Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02862799 2014-07-25
1
Final disposal container and method for the production thereof
The invention relates to a storage container, in particular a final disposal
container for
contaminated materials, and to a method for producing a storage container, in
particular a
final disposal container for contaminated materials.
Contaminated materials, in particular such as residual materials or waste
materials, often
accumulate and have to be supplied for final disposal in order to avoid
further contact
with the environment. By way of example, materials of this type can be
radioactively,
chemically and/or biologically contaminated. So as to be able to supply these
materials
for example for final disposal, final disposal containers are known, into
which the
residual materials can be filled for transport or storage.
A storage container, in particular a final disposal container for radioactive
waste, is
known from the unexamined patent application DE 101 20 191 Al. A storage
container
of this type comprises a container base, container side walls and a container
cover. Here,
the transition region on the container inner side between the container side
walls and the
container cover in particular can be formed in a rounded manner running around
over the
inner periphery of the storage container and can have a transition radius of
at least 150
mm. A receiving console for the container cover adjoining the container side
walls may
also be provided.
Further, a container for holding, transporting and disposing of fission
products is known
from document DE 7317984 Ul. A container of this type is used in particular
for the
holding and final disposal of radioactively contaminated materials and is
formed from
cast iron.
Storage containers of this type are often produced by means of a casting
method. A
disadvantage with casting methods of this type is the possible occurrence of
what is
known as dross. Non-metal and in particular oxidic impurities of this type,
such as scum,
foam and/or slag of the molten metal, can lead to structural defects in the
produced
component. More specifically, dross defects in the cast shaped part usually
form
inclusions, for example formed from magnesium oxide, magnesium sulphide, or
CA 02862799 2014-07-25
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magnesium aluminium silicate slags. The occurrence of dross defects of this
type can
reduce the fatigue strength of the shaped component and can also reduce the
shielding
effect for example with respect to emissions of contaminated materials, for
example
radioactive radiation. As a result, with the occurrence of dross defects, the
shaped
component can no longer be used as a storage container for contaminated
materials, or
can only be used in this way to a limited extent, which leads not infrequently
to the
rejection of the component exhibiting dross defects. Here, not only can a
large number of
dross defects inevitably lead to the aforementioned disadvantages, but the
merely the
occurrence in principle of dross defects can lead to rejection.
One object of the present invention is therefore to create a storage container
that can be
produced easily and with reduced rejection. A further object of the present
invention is to
create a method for producing a storage container, by means of which method
the storage
container can be produced easily and with reduced rejection.
This object is achieved in accordance with the invention by the features of
the
independent claims. Advantageous developments are specified in the dependent
claims
The object is therefore achieved by a storage container, in particular a final
disposal
container for contaminated materials, comprising a container body having a
container
base and at least one container side wall, wherein the container body has a
filling opening
that can be closed by a container cover, wherein the container body, at the
end of at least
one container side wall arranged opposite the container base, has a projection
that has a
wedge-shaped cross section and is formed on the container inner side, and
wherein the
wedge-shaped projection thickens due to a slanted portion that extends at an
angle in a
range from > 100 to <350 relative to the orientation of the container side
wall.
A key point of the invention is thus that, on the container inner side and
facing the
container upper side or the filling opening, a projection enlarging in the
direction of the
container upper side is provided, which is preferably formed at each corner
facing the
filling opening and is configured in the region of the corners in such a way
that the
projection extends between two container walls. When casting the storage
container, the
dross in the corner region or in the region of the projection is thus
particular
CA 02862799 2014-07-25
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advantageously reduced, which causes an advantageous minimisation of the flaws
in a
subsequent test step, for example by means of ultrasound. A second key
advantage of a
projection of this type or of the thus simplified casting process is that
transport openings
for the fastening of handling devices can be formed much more easily on the
receiving
console created by the projection in the region of the container upper side,
on the one
hand by means of a milling processing step or alternatively by the provision
of a casting
core during casting, however in any case the projection according to the
invention results
in a reduction of the dross in the region of the projection. The container
inner wall
preferably extends from the container base initially in the direction of the
container upper
side, before the projection then "bends" from the container inner wall at an
angle from >
100 to < 35 in the region of the container upper side.
