Apparatus and method for supporting fuel assemblies in an underwater environment having lateral access loading

1. A method of loading nuclear fuel assemblies into a fuel rack having an elongated slot, the fuel rack submerged in a pool, the method comprising:

a) submerging a nuclear fuel assembly having an axis in the pool;

b) positioning the fuel assembly laterally adjacent to the elongated slot of the fuel rack, the fuel assembly positioned in a substantially vertical orientation;

c) translating the fuel assembly in a lateral direction through the elongated slot and into a cell of the fuel rack, the fuel assembly being in a first rotational position about the axis during the translating;

d) rotating the fuel assembly about the axis to a second rotational position within the cell;

e) supporting the fuel assembly within the cell in the second rotational position; and

wherein when the fuel assembly is in the first rotational position about the axis, the fuel assembly can pass through the elongated slot in a substantially unobstructed manner; and wherein when the fuel assembly is in the second rotational position about the axis, the fuel assembly cannot be translated through the slot without further rotation.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the lateral direction is substantially normal to the axis of the fuel assembly.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the cell and the elongated slot are substantially vertically oriented and the fuel assembly is supported in a substantially vertical orientation within the cell in the second rotational position.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the fuel assembly has a transverse cross-sectional profile having a width and a diagonal, the slot having a width that is greater than the width of the fuel assembly and less than the diagonal of the fuel assembly.

5. A method of loading nuclear fuel assemblies into a submerged fuel rack having an elongated slot, the method comprising:

a) positioning a submerged fuel assembly having a longitudinal axis adjacent to the elongated slot of the fuel rack, the fuel assembly positioned in a substantially vertical orientation;

b) translating the fuel assembly in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis through the elongated slot and into a cell of the fuel rack, the fuel assembly being in a first rotational position about the axis during the translating;

c) rotating the fuel assembly about the axis to a second rotational position within the cell;

d) supporting the fuel assembly within the cell; and

wherein when the fuel assembly is in the first rotational position about the axis, the fuel assembly can pass through the elongated slot in a substantially unobstructed manner; and wherein when the fuel assembly is in the second rotational position about the axis, the fuel assembly cannot be translated through the slot without further rotation.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein when the fuel assembly is supported within the cell, the fuel assembly is in a substantially vertical orientation and prohibited from rotating out of the second rotational position.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein step d) comprises lowering the fuel assembly into a supporting means.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the fuel assembly has a transverse cross-sectional profile having a width and a diagonal and wherein the elongated slot has a width that is greater than the width of the fuel assembly and less than the diagonal of the fuel assembly.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein when the fuel assembly is in the first rotational position, the width of the fuel assembly is substantially parallel to the width of the elongated slot and wherein when the fuel assembly is in the second rotational position, the diagonal of the fuel assembly is substantially parallel to the width of the elongated slot.

10. The method of claim 5 wherein step a) comprises positioning the fuel assembly so that a bottom of the fuel assembly is positioned above a bottom of the fuel rack a height that is less than one-half a height of the fuel assembly.

11. The method of claim 5 wherein step a) comprises positioning the fuel assembly so that a bottom of the fuel assembly is positioned above a bottom of the fuel rack a height that is less than one-fifth a height of the fuel assembly.

12. A method of loading nuclear fuel assemblies into a submerged fuel rack having an elongated slot, the method comprising:

a) positioning the submerged fuel assembly having a longitudinal axis adjacent to the elongated slot of the fuel rack, the fuel assembly positioned in a substantially vertical orientation;

b) translating the fuel assembly in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis through the elongated slot and into a cell of the fuel rack, the fuel assembly being in a first rotational position about the axis during the translating;

c) rotating the fuel assembly about the axis to a second rotational position within the cell;

d) supporting the fuel assembly within the cell in the second rotational position; and

wherein when the fuel assembly is in the first rotational position about the longitudinal axis, the fuel assembly can be translated through the elongated slot in a substantially unobstructed manner; and wherein when the fuel assembly is in the second rotational position about the longitudinal axis, the fuel assembly cannot be translated through the slot without further rotation.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the fuel assembly is supported in a substantially vertical orientation.