Modular, integrated, automated, compact, and proliferation-hardened method to chemically recycle used nuclear fuel (UNF) originating from nuclear reactors to recover a mixture of transuranic (TRU) elements for advanced reactor fuel to recycle uranium and zirconium
AssigneeCurio Solutions LLC
InventorsYechezkel Moskowitz, Yehudah Moskowitz, Vik Singh
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Abstract
A single integrated system for recycling used nuclear fuel (UNF) emerging from a reactor has a decladding vessel separating fuel pellets from nuclear fuel rods via oxidation to produce U3O8. A fluorination vessel is coupled to the decladding vessel to remove hexafluorides from the U3O8 produced by the decladding vessel. An electrowinning vessel is coupled to the fluorination vessel removing plutonium and actinides via electrowinning.
Claims18
A single integrated system for recycling used nuclear fuel (UNF) emerging from a reactor comprising:
- a first vessel oxidizing UO2 into U3O8;
- a second vessel coupled to the first vessel removing hexafluorides from the U3O8;
- and
- a third vessel coupled to the second vessel removing plutonium and actinides.
A single integrated system for recycling used nuclear fuel (UNF) emerging from a reactor comprising:
- a first vessel oxidizing unused UO2 from nuclear fuel rods into U3O8;
- a second vessel coupled to the first vessel removing hexafluorides from the U3O8;
- and
- a third vessel coupled to the second vessel removing plutonium and actinides via electrowinning.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.