REACTOR FUEL SCAVENGING MEANS
Abstract
A process for removing fission products from reactor liquid fuel without interfering with the reactor's normal operation or causing a significant change in its fuel composition is described. The process consists of mixing a liquid scavenger alloy composed of about 44 at.% plutoniunm, 33 at.% lanthanum, and 23 at.% nickel or cobalt with a plutonium alloy reactor fuel containing about 3 at.% lanthanum; removing a portion of the fuel and scavenger alloy from the reactor core and replacing it with an equal amount of the fresh scavenger alloy; transferring the portion to a quiescent zone where the scavenger and the plutonium fuel form two distinct liquid layers with the fission products being dissolved in the lanthanum-rich scavenger layer; and the clean plutonium-rich fuel layer being returned to the reactor core. (AEC)
- Inventors:
- Issue Date:
- OSTI Identifier:
- 4786727
- Patent Number(s):
- 3029142
- Assignee:
- U.S. Atomic Energy Commission
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
C - CHEMISTRY C22 - METALLURGY C22C - ALLOYS
Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02E - REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- NSA Number:
- NSA-16-013165
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-62
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- CHEMISTRY; ALLOYS; COBALT; ENRICHMENT; FISSION PRODUCTS; FUELS; IMPURITIES; LANTHANUM; LAYERS; LIQUID METAL FUEL; MIXING; NICKEL; PLUTONIUM; PRECIPITATION; REACTOR CORE; REACTORS; SEPARATION PROCESSES; SOLUBILITY; TURBULENCE
Citation Formats
Coffinberry, A S. REACTOR FUEL SCAVENGING MEANS. United States: N. p., 1962.
Web.
Coffinberry, A S. REACTOR FUEL SCAVENGING MEANS. United States.
Coffinberry, A S. Tue .
"REACTOR FUEL SCAVENGING MEANS". United States.
@article{osti_4786727,
title = {REACTOR FUEL SCAVENGING MEANS},
author = {Coffinberry, A S},
abstractNote = {A process for removing fission products from reactor liquid fuel without interfering with the reactor's normal operation or causing a significant change in its fuel composition is described. The process consists of mixing a liquid scavenger alloy composed of about 44 at.% plutoniunm, 33 at.% lanthanum, and 23 at.% nickel or cobalt with a plutonium alloy reactor fuel containing about 3 at.% lanthanum; removing a portion of the fuel and scavenger alloy from the reactor core and replacing it with an equal amount of the fresh scavenger alloy; transferring the portion to a quiescent zone where the scavenger and the plutonium fuel form two distinct liquid layers with the fission products being dissolved in the lanthanum-rich scavenger layer; and the clean plutonium-rich fuel layer being returned to the reactor core. (AEC)},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {1962},
month = {4}
}