ATB GROUP - Heavy Equipment for the Nuclear Industry
Since the early 70’s, ATB has been among the most important international players in the design and construction of sophisticated nuclear components. Due to the recognized capabilities for welding and machining pressure vessels, ATB has been qualified by some of the most important Nuclear Engineering Companies (Westinghouse, Framatome, GE) for the manufacturing of critical components of the Nuclear Island. Such components, from the Reactor Vessel to the Pressurizer, are part of Nuclear Plants or Nuclear Research Centers in Europe and in the USA. During the last few years, ATB has focused its commercial and industrial efforts on a market sector that has grown steadily: containers for the transportation and storage of High Level Radioactive Materials (HLRM).
ATB Group has worked in cooperation with ORANO TN in the development and production of a new generation cask, with innovative use of materials and technologies, including a totally new type of thermal conductors entirely made of copper, with outstanding heat transfer properties.
ATB Group can offer the casket market the following components:
- Very high level radioactive material:
- Transportation Casks for Nuclear Fuel (NF) and for depleted or exhausted NF;
- Storage Casks for depleted Nuclear Fuel (NF) and for High Level Residues (HLR) waste;
- Medium & low radioactive waste:
- Prismatic metallic storage containers;
- Prismatic concrete storage containers.
Belonging to the new generation of equipment for the nuclear industry that will be used for the next decades, the cask is a high-tech container suitable for the transport Nuclear Fuel (NF) and for depleted or exhausted Nuclear Fuel of the nuclear industry.
Dimensions: the cask has a length of about 6 meters with a diameter of about 2.5 meters
Weight: the weight of the cask complete with closures is about 100 tons
Composition: it is basically composed of a hollow body and two closures, primary cover and secondary cover
Materials: the main structure is made using forged steel with low Cobalt content. The external structure is made using copper, aluminum and resin components.
Fabrication: The main structure is fabricated by welding together forgings with very high wall thicknesses. These welds are made with a special technique in order to avoid any distortion of the material. Upon completion, the welded structure is heat treated to eliminate any internal tension
Special processes: the manufacture, assembly and welding of the external copper structure is carried out through a welding process qualified by ATB. This technique is of great importance in consideration of the peculiarities of the material, copper with important thicknesses.
Final tests: at the end of manufacturing, the cask is tested with tightness tests using helium as test gas. The use of this gas confirms the severity of the required acceptability criteria
Equipment: the manufacture of nuclear cask requires the availability of important equipment starting from what is needed for handling, overhead cranes over 100 tons of capacity, up to machine tools, boring machines and large numerical control lathes. A separate discussion concerns the definition and qualification of the welding processes necessary for manufacturing for which ATB has a dedicated facility with a laboratory equipped with cutting-edge equipment.