Oxidation of cesium as method for removing cesium vapor from cover gas in nuclear reactors
AssigneeTerraPower, LLC
InventorsSally A. Miller, Christopher M. Regan, John E. Truax
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of removing cesium vapor from a cover gas stream in a nuclear reactor includes the steps of oxidizing the cesium vapor in the cover gas stream to yield cesium oxide particles and removing the cesium oxide particles using a particle filter. The method yields a filtered cover gas having zero to about 2% of the cesium vapor content of the initial cover gas stream, representing a reduction of at least about 98 percent.
Claims23
A method for removing cesium from a cover gas stream in a nuclear reactor, comprising the steps of:
- providing a cover gas stream including an inert cover gas and cesium vapor in a nuclear reactor;
- oxidizing the cesium vapor in the cover gas stream to form cesium oxide particles;
- and
- removing the cesium oxide particles from the cover gas stream using a particle filter located in the cover gas stream to yield a filtered cover gas stream.
A method for removing cesium from a cover gas stream in a nuclear reactor, comprising the steps of:
- providing a cover gas stream including an inert cover gas and cesium vapor in a nuclear reactor;
- oxidizing the cesium vapor in the cover gas stream by reacting the cesium gas with at least one of a metal oxide and oxygen gas, to form cesium oxide particles;
- and
- removing the cesium oxide particles from the cover gas stream using a particle filter located in the cover gas stream to yield a filtered cover gas stream.
A method for removing cesium from a cover gas stream in a nuclear reactor, comprising the steps of:
- providing a cover gas stream including an inert cover gas and cesium vapor in a nuclear reactor;
- providing a metal oxide in the cover gas stream having a first Gibbs free energy of formation;
- oxidizing the cesium vapor in the cover gas stream by chemical reaction with the metal oxide to form particles of cesium oxide having a second Gibbs free energy of formation that is less than the first Gibbs free energy of formation;
- and
- removing the cesium oxide particles from the cover gas stream using a filter located in the cover gas stream to yield a filtered cover gas stream.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.