Device for Cleaning and/or Securing a Safe Containment Defined in a Device for Transporting and/or Storing Radioactive Materials

Abstract

The invention relates to a device ( 1 ) for cleaning and/or securing a safe containment defined in a device for transporting and/or storing radioactive materials, which device includes active means capable of cleaning and/or securing said safe containment, and further comprising means forming a casing ( 2 ) with an opening ( 8 ) and defining a cavity ( 9 ) as well as means for closing ( 10 ) said opening, which device is designed so that said closure means are capable of being maintained in said closed position by a pressure difference between the inside and the outside of said cavity.

1 . Device ( 1 ) for cleaning and/or securing a safe containment ( 102 ) defined in a device ( 100 ) for transporting and/or storing radioactive materials ( 110 ), which device includes active means capable of cleaning and/or securing said safe containment ( 102 ), characterised in that it further comprises: 
 means forming a casing ( 2 ) with an opening ( 8 ) and defining a cavity ( 9 ); and    means for closing ( 10 ) said opening ( 8 ) capable of assuming an open position as well as a closed position in which they close said opening ( 8 ) so as to seal said cavity ( 9 ) in which said active means are located,    which device is designed so that said closure means ( 10 ) are capable of being maintained in said closed position by a pressure difference having a value greater than or equal to a predetermined value, between the inside and the outside of said cavity ( 9 ).    
     
     
         2 . Device ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , characterised in that it is designed so that the closure means ( 10 ) can be switched from said closed position to said open position automatically by means of gravity, after a rupture from said pressure difference having a value greater than or equal to the predetermined value.  
     
     
         3 . Device ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , characterised in that it is designed so that the closure means ( 10 ) can be switched from said closed position to said open position automatically by way of elastic means ( 34 ) inserted between said closure means ( 10 ) and said means forming a casing ( 2 ), after a rupture from said pressure difference having a value greater than or equal to the predetermined value.  
     
     
         4 . Device ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , characterised in that it also comprises means ( 30 ) for creating a vacuum in said cavity ( 9 ).  
     
     
         5 . Device ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , characterised in that said active means are mounted on the closure means ( 10 ), so that when the latter assume the open position in which they are located at a distance from said opening ( 8 ), these active means are located at least partially outside of said cavity ( 9 ).  
     
     
         6 . Device ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , characterised in that said closure means ( 10 ) comprise holding means ( 16 ) enabling said closure means ( 10 ) to be maintained in said open position.  
     
     
         7 . Device ( 1 ) according to  claim 6 , characterised in that said holding means ( 16 ) comprise a pin ( 20 ) capable of sliding into a hollow cylinder ( 22 ) secured to the means forming a casing ( 2 ) with an opening ( 8 ), wherein the pin ( 20 ) has a shoulder ( 24 ) located inside the hollow cylinder ( 22 ) and capable of coming into contact with an abutment ( 26 ) at one end of said hollow cylinder ( 22 ).  
     
     
         8 . Device ( 1 ) according to  claim 7 , characterised in that the pin ( 20 ) is attached to a closure plug ( 12 ) bearing said active means.  
     
     
         9 . Device ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , characterised in that said active means are arranged in one or more cartridges ( 28 ).  
     
     
         10 . Device ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , characterised in that said active means include a catalyst for recombining oxygen and hydrogen into water, as well as a drying agent.  
     
     
         11 . Device ( 100 ) for transporting and/or storing radioactive materials ( 110 ), characterised in that it includes at least one cleaning and/or securing device ( 1 ) according to any one of the previous claims, which device ( 1 ) is located in a safe containment ( 102 ) and said closure means ( 10 ) assume said open position.  
     
     
         12 . Method for underwater packaging of radioactive materials ( 110 ), characterised in that it includes the following steps: 
 creating a vacuum in the cavity ( 9 ) of a cleaning and/or securing device ( 1 ) as described above, so that the closure means ( 10 ) are maintained in the closed position;    mounting the cleaning and/or securing device ( 1 ) inside the safe containment ( 102 ) of a device for transporting and/or storing radioactive materials ( 110 );    placing the transportation and/or storage device ( 100 ) in a pool ( 109 ) after filling the safe containment ( 102 ) with water;    loading the radioactive materials ( 110 ) into the safe containment ( 102 );    closing the transportation and/or storage device ( 100 ) using at least one cover ( 108 );    extracting the transportation and/or storage device ( 100 ) from the pool ( 109 );    draining the water located inside the safe containment ( 102 ); and    drying said safe containment ( 102 ) by creating a depression in the latter, which depression is created so as to cause the closure means ( 10 ) of the cleaning and/or securing device ( 1 ) to automatically switch from the closed position to the open position.