however lead is the preferred material. The radiation shielding liner <NUM> is shown sticking out of the container <NUM> for clarity, however in practice, the radiation shielding liner <NUM> will be enveloped by the interconnected container side walls <NUM>. Moreover, the lid <NUM> may be provided with a radiation shielding liner plate as which fits closely to the upper edges of the radiation shielding liner walls <NUM>. This provides shielding against radioactivity from waste drums accommodated within the container <NUM>. The radiation shielding liner <NUM> is arranged inside the container between the interconnected container side walls <NUM> and the waste drum carrier <NUM>. As an alternative, the radiation shielding liner <NUM> may be arranged outside the interconnected container side walls <NUM> as an outer cladding of the container. The radiation shielding liner may also be provided within the outer layer 105a and inner layer 105b of the interconnected container side walls <NUM>. Radiation shielding liner walls <NUM> and base may be welded or glued together.

In <FIG> a fluid-tight liner <NUM> is shown arranged within the radiation shielding liner <NUM>. For clarity sake also fluid-tight liner <NUM> is shown sticking out the loading space <NUM> of container <NUM>. The fluid-tight liner <NUM> is also provided with interconnected liner side walls <NUM> and a base (not shown in <FIG>) interconnecting the liner side walls <NUM>. The fluid-tight liner <NUM> forms a fluid collection container wherein fluids leaking from waste drums <NUM> may be collected. The fluid-tight liner <NUM> in <FIG> may also be arranged between the radiation shielding liner <NUM> and interconnected container side walls <NUM>. The fluid-tight liner <NUM> for the container can be made of a durable plastic material such as high density polyethylene (HDPE), or any fluid tight and corrosion resistant material.

Surfaces of parts of the container <NUM> such as the base <NUM>, interconnected container side walls <NUM> and lid <NUM> may be provided with a protective coating such as epoxy and polyurethane coatings, to protect these parts from corrosion. Also galvanically applied layers or coatings may apply.

In <FIG> a waste drum carrier <NUM> is shown, which is dimensioned to fit inside a container <NUM>. The waste drum carrier <NUM> has a platform <NUM> and waste drum carrier walls <NUM> which are connected to the platform <NUM>. The waste drum carrier walls <NUM> can be mutually connected panels. The waste drum carrier walls <NUM> can be interconnected via an optional central support <NUM> and by optional lateral supports <NUM>. The waste drum carrier walls <NUM> and platform <NUM> define lateral accessible pockets <NUM> for holding the drums <NUM>. The drums <NUM> can be placed laterally inside the pockets <NUM>. The central support <NUM> can be aligned with the central instrument insertion slot <NUM> in the lid <NUM>. The central support <NUM> can be made hollow to allow insertion of an instrument from outside of the container <NUM> as described above.

The lateral edges of waste drum carrier walls <NUM>, which may be provided with lateral supports <NUM>, can be provided with slots <NUM> for guiding tightening straps <NUM> which can be wrapped around and tightened to secure waste drums <NUM> placed on the platform <NUM>. The lateral edges of the waste drum carrier walls <NUM> can be provided with bumpers <NUM> as impact absorbers, which protect the waste drum carrier from deformation when handling the container with waste drum carrier, which may involve impact due to crashing or falling or the handling itself.

The bumpers <NUM> can be made from a plastic material which has a resiliency or shock absorbing capacity. Lateral dimensions of the bumpers <NUM> may be adjusted depending on the presence and thickness of liners within the container <NUM>.

The waste drum carrier walls <NUM> and platform <NUM> can be made from steel which can be welded or glued together, which makes the waste drum carrier readily assembled.

<FIG> shows a bottom view of the waste drum carrier <NUM> with the platform <NUM> and laterally oriented spacers <NUM> attached to the bottom of platform <NUM>. Also visible are the bottom sections of the bumpers <NUM>. The spacers <NUM> can be made from a plastic material which has a resiliency or shock absorbing capacity. The spacers <NUM> provide separation of the platform <NUM> and bottom of the container <NUM>, to counteract corrosion from any fluids that may have leaked from the waste drums <NUM>, which may affect the integrity of the platform <NUM> and waste drum carrier walls <NUM>. Simultaneously, the spacers <NUM> provide reinforcement of the platform <NUM>.

