Method of decommissioning a nuclear reactor

A method of decommissioning an nuclear reactor which is situated in a certain operating location and which includes a vessel defining a chamber and reactor internals positioned within said chamber, said method comprising the steps of:

• isolating the nuclear reactor;
• encapsulating the vessel and reactor internals into a solid reactor capsule while it is in the operating location by forming a matrix within the chamber which integrally attaches to the vessel and integrally embeds the reactor internals to create the solid reactor capsule whereby the capsule will have an outer shell which is formed from the vessel and which substantially encases the matrix and thus the reactor internals;
• and
• converting the reactor capsule into a plurality of decommissioned segments by cutting the reactor capsule into segments which each include a portion of the outer shell and a portion of the matrix and the reactor internals embedded therein whereby each of the segments includes a portion of the reactor vessel and pieces of the reactor internals;
• providing sheets which are dimensioned to cover the exposed surfaces of the matrix of the segments;
• and
• attaching the sheets to the segment to cover the exposed surfaces.

A method of decommissioning a nuclear device including a receptacle defining a cavity and radiation-exposed internal components positioned within the cavity, said method comprising the steps of:

• encapsulating portions of the receptacle and internal components into a solid capsule by forming a matrix within the cavity which integrally attaches to the receptacle and integrally embeds the internal components to create the solid capsule whereby the capsule will have an outer shell which is formed from the receptacle and which substantially encases the matrix and thus the internal components;
• converting the capsule into a plurality of segments by cutting the capsule into segments which each include a portion of the outer shell and a portion of the matrix and the internal components embedded therein whereby each of the segments includes a portion of the receptacle and pieces of the internal components;
• providing sheets which are dimensioned to cover the exposed surfaces of the matrix of the segments;
• and
• attaching the sheets to the segment to cover the exposed surfaces.

A product formed from a decommissioned nuclear reactor which had a vessel defining a chamber and reactor internals situated in the chamber, said product produced by a process which comprises the steps of:

• encapsulating portions of the vessel and reactor internals into a solid reactor capsule by forming a matrix within the chamber which integrally attaches to the vessel and integrally embeds the reactor internals to create the solid reactor capsule whereby the capsule will have an outer shell which is formed from the vessel and which substantially encases the matrix and thus the reactor internals;
• and
• converting the reactor capsule into a plurality of decommissioned segments by cutting the capsule into segments which each include a portion of the outer shell and a portion of the matrix and the internal components embedded therein whereby each of the segments includes a portion of the receptacle and pieces of the internal components;
• providing sheets which are dimensioned to cover the exposed surfaces of the matrix of the segments;
• and
• attaching the sheets to the segment to cover the exposed surfaces.