Annular Packaging Structures for Radioactive Material Heat Conduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing packaging for radioactive materials faces challenges in decontamination, thermal conduction, and assembly complexity, with axial bands providing radiological protection but compromising thermal efficiency and ease of assembly.
Innovation Solution
A packaging design featuring unitary annular structures with integrated internal annular walls for improved thermal conduction and radiological protection, allowing for direct radial heat transfer and easier assembly without precise angular indexing, and enabling localized adaptation of radiological protection materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If axial bands of radiological protection material are used to limit radiological leaks, then radiological protection is improved, but thermal conduction is degraded due to complex radial wall shapes
Solution Approach 1:
The packaging is divided into multiple unitary annular structures stacked axially, each containing radiological protection material. This segmentation allows the radiological protection function to be distributed while maintaining simpler individual component geometries that facilitate thermal conduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The radiological protection material is arranged in axial bands that extend through the packaging structure, utilizing the axial dimension to provide protection. This dimensional approach allows thermal conduction paths in the radial direction to remain relatively simple while still achieving radiological protection through the axial arrangement of protective layers.
2Reliability
If unitary annular structures are stacked with precise angular indexing to form axial cavities, then radiological protection is achieved, but assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Each unitary annular structure is designed as a universal component that can be stacked without precise angular indexing. The structures are identical or similar in design, allowing them to perform the same function regardless of their rotational position relative to adjacent structures, thereby simplifying assembly while maintaining radiological protection effectiveness.
3Reliability
If axial bands of radiological protection material overlap in the radial direction, then radiological leaks are limited, but the shape of radial walls becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The radiological protection is segmented into discrete axial bands within unitary annular structures rather than forming continuous complex radial shapes. This segmentation allows each component to have a simpler, more manufacturable geometry while the collective arrangement of segmented elements provides comprehensive radiological protection.
4Loss of energy
If heat transfer plates are fixedly attached to the side packaging body, then heat exchange is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The heat transfer functionality is merged into the unitary annular structures themselves through integrated internal annular walls that are in direct contact with the side packaging body. This eliminates the need for separate heat transfer plates and their associated attachment operations, simplifying manufacturing while maintaining effective thermal conduction paths from the radioactive materials through the radiological protection material.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design enhances decontamination ease, thermal performance, and radiological protection efficiency while simplifying assembly and reducing manufacturing costs, allowing for adaptable and effective radiological protection without modifying the thickness of protection elements or cavities.
Implementation Method 1
improving the heat conduction function thanks to the radial walls thermal conduction which may have a more direct radial path
Implementation Method 2
protection against gamma radiation, and/or in neutron absorption
Implementation Method 3
protection against gamma radiation, and/or in neutron absorption
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 1a~3
Figure 4~6
AI summary
The invention relates to packaging for the transport and/or storage of radioactive materials, comprising a lateral packaging body (10) around which an outer radiation protection envelope (14) is disposed, which is made from a plurality of individual annular structures (16) stacked on top of each other. Every structure (16) comprises an outer annular wall (24) and a radial heat conductive wall (22), an outer end of which is secured to the wall (24), and an inner end of which is in contact with the lateral body (10). Furthermore, two directly consecutive structures (16) delimit an annular cavity (30) housing at least one radiation protection element (32), said cavity being closed radially towards the outside by the wall (24) of one or both directly consecutive structures (16), and axially closed by the radial heat-conducting structure (22) of one and the other of the two structures (16).