Back to results
US 10,504,630 B2Granted
Method and system for generating electricity using waste nuclear fuel
OwnerRobert F. Bodi, Martin A. Stuartinventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A nuclear reactor adapted for generating energy and/or decontaminating nuclear fuel using a plurality of energy beam generating accelerator devices configured for inducing a photo-fission reaction in the nuclear fuel.
Claims16
A method of retrofitting a nuclear reactor comprising the steps of:
- providing a nuclear reactor including radioactive fuel installed in a reactor core, said reactor designed to generate heat by controlling a neutron fission process;
- subsequent to operating the neutron fission process in said nuclear reactor, installing a plurality of emitter devices each configured to generate an energy beam impinging on the reactor core to induce a photo-fission reaction in the fuel.
A method of retrofitting a nuclear reactor comprising the steps of:
- providing a nuclear reactor including radioactive fuel installed in a reactor core, said reactor designed to generate heat by controlling a neutron fission process;
- subsequent to operating the neutron fission process in said nuclear reactor, installing a plurality of emitter devices each arranged to focus an energy beam to impinge on the reactor core to induce a photo-fission reaction in the fuel, said emitter device comprising:
- a conduit, and
- a plurality of capacitor elements stacked to form a capacitor array configured to accelerate the charged particles through the conduit which is formed through the capacitor array, wherein
- said emitter device is adapted to emit the energy beam including gamma rays as a result of accelerating the charged particles.
2 more elements
A method of retrofitting a nuclear reactor comprising the steps of:
- providing a nuclear reactor including radioactive fuel installed in a reactor core, said reactor designed to generate heat by controlling a neutron fission process;
- subsequent to operating the neutron fission process in said nuclear reactor, performing the steps of:
- installing a plurality of emitter devices each configured to generate an energy beam impinging on the reactor core to induce a photo-fission reaction in the fuel,
- installing additional shielding in said nuclear reactor to absorb portions of the energy beam not absorbed by the reactor core or the fuel, and
- after at least partially depleting said fuel using neutron fission, at least partially decontaminating said fuel using the photo-fission process over a period of time;
- wherein said emitter device comprises:
- a conduit;
- a plurality of capacitor elements stacked to form a capacitor array configured to accelerate charged particles through the conduit which is formed through the capacitor array, each one of said capacitor elements utilizing a pair of electrodes having a layer including diamond or diamond-like carbon, and a plurality of photo switches each including a diamond crystal and being uniformly arranged around the capacitor element for activation during a discharge of the capacitor element;
- and
- a cooling system for circulating a coolant in the device for cooling the device, wherein
- said emitter device is adapted to emit the energy beam including gamma rays as a result of accelerating the charged particles.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.