Architecture and management of a geological repository - Andra

9 – Nuclear operating resources in the repository• Choice of the radiological protection equipmentThe radiological protection airlock consists of two door systems enclosing an area sufficient to housethe disposal truck. A first option consists of placing the doors at the two ends of the access drift.Another option consists of placing these doors at the head of the disposal cell.The comparison of these two options led us to prefer airlocks situated at the head of the cell, as thissolution provides greater safety and working flexibility. In particular it allows for easier maintenanceand breakdown operations on the fixed and mobile equipment. Finally, in terms of the volumeexcavated it is equivalent to the other alternative, because in both cases, a volume that is not used fordisposal is required at the head of the cell for manoeuvring the disposal truck.The outside door is equipped with a transfer cask-docking window. The inner door consisting ofsliding panels covers the entire width of the cell. Between the two doors, fixed equipment is used torotate and move the disposal truck sideways.9.3.2.2 Description of the disposal truck• General descriptionA first feasibility study of the disposal truck enabled us to assess the order of magnitude of itsdimensions, which are about 2 metres in width, 4 metres in length and 6 metres in height. It weighsabout 25 to 30 tonnes. Its power supply could come from on-board batteries.The principle of this disposal truck is illustrated by Figure 9.3.2.Figure 9.3.2Disposal truck without counterweightThe main structure of the disposal truck consists of two metal beams equipped with wheels. These twobeams are connected to one another by a mast on which the two lifting forks slide vertically. The mastis positioned so that the forks are directly above the beams, so that during the handling of a package,the centre of gravity of the package lies within the supporting polygon formed by the wheels, thusensuring the stability of the whole.DOSSIER 2005 ARGILE -ARCHITECTURE AND MANAGEMENT OF A GEOLOGICAL DISPOSAL SYSTEM347/495