In <FIG>, height and width of the waste drum carrier walls <NUM> and footprint <NUM> of the platform, i.e. shape of the platform circumference, are matched to the inside dimensions and inner horizontal cross section of the container <NUM> to provide a proper fitting tight of the waste drum carrier, enough to optimally use space within the container <NUM>, but with sufficient tolerance to accommodate minor deformation of the interconnected container side walls <NUM> caused by handling the container <NUM> with waste drum carrier <NUM>.

The waste drum carrier <NUM> may optionally be provided with one or more waste drum envelopes <NUM> to capture any fluids leaking from waste drums <NUM> placed inside the waste drum envelopes <NUM>. The envelopes <NUM> can in the form of bins in which the waste drums <NUM> may be accommodated. The envelopes <NUM> may also be in the form of a full overpack, completely enveloping the waste drum <NUM>. The waste drum envelopes <NUM> can be made from a durable plastic material such as HDPE or stainless steel having a wall and base attached to said wall for providing a container.

Top edges of the waste drum carrier walls <NUM>, lateral supports <NUM> and central support <NUM> may be provided with hoisting eyes <NUM> for lifting and transporting the waste drum carrier <NUM>. The hoisting eyes <NUM> can be mounted in mounting holes in the top of said lateral supports <NUM> and/or central support <NUM>. As an alternative for or in addition to hoisting eyes <NUM>, holes in a top section of the waste drum carrier walls <NUM> may be provided for accommodating hooks of hoisting equipment, i.e. cranes, to facilitate hoisting of the waste drum carrier <NUM>.

The lateral supports <NUM> and/or central support <NUM> may be provided with guide pins (not shown) in the mounting holes instead of hoisting eyes. The lateral and or central supports may be provided with holes <NUM> at the bottom side of the base. When two drum carriers <NUM> are stacked, wherein a bottom waste drum carrier is provided with guide pins, a top waste drum carrier is this way able to receive the guide pins in the holes <NUM>, which pins which have been inserted in the mounting holes of the lateral supports <NUM> of the lower waste drum carrier. This allows safe and stable stacking of the waste drum carriers <NUM> outside the container <NUM>.

Surfaces of parts of the waste drum carrier <NUM> such as the platform <NUM> and waste drum carrier walls <NUM> may be provided with a protective coating such as epoxy and polyurethane coatings, to protect these parts from corrosion. Also galvanically applied layers or coatings may apply.

In <FIG> an exemplary waste drum packing system <NUM> is shown which complies with the description above, which has a double size relative to the system <NUM> of <FIG> for accommodating two waste drum carriers <NUM> and subsequent double number of waste drums <NUM>. To achieve the double size, two of the interconnected container walls <NUM> are twice the size of corresponding side walls <NUM> in <FIG>.

Claim 1:
Waste packing system (<NUM>) comprising a container (<NUM>) for storing a plurality of waste drums (<NUM>), wherein the container (<NUM>) comprises a loading space (<NUM>) for accommodating said waste drums (<NUM>), and a loading opening (<NUM>) for receiving said waste drums (<NUM>), the system further comprises at least one waste drum carrying device (<NUM>) removably arranged in said loading space (<NUM>) for holding said waste drums (<NUM>), wherein said waste drum carrying device (<NUM>) is laterally accessible for loading said waste drums (<NUM>) onto said waste drum carrying device (<NUM>), and wherein said waste drum carrying device (<NUM>) comprises means for fixating said waste drums (<NUM>) to said waste drum carrying device (<NUM>), characterized in that said waste drum carrying device (<NUM>) comprises a platform (<NUM>) and a support structure (<NUM>) attached to said platform (<NUM>), wherein said support structure (<NUM>) comprises a plurality of interconnected walls (<NUM>), said interconnected walls (<NUM>) and platform (<NUM>) defining laterally accessible pockets (<NUM>), wherein each pocket (<NUM>) is adapted for accommodating one of said drums (<NUM>), and in that said waste drum carrying device (<NUM>) is laterally immovably placeable inside said loading space (<NUM>).