Ships – Submerged storage vessel
Patent
1997-11-14
1999-09-14
Avila, Stephen
Ships
Submerged storage vessel
B65D 8878
Patent
active
059505575
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an installation for offshore storage of hazardous waste, in particular low-active radio-active waste.
2. Prior Art
In many places throughout the world there is a great and pressing need for methods and installations suitable for the storage of large volumes of hazardous waste. As used in this context, "hazardous waste" means dangerously contaminated, infected or otherwise dangerous material, that is, material that has to be handled and stored in such a manner that it will be reliably isolated. For example, large amounts of waste is being kept more or less provisionally stored in barrels or other containers which have been attacked by corrosion and which, if not already leaking, may be expected to begin to leak within the next few years.
Radioactive waste is a burning example of hazardous waste and probably is the kind of hazardous waste which, at least for the time being, most urgently calls for the development of a storage system that affords adequate safety and can be given adequate capacity.
OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention aims at providing a system for temporary or terminal storage of hazardous waste, in particular radioactive hazardous waste, and more particularly low-active waste which can be characterised as hazardous waste of low or medium riskiness.
Such hazardous waste exists in many forms, such as for example),
As is apparent from these examples, the forms of hazardous waste contemplated here may also include highly active, hot, radioactive material, such as nuclear fuel rods, enclosed in protective canisters or other enclosures such that when so enclosed it may be handled as low-active or medium-active hazardous waste at least for a limited time shorter than terminal storage time.
The state of the art in respect of offshore storage of hazardous waste is illustrated by WO91/05351. This publication discloses a prior art storage installation comprising a storage body in the form of an annular concrete structure adapted to rest in submerged state on the seabed and provided with a number of upwardly open storage spaces, each of which is adapted to accommodate a concrete storage container which in turn encloses the hazardous waste.
In the prior art storage installation the individual storage containers are constructed such that they constitute self-contained storage units, which themselves provide the required structural protection against the enclosed material, such as protection against access and protection against radioactivity.
Moreover, in the prior art installations the individual storage containers are adapted, after having been charged with the hazardous waste and sealed, to be transported, as floating bodies, for example, to the storage body, whereupon they are sunk into the storage body. The sinking is effected by controlled feeding of water into ballast tanks which are empty during the transportation on the water surface.
The installation according to the present invention, has some features in common with the prior art installation, but also differs from it in essential respects.
Thus, in the prior art installation the storage body is primarily a completely submerged offshore storage site for storage containers which themselves essentially provide the structural protection. Accordingly, the additional protection afforded by the storage body mainly resides in the location of the storage body.
In accordance with the invention, on the other hand, the 35 entire protection, or at least a substantial portion of the protection, for the hazardous waste is provided only by the deposition thereof in the storage body at an offshore site.
Moreover, the storage installation according to the invention comprises a terminal body, on which the hazardous waste is received from, for example, water or airborne transportation means, primarily ships, and from which the hazardous waste is transferred to a base body using transport means belonging to the installation, such as conveyors or vehi
REFERENCES:
patent: 3557396 (1971-01-01), Rupp
patent: 3568737 (1971-03-01), Burns
patent: 3686886 (1972-08-01), Georgii
patent: 3760753 (1973-09-01), Mertens
patent: 3855809 (1974-12-01), Westling
patent: 4307679 (1981-12-01), Goldsberry et al.
patent: 4556002 (1985-12-01), Georgii
Avila Stephen
Hydro Betong AB
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