# US 10,504,630 B2 · Method and system for generating electricity using waste nuclear fuel > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,504,630 B2 - Document ID: US10504630B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/111,829 - Filed: 2015-01-22 - Published: 2016-12-22 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2014-01-22 - Applicants: Robert F. Bodi; Martin A. Stuart - Inventors: Robert F. Bodi; Martin A. Stuart - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10504630B2 ## CPC - G21C 19/48: Non-aqueous processes - G21F 9/30: Processing (separating different isotopes of the same chemical element B01D59/00) - G21G 1/02: in nuclear reactors (by thermonuclear reactions G21B; conversion of nuclear fuel G21C) - Y02E 30/30: Nuclear fission reactors - G21C: NUCLEAR REACTORS (fusion reactors, hybrid fission-fusion reactors G21B; nuclear explosives G21J) - G21F: PROTECTION AGAINST X-RADIATION, GAMMA RADIATION, CORPUSCULAR RADIATION OR PARTICLE BOMBARDMENT; TREATING RADIOACTIVELY CONTAMINATED MATERIAL; DECONTAMINATION ARRANGEMENTS THEREFOR (radiation protection by pharmaceutical means A61K8/00, A61Q17/04; in cosmonautic vehicles B64G1/54; combined with a reactor G21C11/00; combined with X-ray tubes H01J35/16; combined with X-ray apparatus H05G1/02) - G21G: CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ELEMENTS; RADIOACTIVE SOURCES (applications of radiation in general G21H5/00; handling particles, e.g. neutrons, or electromagnetic radiation not otherwise provided for G21K) - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## 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. ## Claims ### Claim 1 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. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of installing additional shielding in said nuclear reactor to absorb portions of the energy beam not absorbed by the reactor core or the fuel. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of extracting heat from said nuclear reactor during said photo-fission process to perform useful work. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of, 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. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said emitter device comprises: a source of charged particles; a conduit; 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, 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 device is adapted to emit an energy beam including gamma rays as a result of accelerating the charged particles. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein each emitter device comprises a plurality of capacitor elements each including a pair of electrodes having a layer including diamond or diamond-like carbon. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein each emitter device comprises 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. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of installing additional shielding in said nuclear reactor to absorb portions of the energy beam not absorbed by the reactor core or the fuel. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of, 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. ### Claim 10 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. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein each one of said capacitor elements utilizes a pair of electrodes having a layer including diamond or diamond-like carbon. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein each emitter device comprises a plurality of photo switches each including a diamond crystal. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein said photo switches are uniformly arranged around the capacitor elements for activation during a discharge of the capacitor elements. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of installing additional shielding in said nuclear reactor to absorb portions of the energy beam not absorbed by the reactor core or the fuel. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of, 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. ### Claim 16 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.