Patent ID: 7668281

Claim:
A method of removing radioactive internals structural members in the core of a reactor pressure vessel in a containment vessel, the reactor pressure vessel including a core barrel, a lower internals assembly and an upper internals assembly, the method comprising the steps of: removing the core barrel from the reactor pressure vessel; severing the lower internals assembly into an upper section and a lower section; placing a first cask in the lower section of the lower internals assembly, the lower section of the lower internals assembly including radioactive first internals structural members and second internals structural members, the first internals structural members being attached to the second internals structural members; detaching the radioactive first internals structural members from the second internals structural members; placing the detached first internals structural members in the first cask; placing the first cask and the second internals structural members, in a second cask; bracing the first cask within the second cask; placing the upper internals assembly and the severed upper section of the lower internals assembly in a third cask; removing the second cask containing the lower section of the lower internals assembly, the second internals structural members, and the casked detached radioactive first internals structural members from the containment vessel; and removing the third cask containing the upper internals assembly and the severed upper section of the lower internals assembly from the containment vessel.