John D Mcdaniels Deceased155 Sabinas Ct, Solana Beach, CA 92075

5274682, Dec 28, 1993

Jan 19, 1993

8/006034

John D. McDaniels - Solana Beach CA

Nuclear Assurance Corporation, Inc. - Norcross GA

G21C 1932

376261

A storage canister for spent nuclear fuel rods, having loading and storage configurations, has an open end and an apertured end wall, and means therein defining a plurality of rod locations. The canister also has movable means therein for vertically offsetting adjacent rods within the canister so that any pair of adjacent rods are vertically offset from each other. The movable means is positioned during loading to permit fluid flow into and out of the canister through the apertured end wall and in the storage configuration blocks at least one of the apertures in the end wall. The movable means may also be used to lift the fuel rods such that their tops extend above the canister body to permit removal of one or more rods. A closure member for the open end has a locking mechanism for locking it to the canister and a tamper indicating mechanism.

5098644, Mar 24, 1992

Aug 22, 1990

7/570812

John D. McDaniels - Duluth GA

Nuclear Assurance Corporation - Norcross GA

G21C 1932

376261

An apparatus for the consolidation of spent nuclear fuel rods within a storage pool uses a robot in conjunction with long reach tools to remove spent fuel rods from a rod assembly and transfer them to a fuel rod consolidation canister. A movable curtain within the canister aligns and locates the rods for most efficient use of space. A tool guide plate enables the long reach rod grasping tool to locate each rod in the fuel cell accurately.

4224983, Sep 30, 1980

Feb 2, 1978

5/874382

Glenn C. Thurston - Solana Beach CA
John D. McDaniels - Solana Beach CA
Paul R. Gertsch - San Diego CA

General Atomic Company - San Diego CA

F28F 902
F28F 1300

165158

A heat exchange apparatus for transferring heat from a reactor gas coolant to a secondary fluid medium. The heat exchange apparatus comprises an elongated vertically extending hole in a concrete shield. Supported within the hole in spaced relation to the wall thereof is an elongated vertical extending tubular shroud which shroud has a gas entry at its lower end and a gas exit at its upper end. Means are provided for dividing the annular space between the shroud 16 and the wall of the hole into an upper and a lower region. Disposed in the shield is an inlet for reactor coolant which communicates with the lower region and is positioned vertically so as to be spaced above the gas entry to the shroud to thereby suppress natural convection during non-operating standby conditions of the apparatus. An outlet for reactor coolant, which is disposed in the shield, communicates with the upper region. A plurality of vertically extending, spaced apart bayonet tube assemblies are supported within the shroud and means are provided for passing secondary fluid through these tube assemblies.

5194216, Mar 16, 1993

Feb 5, 1992

7/831404

John D. McDaniels - Duluth GA

Nuclear Assurance Corporation - Norcross GA

G21C 1932

376261

A tool guide plate for use in a rod consolidation system for the consolidation of spent fuel rods within a storage container. The system utilizes a robot in conjunction with long reach tools to remove spent fuel rods from an array of rods in a rod assembly and to transfer them to a rod consolidation holder. The tool guide plate has a plurality of apertures shaped to receive the end of a tool and less than the number of rods in the array and has means located on the guide plate for indexing the apertures over the rod position to provide tool access to all of the rods in the array, the apertures providing access to a plurality of rod positions in each index position.

5278879, Jan 11, 1994

Dec 2, 1992

7/984881

John D. McDaniels - Duluth GA

Nuclear Assurance Corporation - Norcross GA

G21C 1900
G21F 928

376260

A grid crusher apparatus and method are provided for a nuclear fuel rod consolidation system. Spacer grids are crushed within a basket which is then placed in a storage canister. The grid crusher apparatus has a ram assembly and a basket driving mechanism. The ram assembly has a sleeve ram and a central ram. The sleeve ram surrounds the central ram which is longitudinally movable within the sleeve ram. The central ram protrudes from the sleeve ram at a ram contact end and is retractable upon application of a preselected force to the central ram so that the central ram is flush with the sleeve ram at the ram contact end. The basket driving mechanism is configured to move the basket containing a spacer grid towards the ram contact end so that the spacer grid is crushed within the basket. The spacer grid is crushed by the combination of successive forces from the central ram and the sleeve ram, respectively. Essentially, the central portion of the spacer grid is crushed first, and then the remaining outer portion of the spacer grid is crushed to complete the crushing action of the spacer grid.

4883637, Nov 28, 1989

Aug 25, 1988

7/236204

John D. McDaniels - Duluth GA

Nuclear Assurance Corporation - Norcross GA

G21F 500

376272

A closure arrangement for spent nuclear fuel shipping container has a lid member with a peripheral groove in its outer edge, the lid member being adapted to rests upon a shoulder within a bore at the mouth of the cask. The lid is forced into sealing engagement with the shoulder by a plurality of radially disposed wedges extending from the inner wall of the cask into the peripheral groove. The wedges are moved by bolts extending through the wall of the cask and cam the lid down against the shoulder as they are forced into the groove.