System for disposing of radioactive water
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the United States Energy Research and Development Administration
InventorReginald L. Gotchy
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for reducing radioactivity released to the biosphere in the course of producing natural gas from a reservoir stimulated by the detonation of nuclear explosives therein. Tritiated water produced with the gas is separated out and returned to a nuclear chimney through a string of tubing positioned within the well casing. The tubing string is positioned within the well casing in a manner which enhances separation of the water out of the gas and minimizes entrainment of water into the gas flowing out of the chimney.
Claims6
A method for reducing the amount of radioactivity released to the biosphere in connection with the production of gas from a nuclearly stimulated natural gas reservoir created in natural gas bearing strata comprising the steps of:
- a. transporting the gaseous mixture including hydrocarbons, water vapor and entrained liquid water from a nuclearly created chimney in said reservoir to the earth's surface through an annulus formed between a pair of conduits, the first of which is positioned within the second,
- b. separating water from said gaseous mixture, and
- c. injecting the water separated from said gaseous mixture into a nuclearly created chimney through an inner of a pair of conduits, the first of which is positioned within the second, which inner conduit extends further into the chimney than the other of said pair whereby said injected water enters the chimney at a lower level than that from which the gaseous mixture of that chimney is received by the annulus between the pair of conduits for transportation to the earth's surface and said downwardly flowing water provides precooling to said upwardly flowing gaseous mixture.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.