Electro-synthesis of uranium chloride fuel salts
AssigneeTerraPower, LLC
InventorsKen Czerwinski, Bassem S. El-Dasher, William M. Kerlin, Aaron J. Unger
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Abstract
This disclosure describes systems and methods for synthesizing UCl3 from UCl4. These systems and methods may also be used to directly synthesize binary and ternary embodiments of uranium salts of chloride usable as nuclear fuel in certain molten salt reactor designs. The systems and methods described herein are capable of synthesizing any desired uranium chloride fuel salt that is a combination of UCl4, UCl3 and one or more non-fissile chloride compounds, such as NaCl. In particular, the systems and methods described herein are capable of synthesizing any UCl3—UCl4—NaCl or UCl3—NaCl fuel salt composition from UCl4—NaCl.
Claims16
A system for the synthesis of UCl3 from UCl4 comprising:
- a vessel having an interior wall defining an electrolysis chamber capable of holding molten UCl3 and UCl4, the interior wall material unreactive with UCl4 and UCl3 at temperatures from 350-900° C. and pressures between 0.5 and 10 atm;
- at least one cathode and at least one anode in electrolysis chamber, the at least one cathode and at least one anode made of material unreactive with UCl4 and UCl3 at temperatures from 350-900° C. and pressures between 0.5 and 10 atm;
- a power source connected to the at least one cathode and at least one anode, the power source capable of creating a potential and applying electric current between the at least one cathode and at least one anode;
- and
- a system controller connected to the power source to control the potential and electric current from the power source between the at least one cathode and at least one anode, the system controller configured to maintain the potential between the at least one cathode and at least one anode within a range that reduces U4+ to U3+ without reducing U3+.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.