Storage, transportation and disposal system for used nuclear fuel assemblies

An integrated storage, transportation and disposal system for used nuclear fuel assemblies, comprising:

• a plurality of canisters each including a canister sidewall defining a canister enclosure sized to receive a plurality of fuel basket tubes in side by side relationship, each of the plurality of fuel basket tubes being sized to receive at least one of the used nuclear fuel assemblies therein, each of the plurality of canisters including a plurality of longitudinal reinforcing members within the canister enclosure, the plurality of longitudinal reinforcing members being interposed between the canister sidewall and the plurality of fuel basket tubes, each of the plurality of longitudinal reinforcing members including:
• a vertical reinforcing member sidewall including a major web and two spaced apart minor webs that define a u-shaped cross-section, and
• upper and lower horizontal ribs interconnecting the major web and the spaced apart minor webs at longitudinally spaced apart portions of the vertical reinforcing member sidewall and extending perpendicular to the major web and the minor webs of the vertical reinforcing member sidewall to provide torsional rigidity to the longitudinal reinforcing member, wherein the upper and lower horizontal ribs extend radially within the canister enclosure and perpendicular to the canister sidewall and contact the canister sidewall to transfer heat thereto from the plurality of fuel basket tubes;
• and
• a cask including an end and a cask sidewall to define an internal cask volume, wherein the plurality of canisters are sized to be received within the internal cask volume in side by side relationship for transportation of the plurality of used fuel assemblies, each of the plurality of canisters being removable from the internal cask volume for disposal of the used fuel assemblies.