A storage container of this type can preferably be used in order to hold, to
store or to
transport chemically, biologically or radioactively contaminated materials
and/or to
supply said materials for final disposal. The storage container comprises a
container body
that has a container base and at least one container side wall. By way of
example, the at
least one container side wall can be arranged substantially at right angles to
the container
base and/or can be formed in one piece therewith. Here, only one container
side wall may
be provided, for example when this is cylindrically shaped and the container
base for
example has a circular cross section. In this embodiment, the diameter of the
then
cylindrical storage container may lie for example in a range from > 1000 mm to
< 1100
mm.
However, the storage container or the container body preferably has a
plurality of
container side walls, wherein the container base may have a polygonal shape in
plan
view. In this embodiment, the container side walls are arranged at a
corresponding angle
to one another and can also be formed integrally with one another and with the
container
base.
So as to be able to fill contaminated materials into the storage container,
the container
body has a filling opening. The size and shape of this filling opening can be
freely
selected in principle, but can be adapted to the basic shape of the container
base, that is to
say in particular to the shape in plan view of the container base. In order to
prevent an
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escape of contaminated materials themselves or an escape of emissions
originating from
the contaminated materials, the filling opening in particular can be
hermetically sealed by
a cover. When the filling opening is closed, the storage container is
therefore in particular
hermetically tight, such that contaminated materials themselves or emissions
originating
from the contaminated materials, such as radioactive radiation, cannot escape
from the
storage container at any point of the container.
The container body further has, at the end of at least one container side wall
arranged
opposite the container base, that is to say basically on the upper side of a
container side
wall or a suitable plurality of container side walls, a projection that has a
wedge-shaped
cross section, is formed on the container inner side and extends in the
direction of the
container upper side. A projection that has a wedge-shaped cross section and
that is
formed on the container inner side may be in particular in the sense of the
present
invention a projection or thickened portion that is directed in the direction
of the
container interior and in a cross section is a wedge-shaped thickened portion,
that is to
say in particular a thickened portion that widens at an angle through a
preferably planar
plane. However, the projection in plan view may also have a form deviating
from a
strictly planar form. For example, a structure that is formed on the container
inner side in
a manner preferably extending in its extension in the direction of the
container cover into
the interior can be formed.
Here, the wedge-shaped projection thickens due to a slanted portion that
extends at an
angle in a range from > 10 to < 35' relative to the orientation of the
container side wall.
In other words, the preferably planar plane of the wedge-shaped projection is
arranged at
an angle from > 100 to < 350 to the container side wall. Here, with the above-
defined
angles, manufacturing tolerances in a range for example of +/- 10 outside the
defined
range can be included by the scope of the invention in a manner comprehensible
to a
person skilled in the art.
A storage container formed as specified above provides the advantage of an
improved
production compared with the storage containers known from the prior art. More
specifically, defects, in particular such as dross defects, can be reduced or
even
completely prevented in particular with the production of the storage
container described
CA 02862799 2014-07-25
above by means of casting methods. One explanation for this advantage can be
considered in particular in an improved flow behaviour of the molten metal
when
inserted into a mould, such as a metal permanent mould or a sand mould. In a
manner
surprising to a person skilled in the art, a projection that has a wedge-
shaped cross
5 section and that is formed on the container inner side can thus be
provided, wherein the
wedge-shaped projection thickens due to a slanted portion that extends at an
angle in a
range from > 100 to < 350 relative to the orientation of the container side
wall and the
flow behaviour of the molten metal in particular in the case of a casting
method can be
improved in such a way that practically no dross defects occur, in particular
in the region
of the projection. The long-term stability of storage containers of this type
can thus be
improved, which is particularly advantageous in particular with a use of the
storage
container according to the invention as a final disposal container for
contaminated
materials. In addition, the stacking of the containers above one another is
improved by
the embodiment according to the invention, such that six or more containers
can be
reliably stacked above one another, for example.
Similarly to the long-term stability, storage containers according to the
invention can
have an improved shielding effect, for example with respect to radioactively
radiating
materials. This is because the shielding effect can be reduced by non-metal
inclusions,
often associated with gas bubbles or scaling, or by the dross defects. In
accordance with
the invention, contaminated materials, such as radioactively contaminated or
radiating
materials, can be supplied particularly reliably for example for final
disposal or for
transport as a result of the reduction or the even complete prevention of
dross defects,
wherein a particularly good and homogeneous shielding is provided.
