Primary Inventor: Krishna P. Singh
Contributing Inventor(s): Stephen Agace
Date: Jan. 23, 2024
Status: Granted
Jurisdiction: US
Assignee: Holtec Internatonal
Equipment Type: HI-STORM UMAX
Docket Number: HOL-146
Application Number: 17/746,804
Patent Number: US 11,881,323 B2
Prior Publication Data:
US 2022/0277864 A1 Sep. 1, 2022
Related U.S. Application Data:
Continuation-in-part of application No. 17/527,476, filed on Nov. 16, 2021.
Provisional application No. 63/189,423, filed on May 17, 2021, provisional application No. 63/123,706, filed on Dec. 10, 2020, provisional application No. 63/118,350, filed on Nov. 25, 2020.
Abstract: A passively cooled stackable nuclear waste storage system includes an at least partially below grade cavity enclosure container (CEC) and above grade cask. Each vessel includes a cavity holding a nuclear waste canister containing spent nuclear fuel or other high-level radioactive wastes. The CEC is founded on a below grade concrete base pad and cask is mounted on an above-grade concrete top pad in a vertically stacked arrangement. The upper cask comprises a perforated baseplate which establishes fluid communication between cavities of both casks and is configured to prevent radiation shine. One or both vessels include air inlets which draw ambient cooling air into their respective cavities for cooling the nuclear waste. Air heated in the lower CEC rises into the upper cask through the baseplate where it mixes with air drawn into the cask and is returned to atmosphere. The system increases storage capacity of new or existing facilities.