System and method for preparing a container loaded with wet radioactive elements for dry storage
AssigneeHoltec International
InventorsKrishna P. Singh, John D. Griffiths
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Abstract
A system for preparing a container holding radioactive waste for dry storage. In one aspect, the invention can be a system for preparing a container having a cavity loaded with radioactive elements for dry storage, the system comprising: a gas circulation system comprising a condenser module, a desiccant module, and a gas circulator module; the gas circulation system configured to form a hermetically sealed closed-loop path when operably connected to the cavity of the container; and means for adding and removing the desiccant module as part of the hermetically sealed closed-loop path.
Claims20
A system for drying spent nuclear fuel in two phases, the system comprising:
- a canister defining a cavity configured for holding spent nuclear fuel elements;
- a gas circulation system comprising in fluid communication a condenser module and a gas circulator module;
- the gas circulation system fluidly connected to the cavity of the canister and configured to form a hermetically sealed closed-loop flow path with the canister, the gas circulator module configured to circulate a non-reactive gas through the closed-loop flow path for drying the spent nuclear fuel elements;
- an isolation valve operable for selectively fluidly connecting a vacuum module to or isolating the vacuum module from the hermetically sealed closed-loop flow path;
- a programmable controller operably coupled to the isolation valve, the gas circulator module, and the condensing module, the programmable controller configured to automatically:
- (1) isolate the vacuum module from the hermetically sealed closed-loop flow path during a first drying phase;
- and (2) fluidly connect the vacuum module to the hermetically sealed closed-loop flow path during a second drying phase;
- wherein upon the programmable controller determining that the condensing module is no longer removing substantial amounts of water the first drying phase, the programmable controller:
- (1) fluidly isolates the condensing module and gas circulator module from the hermetically sealed closed-loop flow path;
- and (2) fluidly connects the vacuum module to the hermetically sealed closed-loop flow path to start the second drying phase.
A system for drying spent nuclear fuel in two phases comprising:
- a canister defining a cavity configured for holding spent nuclear fuel elements;
- a gas circulation system comprising in fluid communication a condenser module and a gas circulator module;
- the gas circulation system configured to form a hermetically sealed closed-loop flow path when fluidly connected to the cavity of the canister, the gas circulator module configured to circulate a non-reactive gas in the closed-loop flow path;
- an isolation valve operable for selectively fluidly connecting a vacuum module to or isolating the vacuum module from the hermetically sealed closed-loop flow path;
- a programmable controller operably coupled to the isolation valve, the gas circulator module, and the condensing module;
- the programmable controller configured to automatically:
- (1) isolate the desiccant module from hermetically sealed closed-loop path during a first drying phase;
- and (2) add the desiccant module as part of the hermetically sealed closed-loop path during a second drying phase;
- and
- a moisture accumulator which receives moisture from the condenser module, and wherein the programmable controller adds the desiccant module as part of the hermetically sealed closed-loop path during the second drying phase when no more liquid accumulates in the moisture accumulator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.