United States Innovation Tender

Innovative engineers found a cost effective fix for equipment used in EMs spent nuclear fuel processing at the Savannah River Site SRS.An unfamiliar noise alerted operators to a problem with a system used for unloading fuel shipping casks. The system shields personnel from spent nuclear fuel within the casks.The engineers employed multiple tools to identify the problem. Using a camera they discovered a small indentation on the end of the casks was intermittently catching on a small post from a plate at the bottom of the shielded transfer system.The engineers then used 3D software modeling to determine the point of interference and find a solution. They designed a thin sheet of metal closed with clamps that would fit along the bottom of the system. Much like a spring form pan used in baking this metal kept the cask indentation from catching on the plate post. The model was then used to validate the design and ensure no additional interferences were created. EMs Savannah River National Laboratory manufactured the piece.The Department of Energy appreciates the work of the L Area engineers for finding an inexpensive and operationally simple fix to the shielded transfer system adaptor plate issue and for implementing it while not impacting processing EM Nuclear Materials Manager Maxcine Maxted said.