CASK TRANSPORT ASSEMBLY

1 . A cask transport system comprising:

a support assembly including a plurality of wheels and a support frame coupled to and supported by the wheels;

a tower disposed above the support assembly, the tower including a base portion and a tower frame coupled to the base portion, the tower frame movable relative to the base portion;

an upper beam assembly coupled to the tower frame; and

a bottom block assembly coupled to the upper beam assembly, the bottom block assembly movable relative to the upper beam assembly.

2 . The cask transport system of claim 1 wherein the support frame is U-shaped.

3 . The cask transport system of claim 1 wherein the support frame includes first and second legs, and a middle portion disposed between the first and second legs, each of the legs being supported by at least one of the plurality of wheels.

4 . The cask transport system of claim 1 wherein the support assembly further includes a prime mover supported on the support frame.

5 . The case transport system of claim 1 wherein tower frame telescopes in and out of the base portion.

6 . The case transport system of claim 1 wherein the tower includes a hydraulic cylinder that moves the tower frame relative to the base portion, the hydraulic cylinder coupled to both the tower frame and the base portion.

7 . The cask transport system of claim 1 , wherein the tower frame is a first tower frame, and further including a second tower frame coupled to the first tower frame.

8 . The cask transport system of claim 7 wherein the second tower frame is movable relative to the first tower frame.

9 . The cask transport system of claim 7 wherein the second tower frame telescopes in and out of the first tower frame.

10 . The cask transport system of claim 9 wherein the tower includes a hydraulic cylinder that moves the second tower frame relative to the first tower frame.

11 . The cask transport system of claim 1 wherein the tower includes a first side, and a second side that is substantially a mirror image of the first side, and wherein the tower includes a plurality of vertical movable tower frames on the first side, and a plurality of vertical movable tower frames on the second side, the tower frames configured to extend and retract relative to the base portion and to each other to provide varying heights for the tower.

12 . The cask transport system of claim 1 further including a plurality of wires coupled to both the upper beam assembly and the bottom block assembly.

13 . The cask transport system of claim 12 wherein the upper beam assembly includes a pulley system engaged with the plurality of wires.

14 . The cask transport system of claim 1 wherein the upper beam assembly includes two pulley systems that are substantially mirror images of one another.

15 . The cask transport system of claim 1 wherein the upper beam assembly includes a fixed sheave and an adjustable sheave.

16 . The cask transport system of claim 15 wherein the upper beam assembly includes a hydraulic cylinder that moves the adjustable sheave relative to the fixed sheave.

17 . The cask transport system of claim 16 wherein the hydraulic cylinder and the adjustable sheave are both configured to move horizontally.

18 . The cask transport system of claim 1 wherein the bottom block assembly includes a bottom block, a lift block, a roller guide, and a pin.

19 . The cask transport system of claim 18 wherein the pin connects the bottom block and the lift block.

20 . The cask transport system of claim 18 wherein the bottom block assembly includes two roller guides, and wherein the pin retains the two roller guides between the bottom block and the lift block.

21 . The cask transport system of claim 20 wherein one of the roller guides is installed perpendicular to a centerline of a path for a wire extending between the upper beam assembly and the bottom block assembly.

22 . The cask transport system of claim 18 wherein the bottom block assembly is reeved to be a single failure proof assembly.

23 . The case transport system of claim 1 wherein the tower includes a safety catch to catch the upper beam assembly in the event of a hydraulic pressure loss.

24 . A cask transport system comprising:

a support assembly including a plurality of wheels and a support frame coupled to and supported by the wheels;

a tower disposed above the support assembly, the tower including a base portion and a plurality of tower frames coupled to the base portion, the tower frames movable relative to each other and to the base portion;

an upper beam assembly coupled to the tower frames, the upper beam assembly including a plurality of pulley systems; and

a bottom block assembly coupled to the upper beam assembly, the bottom block assembly movable relative to the upper beam assembly via the pulley systems.

25 . A method of using a cask transport system having a support assembly including a plurality of wheels and a support frame coupled to and supported by the wheels, a tower disposed above the support assembly, the tower including a base portion and a tower frame coupled to the base portion, an upper beam assembly coupled to the tower frame, and a bottom block assembly coupled to the upper beam assembly, the method comprising:

coupling the bottom block assembly to a canister;

changing the vertical position of the tower frame relative to the base portion; and

changing the vertical position of the bottom block assembly relative to the upper beam assembly.

26 . The method of claim 25 further comprising coupling the cask transport system to both a cask transport and the canister at the same time.

27 . The method of claim 26 further comprising fitting the bottom block assembly inside of an opening in the cask transport.

28 . The method of claim 28 wherein the canister contains spent nuclear fuel.

29 . The method of claim 28 wherein the method is seismically qualified.