In addition, the rejection with the production of storage containers can be
considerably
reduced, since the produced storage containers are substantially free from
dross defects
and the number of storage containers that cannot be used for a desired field
of use due to
dross defects reduces. The costs of the production of the storage containers
are thus
considerably reduced.
Here, due to the production of the storage containers, the wedge-shaped
projection is
arranged in particular at the end of at least one container side wall arranged
opposite the
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container base. In other words, the wedge-shaped projection or a plurality of
wedge-
shaped projections is/are arranged on the upper side of the container side
wall or the
container side walls in such a way that the container wall thickens in the
direction of the
upper side. The projection or the projections can thus be used in particular
to arrange, in
this region, transport means reducing the shielding thickness, wherein a
sufficient
shielding thickness and long-term stability are nevertheless maintained.
Besides transport
means, further functional means can be arranged in this region, which means
are formed
from material reducing the shielding.
In accordance with an advantageous embodiment, the container bodies are formed
from
cast iron, preferably from ductile cast iron, or what is known as spheroidal
graphite iron.
In particular with a formation from cast iron and therefore an enabled casting
method, the
storage container can be produced particularly easily and in a defined manner.
Here, the
wedge-shaped projections serve in particular in a casting method with use of
cast iron to
reduce or completely prevent structural defects, in particular such as dross
defects. Here,
in the sense of the present invention, in particular an iron alloy with a high
proportion of
carbon, for example? 2 %, and silicon, such as? 1.5 %, can be understood to be
cast
iron. Further constituents, such as manganese, chromium or nickel can be
contained in
the cast iron. Furthermore, in the method according to the invention by
casting, the
produced storage container can be formed in particular from what is known as
black cast
iron. In this form, the cast iron may further comprise carbon in the form of
graphite, in
particular such as spheroidal graphite. In particular with ductile cast iron,
which is
particularly suitable as material for storage containers for contaminated
material, there is
an increased risk of dross formation. In this regard, the method according to
the invention
can reduce the risk of dross defects, in particular in the case of a casting
method as
described above. An embodiment of the container cover made from cast iron can
provide
a good shielding that is uniform over the entire storage container, which is
particularly
advantageous in the case of the final disposal of contaminated materials.
In accordance with a further advantageous embodiment, the storage container,
on its
upper side and in the region of at least one projection, preferably in the
projection, has at
least one transport opening for transporting the storage container. In
particular, transport
openings serve as standardised means, for example ISO openings, in order to
transport
CA 02862799 2014-07-25
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the storage container using standardised methods. Here, the shielding
thickness is clearly
reduced by a transport opening. However, since the transport opening is
arranged in the
region of the projection, a sufficient wall thickness or shielding thickness
can be obtained
on the whole. The storage container advantageously comprises a plurality of
transport
openings. For the case of a cylindrical storage container, the transport
openings can be
distributed here uniformly over the periphery of the cylindrical side wall.
For the case of
a polygonal basis shape, the transport openings can be arranged at the
corners, for
example.
In accordance with a further advantageous embodiment, the storage container is
cuboidal
and has a square or rectangular cross section. In this embodiment, a
multiplicity of
storage containers can be combined in particular for the purpose of final
disposal with
low spatial requirement. In addition, storage containers of this type in
particular can be
transported by standardised methods and supplied for final disposal, which
makes the
handling of storage containers of this type particularly easy. Cuboidal
storage containers
can also be produced particularly easily and in a defined manner, for example
by means
of casting methods.
In this embodiment, the dimensions of the storage containers are for example
in the range
of conventional standardised ISO containers. By way of example, the height and
width
may lie in a range from? 1200 mm to < 2000 mm, wherein the length may lie in a
range
from? 1600mm to < 3000 mm.
In accordance with a further advantageous embodiment, the wedge-shaped
projection is
arranged in a locally delimited manner at a corner of the container body and a
wedge-
shaped projection is preferably arranged at each corner facing the filling
opening. The
projections are preferably arranged only at the corners of the container body
associated
with or facing the container cover and not the container base. In this
embodiment, the
extension of the projection can thus be limited to the regions where they are
required, for
example due to the arrangement of transport openings at the upper corner
regions of a
cuboidal storage container. The middle regions of the corresponding container
side walls
may have inner and outer walls that are completely parallel to one another in
a manner
CA 02862799 2014-07-25
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known per se and may have no wedge-shaped projection. In this embodiment, a
plurality
of projections therefore are not interconnected, for example.
