# US 2018/0025796 A1 · Apparatus for supporting radioactive fuel assemblies and methods of manufacturing the same

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- Number: US 2018/0025796 A1
- Document ID: US20180025796A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/671,830
- Filed: 2017-08-08
- Published: 2018-01-25
- Earliest claimed: 2007-10-29
- Assignees: Holtec International
- Applicants: Holtec International
- Inventors: Krishna P. Singh; Stephen J. Agace
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180025796A1

## CPC

- G21C 19/07: Storage racks; Storage pools
- G21F 5/012: Fuel element racks in the containers
- Y02E 30/30: Nuclear fission reactors
- G21C: NUCLEAR REACTORS (fusion reactors, hybrid fission-fusion reactors G21B; nuclear explosives G21J)
- G21F: PROTECTION AGAINST X-RADIATION, GAMMA RADIATION, CORPUSCULAR RADIATION OR PARTICLE BOMBARDMENT; TREATING RADIOACTIVELY CONTAMINATED MATERIAL; DECONTAMINATION ARRANGEMENTS THEREFOR (radiation protection by pharmaceutical means A61K8/00, A61Q17/04; in cosmonautic vehicles B64G1/54; combined with a reactor G21C11/00; combined with X-ray tubes H01J35/16; combined with X-ray apparatus H05G1/02)
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

An apparatus for supporting radioactive fuel assemblies, such as spent nuclear fuel. In one aspect, the invention is an apparatus, which can be in the form of a fuel rack having adjustable height pedestals.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A fuel rack for supporting spent nuclear fuel assemblies comprising:
a base plate having a top surface;
a fuel rack body extending upward from the base plate and comprising a plurality of cells, each of the cells having an open top end and being configured to receive a spent nuclear fuel assembly, and wherein fibs each of the cells, a portion of an upper surface of the base plate forms a floor of the cell;
a plurality of adjustable height pedestals connected to a bottom surface of the base plate, each of the adjustable height pedestals comprising:
a block having a hole defined by a threaded inner surface, the block fixedly coupled to the base plate;
a peg having a threaded outer surface, the threaded outer surface of the peg threadily engaged to the threaded inner surface of the block;
an engagement element in a top surface of the peg; and
wherein upon a tool engaging the engagement element and rotating the peg, the extent the peg protrudes from a bottom surface of the block is adjusted; and
wherein for each of the adjustable height pedestals, the adjustable height pedestal is coupled to the base plate so that the engagement element is aligned with and is accessible via a hole in the floor of one of the cells.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The fuel rack of claim 1 wherein the engagement element comprises a non-circular depression.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The fuel rack of claim 1 wherein the fuel rack body comprises a plurality of cutouts adjacent the base plate that provide lateral passageways into the cells.