Lift-based up-ender and methods using same to manipulate a shipping container containing unirradiated nuclear fuel

1. A method performed on a shipping container having a defined top and bottom and including a lifting connection feature disposed on the shipping container between the top and bottom of the shipping container and a top connection feature disposed at the top of the shipping container, the method using an up-ender comprising a lifting anchor element with a rigging line extending downward and connecting with the lifting connection feature of the shipping container and a winch connected with the lifting anchor element and including winch cabling extending downward and connecting with the top connection feature of the shipping container, the method comprising:

(1) raising the lifting anchor element to draw the rigging line taut and operating the winch to draw the winch cabling taut;

(2) further raising the lifting anchor element to lift the lifting anchor element and the winch connected with the lifting anchor element upward whereby the shipping container is lifted off the ground by the taut rigging line and the taut winch cabling; and

(3) reorienting the shipping container by one of (i) operating the winch to shorten the winch cabling so as to rotate the shipping container about the lifting connection feature from a horizontal orientation to a vertical orientation and (ii) operating the winch to lengthen the winch cabling so as to rotate the shipping container about the lifting connection feature from a vertical orientation to a horizontal orientation.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the reorienting operation (3) comprises (ii) operating the winch to lengthen the winch cabling so as to rotate the shipping container about the lifting connection feature from a vertical orientation to a horizontal orientation, and the method further comprises:

prior to performing the operations (1), (2), and (3), loading an unirradiated nuclear fuel assembly comprising 235 U enriched fuel into the shipping container, whereby the operations (1), (2), and (3) operate on the shipping container containing the loaded unirradiated nuclear fuel assembly.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the loading comprises loading the unirradiated nuclear fuel assembly into the shipping container with the shipping container in the vertical orientation.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the loading comprises top-loading the unirradiated nuclear fuel assembly into an opening at the top of the shipping container with the shipping container in the vertical orientation.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the reorienting operation (3) comprises (i) operating the winch to shorten the winch cabling so as to rotate the shipping container about the lifting connection feature from a horizontal orientation to a vertical orientation.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the method further comprises:

after performing the operations (1), (2), and (3), loading an unirradiated nuclear fuel assembly comprising 235 U enriched fuel into the shipping container; and

after the loading operation, operating the winch to lengthen the winch cabling so as to rotate the shipping container with the loaded unirradiated nuclear fuel assembly about the lifting connection feature from a vertical orientation to a horizontal orientation.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the loading operation comprises top-loading the unirradiated nuclear fuel assembly into an opening at the top of the shipping container.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a shipping container configured to contain at least one unirradiated nuclear fuel assembly, the shipping container having a defined top and bottom and including:

a lifting connection feature disposed on the shipping container between the top and bottom of the shipping container, and

a top connection feature disposed at the top of the shipping container; and

an up-ender comprising:

a lifting anchor element configured to be raised or lowered by a crane or hoist and including at least one rigging line extending downward to connect with the lifting connection feature of the shipping container, and

a winch including winch cabling extending downward to connect with the top connection feature of the shipping container wherein the length of the winch cabling is adjustable by operation of the winch,

wherein the winch is configured to move with the lifting anchor element as the lifting anchor element is raised or lowered by a crane or hoist at least when the winch cabling is drawn taut.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the winch is connected with the lifting anchor element.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the lifting connection feature comprises two lifting connection features disposed opposite sides of the shipping container and the at least one rigging line comprises two rigging lines connected with the two respective lifting connection features.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the lifting anchor element comprises a lifting beam with a rigging line extending down from each end of the lifting beam.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the lifting connection features comprise eyeholes or swivel elements.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the lifting connection feature is disposed on the shipping container about midway between the top and bottom of the shipping container.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the lifting connection feature is disposed on the shipping container relatively closer to the bottom of the shipping container than to the top of the shipping container.

15. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the shipping container and the up-ender are configured to perform the operations of:

(1) suspending the shipping container in a horizontal position from the up-ender by the lifting connection feature via the rigging line and by the top connection feature by the winch cabling, and

(2) upending the shipping container from the horizontal position to a vertical position by operating the winch to shorten the winch cabling such that the shipping container rotates about the lifting connection feature.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising at least one unirradiated nuclear fuel assembly comprising 235 U enriched fuel disposed in the shipping container.

17. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising at least one unirradiated nuclear fuel assembly comprising 235 U enriched fuel disposed in the shipping container.

18. A method comprising:

lifting a shipping container off the ground by operating a crane to raise a lifting tool comprising a winch, the lifting tool being connected with the shipping container by (i) a rigging line connecting with the shipping container at a lifting point located on the shipping container between the top and bottom of the shipping container and (ii) winch cabling connecting with the shipping container at the top of the shipping container; and

reorienting the shipping container by operating the winch to adjust the length of the winch cabling so as to rotate the shipping container about the lifting point.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the reorienting comprises operating the winch to shorten the winch cabling by an amount effective to rotate the shipping container about the lifting point from a horizontal orientation to a vertical orientation.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the lifting is performed with the shipping container in the horizontal orientation.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the shipping container contains an unirradiated nuclear fuel assembly comprising 235 U enriched fuel, and the method further comprises, after reorienting the shipping container from the horizontal orientation to the vertical orientation, unloading the unirradiated nuclear fuel assembly from the vertically oriented shipping container.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein the reorienting comprises operating the winch to lengthen the winch cabling by an amount effective to rotate the shipping container about the lifting point from a vertical orientation to a horizontal orientation.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the lifting is performed with the shipping container in the vertical orientation.

24. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

prior to performing the lifting and reorienting operations, loading an unirradiated nuclear fuel assembly comprising 235 U enriched fuel into the shipping container, whereby the lifting and reorienting operations are performed on the shipping container containing the unirradiated nuclear fuel assembly.

25. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

loading an unirradiated nuclear fuel assembly comprising 235 U enriched fuel into the shipping container.