In accordance with a further advantageous embodiment, the wedge-shaped
projection is
formed as a projection running around on the container periphery or running
around on
the periphery of the filling opening. The projection preferably runs around on
all
container walls on the container inner side and is preferably adjacent to the
container
upper side. Here, within the scope of the application, the expression
"container upper
side" means the side of the container facing away from the container base. In
this
embodiment, a particularly free selection of the arrangement of functional
elements, such
as transport openings, is possible. In addition, a plurality of containers can
be produced
in a standardised manner and the number and positioning for example of
transport
openings or other transport elements can then be freely selected, in
particular in the
region of the peripheral projection, and can also be changed in the case of
existing
storage containers. A multiplicity of differently formed storage containers
can thus be
produced in a particularly cost-effective manner.
In accordance with a further advantageous embodiment, the wedge-shaped
projection is
formed as a receiving console for at least partly receiving the container
cover. The
projection most preferably extends on the container inner side between two
container
side walls, such that a triangular receiving console facing the filling
opening can thus be
created. A seat for handling elements can then be milled into this receiving
console in a
simple manner, for example for what are known as twistlocks. As a result of
this
embodiment, a receiving console known per se for at least partly supporting
the container
cover can thus be produced particularly advantageously, in particular without
the
occurrence of dross. Here, as already discussed, merely projections at corner
regions can
be provided, in which case only part of the cover is received by the
projections. The
further periphery of the cover can be supported for example on a corresponding
seat
arranged directly on the container side walls or on a peripheral collar. For
the case of a
projection running around the entire periphery of the filling opening, the
cover can rest
completely on the projection or can be supported thereby. In this embodiment,
it is
particularly advantageous when the container cover is adapted in terms of
shape and size
to the basic shape and size of the storage container or corresponds thereto.
CA 02862799 2014-07-25
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=
In accordance with a further advantageous embodiment, the wedge-shaped
projection
thickens due to a slanted portion that extends at an angle in a range from >
20 to < 25 ,
in particular 22 , relative to the orientation of the container side wall. In
particular with
an embodiment of this type of the projection, the flow behaviour of a molten
metal
during a casting method can be improved in such a way that the formation of
dross
defects in the produced storage container is particularly effectively
prevented or reduced.
Here, in the case of the above-defined angles, manufacturing tolerances in a
range for
example of +1- 1 outside the defined range are again considered as belonging
to the
invention in a manner comprehensible to a person skilled in the art.
In accordance with a further advantageous embodiment, the storage container
closed with
a container cover has a thickness at any position of? 50 mm, in particular in
a range
from > 50 mm to <200 mm, for example? 90 mm to < 120 mm, most preferably
100 mm. Thicknesses of this type in particular with a storage container
produced by a
casting method provide a reliable and dependable shielding with respect to
contaminated
materials arranged in the storage container or emissions of said materials.
Thicknesses or
shielding thicknesses of this type can be produced without difficulty both in
the region of
the base, the side walls and the cover, but also by projections formed in the
region of
transport openings arranged on the upper side of the storage container. The
entire storage
container is most preferably produced in a single casting method and in this
regard has
no weld seams, for example caused by joining together the container side wall
and
container base.
In accordance with a further advantageous embodiment, the container cover can
be
screwed to the container body. In this embodiment, a particularly simple and
reliable
connection between the container body and container cover can be produced. In
addition,
a particularly reliable hermetic sealing of the storage container can be
produced. Here,
the container cover can be screwed to the container body in a single row or in
two rows.
Single-row screwing provides the advantage of a simple, cost-effective and
space-saving
structure, whereas two-rowed screwing enables a particularly reliable, rigid
and stable
screwing of container cover and storage body. In terms of the screwed
connection,
CA 02862799 2014-07-25
threads for example can be arranged in the storage body, or threaded bolts can
protrude
from the surface of the storage body.
