New nuclear buckets at INL site extend storage facility’s mission

Fluor Idaho, the cleanup contractor at the Idaho National Laborartory Site, recently created new fuel buckets that allow it to store more Advanced Test Reactor spent nuclear fuel elements in the remaining space of a dry storage facility.

Using creative geometry, Fluor Idaho engineers, criticality safety and thermal analysis experts, operations personnel and fabricators developed a four-compartment stainless-steel bucket that fits inside each fuel canister to provide for the storage of 24 ATR spent fuel elements fit in a fuel canister, which measures 18 inches in diameter and 10 feet, 9 inches in length.

The fuel storage facility is currently at 93 percent capacity.

The fluor Idaho Spent Nuclear Fuel Program needed to maximize the facility’s unused space so it can transfer the remaining spent nuclear fuel from a pool storage basin to dry storage by 2023 to comply with an Idaho Settlement Agreement milestone.

If you would like more information on the Idaho Cleanup Project , click here.