Systems and methods for harvesting and storing materials produced in a nuclear reactor
Abstract
Systems produce desired isotopes through irradiation in nuclear reactor instrumentation tubes and deposit the same in a robust facility for immediate shipping, handling, and/or consumption. Irradiation targets are inserted and removed through inaccessible areas without plant shutdown and placed in the harvesting facility, such as a plurality of sealable and shipping-safe casks and/or canisters. Systems may connect various structures in a sealed manner to avoid release of dangerous or unwanted matter throughout the nuclear plant, and/or systems may also automatically decontaminate materials to be released. Useable casks or canisters can include plural barriers for containment that are temporarily and selectively removable with specially-configured paths inserted therein. Penetrations in the facilities may limit waste or pneumatic gas escape and allow the same to be removed from the systems without over-pressurization or leakage. Methods include processing irradiation targets through such systems and securely delivering them in such harvesting facilities.
- Inventors:
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy Americas LLC, Wilmington, NC (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1245416
- Patent Number(s):
- 9305673
- Application Number:
- 13/709,725
- Assignee:
- GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy Americas, LLC (Wilmington, NC)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B65 - CONVEYING B65D - CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS
G - PHYSICS G21 - NUCLEAR PHYSICS G21C - NUCLEAR REACTORS
- DOE Contract Number:
- FC52-09NA29626
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: 2012 Dec 10
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS; 07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES; 12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
Citation Formats
Heinold, Mark R., Dayal, Yogeshwar, and Brittingham, Martin W. Systems and methods for harvesting and storing materials produced in a nuclear reactor. United States: N. p., 2016.
Web.
Heinold, Mark R., Dayal, Yogeshwar, & Brittingham, Martin W. Systems and methods for harvesting and storing materials produced in a nuclear reactor. United States.
Heinold, Mark R., Dayal, Yogeshwar, and Brittingham, Martin W. Tue .
"Systems and methods for harvesting and storing materials produced in a nuclear reactor". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1245416.
@article{osti_1245416,
title = {Systems and methods for harvesting and storing materials produced in a nuclear reactor},
author = {Heinold, Mark R. and Dayal, Yogeshwar and Brittingham, Martin W.},
abstractNote = {Systems produce desired isotopes through irradiation in nuclear reactor instrumentation tubes and deposit the same in a robust facility for immediate shipping, handling, and/or consumption. Irradiation targets are inserted and removed through inaccessible areas without plant shutdown and placed in the harvesting facility, such as a plurality of sealable and shipping-safe casks and/or canisters. Systems may connect various structures in a sealed manner to avoid release of dangerous or unwanted matter throughout the nuclear plant, and/or systems may also automatically decontaminate materials to be released. Useable casks or canisters can include plural barriers for containment that are temporarily and selectively removable with specially-configured paths inserted therein. Penetrations in the facilities may limit waste or pneumatic gas escape and allow the same to be removed from the systems without over-pressurization or leakage. Methods include processing irradiation targets through such systems and securely delivering them in such harvesting facilities.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Apr 05 00:00:00 EDT 2016},
month = {Tue Apr 05 00:00:00 EDT 2016}
}
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