Further, it is preferable to provide a single container cover, wherein the
container cover
5 can be screwed to the container body, or for two container covers to be
provided, wherein
the second container cover overlaps the first container cover. Two rows of
threads would
therefore also be preferable, wherein the first cover would be fastenable by
means of the
first row of threads and the second cover would be fastenable by means of the
second
row of threads. In addition, the cover may have a seal or also two seals, for
example
10 made of elastomer, foam rubber and/or metal.
In this context, the storage container preferably has two container covers, an
inner seal
for sealing the container cover associated with the container interior and an
outer seal for
sealing the container cover associated with the container exterior, wherein
the inner seal
comprises an elastomer that is designed to seal the container interior with
respect to
thermal influences and/or radioactivity and the outer seal comprises an
elastomer that is
designed to seal the container interior with respect to moisture. An
embodiment of this
type is advantageous since a material that is more cost effective can be used
for the outer
seal compared with the inner seal, such that a second costly seal for the
outer seal, or
what is known as the sacrificial seal, can be spared. The elastomers used for
the inner
seal and for the outer seal preferably have different material
characteristics.
The container cover can also be formed in such a way that the container cover
in the
closed state bears at least against the longitudinal sides of the container,
that is to say has
a substantially equal extension compared with the container on its upper side,
wherein
the container cover, at its corners, preferably has recesses, which correspond
to the
transport openings. The container, on its upper side, may also have a greater
extension
than the container cover, such that the container forms a peripheral collar,
into which the
container cover can be inserted in order to close the container. Lastly, a
test connection
can also be formed on the container cover. The container cover is preferably
formed from
cast iron or steel.
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In accordance with a further preferred embodiment, the container cover and the
container
body are formed in such a way that the container cover fastened on the
container body or
on the filling opening protrudes beyond the container body in a direction away
from the
container interior by preferably at least 10 mm. A positive contour is thus
created, which
enables an improved stacking of the container. It is further preferable for
the filling
opening and/or the container cover to be as large as possible with respect to
the extension
of the container on its container upper side, such that a particularly easy
loading of the
container is made possible. In other words, this means that the "edge" between
the filling
opening and container upper side is as small as possible. In principle, the
filling opening
and/or the container cover may have any shape, for example can be circular,
wherein the
filling opening and/or the container cover are preferably rectangular or
octagonal.
It is also preferable for the container body, on its container base, to have
at least one
container foot, which faces away from the container interior and which
protrudes beyond
the container base in a direction away from the container interior by
preferably at least
mm, or for the container body, on its container base, to have a peripheral
base bead,
which faces away from the container interior and which adjoins the container
wall
preferably seamlessly. Due to guide elements of this type, such as container
feet and/or a
base bead, an improvement of the stackability and simultaneous centering of
the
20 containers to be arranged on top of one another is achieved, wherein the
strength
characteristics of the container are thus also improved, for example in the
case of external
loads, such as drop tests, crash scenarios, etc. This is because, by providing
container feet
and/or a base bead, an improved damping can be achieved when the container
falls and
lands on the container feet or on the base bead. Due to the embodiment, six or
more
containers can be reliably stacked on one another. This is because, by
providing the
projections preferably in the corners and by providing container feet, the
force flux at the
corners can be optimised, which is particularly advantageous in the case of
the
aforementioned stacking.
The base bead further preferably protrudes with respect to the container base
by? 5 mm,
> 10 mm, > 20 mm,? 30 mm or? 40 mm, such that a recess is provided in the
region of
the container base. When the container is arranged with the peripheral base
bead
contacting a substrate, a gap is preferably created between the container base
and the
CA 02862799 2014-07-25
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substrate due to the recess and is delimited on all sides by the peripheral
base bead. It is
also preferable for the base bead to have a width of? 25 mm, > 50 mm,? 100
mm,? 150
mm or? 200 mm and/or for the base bead to slope on its side facing the
container base in
a direction of the container interior via a canted portion. Here, the width of
the base bead
preferably extends parallel to the extension of the container base. The canted
portion
further preferably slopes at an angle of 30 , 45 or 60 with respect to the
extension of
the container base. The base bead further has a rectangular or a substantially
rectangular
profile, wherein the corners facing away from the container interior are
rounded and/or
have the aforementioned canted portion.
