Adjustable Nuclear Fuel Transport Container Door

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing transport containers for nuclear fuel assemblies require specific doors for each type of assembly, making them complicated and expensive to adapt to different types.

Innovation Solution

A transport container with adjustable spacing between the door and support surfaces, allowing the same container to accommodate various types of nuclear fuel assemblies by translating and rotating the door along specific axes, eliminating the need for movable pads and enabling direct contact with the assemblies.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If specific doors are used for each type of nuclear fuel assembly, then the assembly can be securely held, but the device complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesecure holding of assemblyVSAvoiddoor variety

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a universal door design with adjustable spacing between the first and second longitudinal bearing surfaces. This single door structure can accommodate multiple types of nuclear fuel assemblies by translating the door along the adjustment axis, eliminating the need for multiple specific doors while maintaining secure holding capability for each assembly type

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The door is made dynamically adjustable through translation along an adjustment axis. The spacing between bearing surfaces can be modified by moving the door relative to the support, allowing the same door to adapt to different assembly dimensions and grid positions, thus resolving the contradiction between secure holding and device complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Adaptability or versatility

If movable support pads are used on the door, then the assembly can be accommodated, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccommodation of assembly typesVSAvoidmobile bearing pads

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the complex movable support pads from the door design. Instead, it uses a simplified door with longitudinal bearing surfaces that directly contact the nuclear fuel assembly. The adaptability is achieved through door translation rather than through movable pads, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining versatility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Rather than making the bearing surfaces movable (as with movable pads), the patent inverts the approach by making the entire door movable along the adjustment axis. This simplifies the bearing surfaces to fixed longitudinal faces while achieving the same adaptability through the door's positional adjustment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentEP2054893B1Transport container for nuclear fuel assemblies and use of said container

Publication Date: 2013.08.21 AREVA NP SAS

Figure 1~2
Figure 3A~3B
Figure 4

AI summary

This container comprises a holder (13) having at least one first longitudinal bearing surface (21) defining a longitudinal housing (15A, 15B) for receiving a nuclear fuel assembly, and a door (17A, 17B) having a second longitudinal bearing surface (39). The door (17A, 17B) is movable between a position in which the nuclear fuel assembly is held between the two longitudinal surfaces (21, 39) and a release position in which the assembly is released from the holder (13). The container comprises means (61, 63) for adjusting the transverse spacing between the first and second surfaces (21, 39) in the holding position of the door (17A, 17B).