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.
Claims20
A reaction and filtration apparatus structured to remove cesium vapor from a cover gas stream in a nuclear reactor, the apparatus comprising:
- a reaction chamber structured to receive a cover gas stream including an inert cover gas and cesium vapor, the reaction chamber including a metal oxide material structured to react with the cesium vapor to form cesium oxide particles, the metal oxide material having a first Gibbs free energy of formation that is higher than a second Gibbs free energy of formation of cesium oxide;
- and
- a particle filter positioned downstream of the reaction chamber, the particle filter structured to remove the cesium oxide particles from the cover gas stream to yield a filtered cover gas stream.
A reaction and filtration apparatus structured to remove cesium vapor from a cover gas stream in a nuclear reactor, the apparatus comprising:
- an inlet structured to receive a cover gas stream including an inert cover gas and cesium vapor;
- a reaction chamber fluidly linked to the inlet, the reaction chamber including a porous metal oxide material structured to react with the cesium vapor to form cesium oxide particles;
- a particle filter positioned downstream of the reaction chamber and structured to remove the cesium oxide particles from the cover gas stream;
- and
- an outlet fluidly linked to the particle filter and structured to discharge a filtered cover gas stream.
A reaction and filtration apparatus structured to remove cesium vapor from a cover gas stream in a nuclear reactor, the apparatus comprising:
- a reaction chamber structured to receive a cover gas stream including an inert cover gas and cesium vapor;
- an oxygen supply fluidly linked to the reaction chamber and structured to introduce oxygen gas into the reaction chamber to react with the cesium vapor and form cesium oxide particles;
- and
- a particle filter positioned downstream of the reaction chamber, the particle filter structured to remove the cesium oxide particles from the cover gas stream to yield a filtered cover gas stream.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.