Due to a base bead of this type, damage to the container or to the content in
the container
interior can be avoided when the container is dropped from a height onto a
substrate,
since the base bead, as a buffer zone or spring zone, decelerates the impact
between the
container and the substrate.
In accordance with a further preferred embodiment, the cuboidal container
body, on the
container inner side, has a thickened portion adjoining two adjacent container
side walls
and the container base and extending into the container interior. The
thickened portion is
thus arranged at a corner associated with the container base, wherein a
thickened portion
is preferably arranged at each corner. The thickened portion further
preferably has a
circular and/or spherical profile with a radius of 40 mm, 50 mm, 60 mm or 70
mm. The
thickened portion also preferably extends from the container side walls and
the container
base by at least 110 mm, preferably by at least 135 mm, into the container
interior. Due
to the thickened portion, similarly to the base bead, the strength
characteristics of the
container are improved, that is to say in the case of external loads, such as
drop tests,
crash scenarios, etc.
In view of further advantages and technical features of the storage container
according to
the invention, reference is hereby made to the explanations in conjunction
with the
method according to the invention, the figures, and to the description of the
figures.
The present invention also relates to a method for producing a storage
container
according to the invention, in particular a final disposal container for
contaminated
CA 02862799 2014-07-25
13
materials, wherein the storage container is produced by means of a casting
method, and
wherein a casting mould is used that is configured in such a way that a
container body
having at least one container side wall is shaped, wherein the container body
has a filling
opening that can be closed by a container cover, wherein the container body,
at the end of
at least one container side wall arranged opposite the container base, has a
projection that
has a wedge-shaped cross section and is formed on the container inner side,
and wherein
the wedge-shaped projection thickens due to a slanted portion that extends at
an angle in
a range from > 100 to < 350 relative to the orientation of the container side
wall.
Here, the mould for example may have a suitable casting core or mould core and
a
suitable external shape. The mould may also be formed in such a way that the
head
region of the storage container to be shaped corresponds to the base region of
the mould,
and that the base region of the storage container to be shaped corresponds
accordingly to
the head region of the mould. In this embodiment, cast iron can be conveyed
from a
storage container into the base region of the mould and can then rise from
bottom to top
into the head region of the mould. The storage container is thus shaped upside-
down
from top to bottom. In particular, the storage container is shaped from cast
iron. Due to
the method, the dross during casting can be reduced particularly
advantageously in the
region of the projection, which particularly advantageously results in a
minimisation of
imperfections.
In accordance with an advantageous embodiment, at least one transport opening
is
formed in the upper side of the storage container and in the region of at
least one
projection, in particular by means of a machining step. A suitable number of
transport
openings can thus be formed in a particularly simple manner, whereby the
storage
container is also particularly well suited for the transport of the
contaminated material. A
transport opening of this type can also be provided on the underside of the
storage
container. The transport opening is most preferably provided at a corner of
the storage
container. Here, a machining process may include in particular drilling,
milling or the
like. However, in the context of the present invention, it is not ruled out in
principle to
use a casting core that shapes the transport opening in the casting method in
order to thus
form at least one transport opening.
i
CA 02862799 2014-07-25
14
Lastly, the container body produced by the casting method preferably has, on
its
container base, at least one container foot that faces away from the container
interior and
that protrudes beyond the container base in a direction away from the
container interior
by preferably at least 20 mm, or the container body, on its container base,
preferably has
a peripheral base bead facing away from the container interior.
With regard to further advantages and technical features of the method
according to the
invention, reference is hereby made explicitly to the explanations in
conjunction with the
storage container according to the invention, the figures, and the description
of the
figures.
Further advantages and advantageous embodiments of the objects according to
the
invention will be illustrated by the drawings and explained in the following
description.
Here, it should be noted that the drawings are merely descriptive in nature
and are not
intended to limit the invention in any way.
In the drawings:
Fig. 1 shows a schematic illustration diagonally from above of an
embodiment of
a storage container according to the invention,
Fig. 2 shows a schematic plan view of the embodiment from Figure 1,
Fig. 3 shows a schematic sectional view through part of the embodiment
from
Figure 1,
Fig. 4 shows a schematic sectional view diagonally from above of a
further
embodiment of the storage container according to the invention,
Fig. 5 shows a schematic sectional view of a side wall of the storage
container
according to the invention, and
CA 02862799 2014-07-25
Fig. 6 shows a schematic sectional view of a foot with base bead of
the storage
container according to the invention.
