Method and system for disposing of radioactive solid waste
OwnerJohn E. Oddoinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This invention discloses a system and method for the disposal of solid waste that contains radioactive material. Radioactive solid wastes generated as scales during oil and gas production operations are collected and placed in a central processing chamber. High-temperature and high-pressure water containing large amounts of dissolve salts is produced from a geothermal subterranean formation and introduced into the solid processing chamber to dissolve the radioactive solid waste. The solid radioactive waste is subjected to a grinding process to microemulsion particle size and treated in an acid.
Claims22
A solid-waste disposal system for disposing solid waste containing radioactive material, the solid-waste disposal system comprising:
- a. a producing means for producing water from a first subterranean geological formation;
- b. a source of radioactive material;
- c. a grinder for receiving radioactive material from the source and reducing the radioactive material to a slurry of microemulsion particle size, a portion of the slurry being soluble in acid;
- d. an acidification unit for receiving the slurry from the grinder and treating the slurry with an acid to dissolve the acid soluble portions of the slurry and to produce and disposal brine;
- and
- e. an injecting means for injecting said dilute solution into a second subterranean geological formation.
A method of disposing of solid radioactive waste comprising the steps of:
- a. drawing water from a first subterranean formation;
- b. grinding solid radioactive waste in a grinding unit to form a slurry of microemulsion particle size, the slurry having a soluble portion and an insoluble portion;
- c. treating the slurry with an acid to dissolve the soluble portion of the slurry, producing an effluent having a liquid portion and a solid portion;
- d. emulsifying the solid portion of the effluent to a smaller size to develop a solid disposable sludge;
- e. mixing together the solid disposable sludge, the liquid effluent, and the water drawn from the first subterranean formation to produce a disposal mixture;
- and
- f. disposing of the disposal mixture in a second subterranean formation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.