Method for removal of adhering sodium from and storage of irradiated nuclear fuel elements
AssigneesCentre d'Etude de l'Energie Nucleaire, "C.E.N.", E.N.I.-Electrische Nijverheids-Installaties, Belgonucleaire SA
InventorsPaul Raymond Heylen, Jean Van Impe, Henri Lecerf
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Abstract
There is described a method for sodium-deactivating and/or stocking irradiated nuclear fuel elements, said elements being contacted with a fluid, in which use is made as fluid, of a molten salt mixture which is uncorrosive for the element stainless steels, inert relative to uranium and plutonium oxides by the deactivating temperature and reactive with sodium metal without producing a detonating gas.
Claims6
A method for removal of adhering sodium from irradiated nuclear fuel elements consisting of introducing the nuclear fuel elements into a bath of a eutectic molten salts mixture having a composition selected from the group consisting of:
- a. NaNO.sub.3, KNO.sub.3 and NaNO.sub.2,
- b. Na.sub.2 CO.sub.3, K.sub.2 CO.sub.3 and Li.sub.2 CO.sub.3, and
- c. NaCl, KCl and ZnCl.sub.2
- whereby the sodium is removed from the elements.
Method for storing irradiated nuclear fuel elements consisting of introducing the nuclear fuel elements into a bath of a eutectic molten salts mixture having a composition selected from the group consisting of
- a. NaNO.sub.3, KNO.sub.3, and NaNO.sub.2,
- b. Na.sub.2 CO.sub.3, K.sub.2 CO.sub.3 and Li.sub.2 CO.sub.3, and
- c. NaCl, KCl and ZnCl.sub.2,
- and maintaining the irradiated nuclear fuel elements in said bath.
A method for removal of adhering sodium and for transportation of irradiated nuclear fuel elements comprising introducing the nuclear fuel elements into a tank comprising a eutectic molten salts mixture having a composition selected from the group consisting of
- a. NaNO.sub.3, KNO.sub.3 and NaNO.sub.2,
- b. Na.sub.2 CO.sub.3, K.sub.2 CO.sub.3 and Li.sub.2 CO.sub.3, and
- c. NaCl, KCl and ZnCl.sub.2,
- discharging the nuclear fuel elements from the tank, arranging the nuclear fuel elements inside a container containing a eutectic molten salts mixture having the same composition as the mixture contained in the tank and transporting the container containing the nuclear fuel elements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.