An embodiment of a storage container 10 according to the invention is shown in
Figure
5 1. A storage container 10 of this type can be used for holding,
transporting and for final
disposal of contaminated materials, such as radioactively contaminated or
irradiating
materials.
The storage container 10 comprises a container body 12 and a container cover
14. The
10 container body 12 and the container cover 14 can be produced in
particular by means of a
casting method and can be formed from cast iron. Furthermore, the container
cover 14
can close a filling opening 16 of the container body 12 in a hermetically
tight manner. To
this end, the container body 12 can be screwed to the container cover 14, for
example in
one row or in two rows.
According to Figure 1, the container body 12 can be screwed to the container
cover 14 in
one row. To this end, the container body 12 has a row 18 of threads 20.
Accordingly, the
container cover 14 has a row 22 of threads 24. The thread 20 of the container
body 12
and the thread 24 of the container cover 14 overlap when the container cover
14 is
inserted, such that the container cover 14 can hermetically seal the container
body 12 by
screwing in bolts. To this end, a suitable seal, in particular such as an
elastomer seal,
foam rubber seal or metal seal, can be arranged between the container body 12
and the
container cover 14. Furthermore, the container cover 14 can be formed as a
single cover
system and can be formed substantially from a shielding cover. Alternatively,
the
container cover 14 can be formed as a double cover system comprising a
shielding cover
and a protective plate.
An embodiment of this type with double seal system is shown in Fig. 5, wherein
different
elastomers are used for the inner seal 46 and the outer seal 48. The
peripheral elastomer
ring seal used for the outer seal 48 seals the closed storage container with
respect to the
infiltration of moisture and is formed by a single, cost-effective elastomer
("sacrificial
seal"). The inner ring seal used for the inner seal 46 constitutes the actual
functional seal
and is formed by an elastomer of higher quality, which is configured to seal
with respect
CA 02862799 2014-07-25
16
to thermal influences, radioactivity and further comparable sealing demands.
Accordingly, inner threads 50 and outer threads 52 are provided for fastening
an inner
and outer container cover 14 respectively (not shown). Whereas the inner
threads 50 are
formed only in the projection 36, the outer threads 52 are formed only in the
container
side wall 28, 30, 32, 34. Accordingly, the inner container cover 14 rests only
on the
projection, whereas the outer container cover rests only the container side
wall 28, 30,
32, 34.
In particular due to the illustrated screw connection, but also due to other
connection
mechanisms between the container body 12 and container cover 14, the container
cover
14 can be permanently connected to the container body 12 and can thus
permanently
close the filling opening 16 of the container body 12 and reliably prevent an
escape of the
filled contaminated materials or emissions thereof. To this end, the shielding
wall
thickness of the container cover 14 may correspond to that of the container
body 12. By
way of example, the container body 12 closed by the container cover 14 can
have a
thickness or shielding thickness at any position of 50 mm, in particular in a
range from
> 50 mm to < 200 mm, for example > 90 mm to < 120 mm.
The container body 12, in accordance with Figure 1, further has a container
base 26 and
at least one container side wall 28. By way of example, the container body 12
or the
storage container 10 can be cuboidal and may have a square or rectangular
cross section.
In this embodiment, the container body 12 may have four container side walls
28, 30, 32,
34. Here, in accordance with the cuboidal embodiment, two container side walls
28, 32,
30, 34 are in each case parallel to one another. In particular in this
embodiment, the
storage container 10 can be formed in the manner of a standardised container,
for
example what is known as an ISO container.
Figure 1 further shows that the container body 12, at the end of at least one
container side
wall 28, 30, 32, 34 arranged opposite the container base 26, has a projection
36 that has a
wedge-shaped cross section and is formed on the container inner side. Here,
the wedge-
shaped projection 36 thickens due to a slanted portion 38 that extends at an
angle in a
range from > 100 to <350, for example at an angle from a range from > 20 to
25 , in
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17
particular at an angle of 22 , relative to the orientation of the container
side wall 28, 30,
32, 34.
