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US 4,636,362 AGranted
Apparatus for the continuous treatment of fragmented fuel elements
AssigneeDeutsche Gesellschaft
InventorPeter Leister
Life of this patent
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AssigneeDeutsche Gesellschaft
InventorPeter Leister
Estimating the term…
Apparatus for treating radioactive comminuted fuel elements with hot nitric acid comprising an endless conveyor which carries the fuel fragments through a U-shaped jacketed tube counter to the flow of acid. The conveyor travels in a conduit which connects to the ends of the U-shaped tube to form a continuous loop. Downstream of the U-shaped tube associated with the conduit is a washing unit, a drying unit, and a discharge unit. Upstream of the U-shaped tube is a feed unit which joins the conduit. A radioactive fission material sensor is located just ahead of the discharge unit and serves to actuate a switch to recycle treated fragments that may still be radioactive. Drive apparatus for the conveyor comprises permanent magnets mounted at spaced intervals on the conveyor and exciter windings surrounding said U-shaped tube to direct forward movement.
In an apparatus for continuous treatment of fragmented radioactive fuel elements consisting of comminuted cans and fuel comprising a continuous conveyor which is at least enclosed by and arranged to move through a dissolving unit, a washing unit, a drying unit, and a discharge unit, disposed successively along the length of the conveyor, the improvement comprising
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.