Nuclear fuel electrorefiner
Abstract
The present invention relates to a nuclear fuel electrorefiner having a vessel containing a molten electrolyte pool floating on top of a cadmium pool. An anodic fuel dissolution basket and a high-efficiency cathode are suspended in the molten electrolyte pool. A shroud surrounds the fuel dissolution basket and the shroud is positioned so as to separate the electrolyte pool into an isolated electrolyte pool within the shroud and a bulk electrolyte pool outside the shroud. In operation, unwanted noble-metal fission products migrate downward into the cadmium pool and form precipitates where they are removed by a filter and separator assembly. Uranium values are transported by the cadmium pool from the isolated electrolyte pool to the bulk electrolyte pool, and then pass to the high-efficiency cathode where they are electrolytically deposited thereto.
- Inventors:
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1174720
- Patent Number(s):
- 6689260
- Application Number:
- 09/940,421
- Assignee:
- The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy (Washington, DC)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
C - CHEMISTRY C25 - ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES C25C - PROCESSES FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC PRODUCTION, RECOVERY OR REFINING OF METALS
G - PHYSICS G21 - NUCLEAR PHYSICS G21C - NUCLEAR REACTORS
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-98CH10913
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: 2001 Aug 29
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
Citation Formats
Ahluwalia, Rajesh K., and Hua, Thanh Q. Nuclear fuel electrorefiner. United States: N. p., 2004.
Web.
Ahluwalia, Rajesh K., & Hua, Thanh Q. Nuclear fuel electrorefiner. United States.
Ahluwalia, Rajesh K., and Hua, Thanh Q. Tue .
"Nuclear fuel electrorefiner". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1174720.
@article{osti_1174720,
title = {Nuclear fuel electrorefiner},
author = {Ahluwalia, Rajesh K. and Hua, Thanh Q.},
abstractNote = {The present invention relates to a nuclear fuel electrorefiner having a vessel containing a molten electrolyte pool floating on top of a cadmium pool. An anodic fuel dissolution basket and a high-efficiency cathode are suspended in the molten electrolyte pool. A shroud surrounds the fuel dissolution basket and the shroud is positioned so as to separate the electrolyte pool into an isolated electrolyte pool within the shroud and a bulk electrolyte pool outside the shroud. In operation, unwanted noble-metal fission products migrate downward into the cadmium pool and form precipitates where they are removed by a filter and separator assembly. Uranium values are transported by the cadmium pool from the isolated electrolyte pool to the bulk electrolyte pool, and then pass to the high-efficiency cathode where they are electrolytically deposited thereto.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Feb 10 00:00:00 EST 2004},
month = {Tue Feb 10 00:00:00 EST 2004}
}