By way of example, as can be seen in Figure 1, the projection 36 can be
arranged in a
locally delimited manner at the corners of the container body 12. In this
case, for
example for the embodiment as a cuboidal storage container 10 having a
quadrangular
cross section, a projection 36 can be provided at each of the four corners. It
can be seen
in Figure 1 that the projections in a triangular manner can reach into the
container side
walls, becoming thicker upwardly. Alternatively, the projection 36 can be
formed as a
projection 36 running around on the container periphery and/or the periphery
of the
filling opening 16.
Furthermore, the wedge-shaped projection 36 can be formed as a receiving
console for at
least partly receiving the container cover 14. In other words, the container
cover 14 can
be supported at least in part on the projection 36.
In particular in the region of the projection 36 or the projection 36, the
storage container
10, on its upper side, may have a transport opening or advantageously a
plurality of
transport openings 40 for transporting the storage container 10. These
openings can be
formed, for example after the shaping of the container body 12, by means of a
machining
step or also during the shaping process with use of a casting core. The
transport openings
40 can be formed in particular as what is known as a twistlock or as what is
known as an
ISO corner. This means that a transport element is inserted into the transport
opening 40
and is fixed in the opening 40 by means of a rotation. By turning the
transport element
back in the opposite direction, the transport element can be removed again
from the
opening 40. The storage container 10 can thus be handled without difficulty by
standardised methods.
The embodiment of the projection 36 or the plurality of projections 36 will be
detailed
further in Figures 2 and 3. Figure 2 shows a plan view of a storage container
10 or
container body 12. The cross sections along lines A-A and B-B are shown purely
by way
of example, in which the projection 36 or the projections 36 in particular
has/have a
wedge-shaped embodiment.
CA 02862799 2014-07-25
18
A sectional view according to cross section A-A is also shown in Figure 3. In
Figure 3, it
can be seen that the projection 36 in particular has a planar slanted portion
38. As a result
of this, the projection 36 thickens in the direction of the upper side of the
storage
container 12 due to a slanted portion 38 that extends at an angle in a range
from > 100 to
<350 relative to the orientation of the container side wall 28, 30, 32, 34.
The angle is
denoted in Figure 3 purely by way of example by 22 . Furthermore, the
transport opening
40 and a bolt 42 fastening the container cover 14 to the container body 12 can
be seen.
Referring back again to Figure 1, it can be seen that the storage container
10, on its base
region, has four feet 44 by way of example. Alternatively and/or additionally,
a
peripheral base bead 54 can be provided instead of the feet 44. The feet 44
and/or the
base bead 54 serve as a standing surface of the surface container 10.
Furthermore, the
feet 44 or the peripheral base bead 54 provide improved stackability.
In accordance with Figures 3 to 5, the cuboidal container body 12, on the
container inner
side, has a thickened portion 60 that adjoins two adjacent container side
walls 28, 30, 32,
34 and the container base 26, that is to say adjoins each corner associated
with the
container base, and that extends into the container interior. The thickened
portion 60 has
a spherical profile with a radius 50 mm and extends from the container side
walls 28, 30,
32, 34 by 135 mm +10 mm/-5 mm and from the container base 26 by 110 mm +10 mm/-
5 mm into the container interior.
As can be seen in detail from Fig. 6, the base bead 54 protrudes with respect
to the
container base 26 by 20 mm, such that a recess 56 is created in the region of
the
container base 26 between the container base 26 and the substrate (not shown).
Since the
container is cuboidal, the recess 56 has a substantially rectangular shape.
The base bead
54, along its extension running around the base area of the container, has the
same height
of 20 mm, such that there is no gap between the base bead 54 and flat
substrate, and on
the other hand the recess 56 has a depth also of 20 mm.
The base bead 54 has a width of 50 mm, wherein the base bead 54 slopes
linearly in the
direction of the container base 26 toward the recess 56 via a canted portion
58.
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19
List of reference signs
storage container 10
container body 12
container cover 14
filling opening 16
row 18,22
thread 20, 24
container base 26
container side wall 28, 30, 32, 34
projection 36
slanted portion 38
transport opening 40
bolt 42
foot 44
inner seal 46
outer seal 48
inner thread 50
outer thread 52
base bead 54
recess 56
canted portion 58
thickened portion 60
