Advanced vitrification system
AssigneeRadioactive Isolation Consortium, LLC
InventorsJames R. Powell, Morris Reich
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The AVS invention provides for an apparatus and process for its practice involving the vitrification of waste materials, such as nuclear waste, inside a disposable canister. The preferred embodiment of the process includes a canister having outer and inner containers with thermal insulation therebetween. Solid frit sections are placed inside the inner container to create one or more regions for receiving waste. The waste is then loaded into the regions. The inner canister is heated to melt the frit and waste and mix them once molten. The melted mixture is then cooled to form a vitrified product in the module. In an alternative process, chunks of frit are mixed with waste and loaded into the empty canister. The mixture is then melted and cooled inside the disposal canister.
Claims16
A module for vitrification of waste comprising:
- a disposable canister;
- and,
- frit loaded inside the canister wherein the frit is in the form of one or more solid sections creating one or more regions in the canister for receiving waste, wherein each section is continuous to the approximate width or the height of the canister, and wherein the sections have a combined unmelted density in the canister of about 100%.
A method for vitrifying waste comprising the steps of:
- a. loading frit into a canister wherein the frit is in the form of one or more solid sections creating one or more regions in the canister for receiving waste, wherein each section is continuous to the approximate width or the height of the canister, and wherein the sections have a combined unmelted density in the canister of about 100%;
- b. loading waste into said region or regions;
- c. heating the waste and frit inside the canister until a melted mixture is obtained;
- and
- d. cooling said melted mixture to form a vitrified product.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.