Electro-synthesis of uranium chloride fuel salts

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11373765-B2
Application number	US-202016782652-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 5, 2020
Priority date	Aug 10, 2016
Publication date	Jun 28, 2022
Grant date	Jun 28, 2022

Abstract

This disclosure describes systems and methods for synthesizing UCl3 from UCl4. These systems and methods may also be used to directly synthesize binary and ternary embodiments of uranium salts of chloride usable as nuclear fuel in certain molten salt reactor designs. The systems and methods described herein are capable of synthesizing any desired uranium chloride fuel salt that is a combination of UCl4, UCl3 and one or more non-fissile chloride compounds, such as NaCl. In particular, the systems and methods described herein are capable of synthesizing any UCl3—UCl4—NaCl or UCl3—NaCl fuel salt composition from UCl4—NaCl.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for the synthesis of UCl 3 from UCl 4 comprising:
a vessel having an interior wall defining an electrolysis chamber capable of holding molten UCl 3 and UCl 4 , the interior wall material unreactive with UCl 4 and UCl 3 at temperatures from 350-900° C. and pressures between 0.5 and 10 atm;
at least one cathode and at least one anode in electrolysis chamber, the at least one cathode and at least one anode made of material unreactive with UCl 4 and UCl 3 at temperatures from 350-900° C. and pressures between 0.5 and 10 atm;
a power source connected to the at least one cathode and at least one anode, the power source capable of creating a potential and applying electric current between the at least one cathode and at least one anode; and
a system controller connected to the power source to control the potential and electric current from the power source between the at least one cathode and at least one anode, the system controller configured to maintain the potential between the at least one cathode and at least one anode within a range that reduces U 4+ to U 3+ without reducing U 3+ .

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one cathode or the at least one anode is a rod made of glassy carbon, an alloy of tungsten, or an alloy of molybdenum.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the interior wall material is selected from quartz, glassy carbon, an alloy of tungsten, or an alloy of molybdenum.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the at least one cathode or the at least one anode is a rod made of glassy carbon, an alloy of tungsten, or an alloy of molybdenum.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising:
a gas collector that removes Cl 2 gas produced during the synthesis of UCl 3 from the vessel.

6. The system of claim 3 further comprising:
a gas collector that removes Cl 2 gas produced during the synthesis of UCl 3 from the vessel.

7. The system of claim 2 further comprising:
a gas collector that removes Cl 2 gas produced during the synthesis of UCl 3 from the vessel.

8. The system of claim 5 wherein the gas collector is located above the at least one anode.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising:
a sealable supply opening in the vessel through which UCl 4 may be placed in the electrolysis chamber and UCl 4 and UCl 3 removed from the electrolysis chamber.

10. The system of claim 5 further comprising:
a sealable supply opening in the vessel through which UCl 4 may be placed in the electrolysis chamber and UCl 4 and UCl 3 removed from the electrolysis chamber.

11. The system of claim 1 further comprising:
a heating element coupled to the vessel; and
the system controller connected to the heating element capable of controlling the temperature of molten UCl 3 and UCl 4 in the vessel.

12. The system of claim 10 further comprising:
a heating element coupled to the vessel; and
the system controller connected to the heating element capable of controlling the temperature of molten UCl 3 and UCl 4 in the vessel.

13. The system of any of claim 1 wherein the system is configured to synthesize UCl 3 from a fuel salt that includes UCl 4 and at least one non-fissile chloride compound; and
wherein the system controller is further configured to maintain the potential between the at least one cathode and at least one anode within a range that reduces U 4+ to U 3+ without reducing either U 3+ or a cation of the at least one non-fissile chloride compound.

14. The system of any of claim 12 wherein the system is configured to synthesize UCl 3 from a fuel salt that includes UCl 4 and at least one non-fissile chloride compound; and
wherein the system controller is further configured to maintain the potential between the at least one cathode and at least one anode within a range that reduces U 4+ to U 3+ without reducing either U 3+ or a cation of the at least one non-fissile chloride compound.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the fuel salt is a UCl 4 —NaCl fuel salt and the system controller is further configured to maintain the potential between the at least one cathode and at least one anode within a range that reduces U 4+ to U 3+ without reducing either U 3+ or Na 1+ .

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the fuel salt is a UCl 4 —NaCl fuel salt and the system controller is further configured to maintain the potential between the at least one cathode and at least one anode within a range that reduces U 4+ to U 3+ without reducing either U 3+ or Na 1+ .

Assignees

• Terrapower Llc

Inventors

• Czerwinski Ken
• El-Dasher Bassem S
• Kerlin William M
• Unger Aaron J

Classifications

• C01P2006/44

  Alpha, beta or gamma radiation related properties · CPC title

• C25B11/04

  characterised by the material · CPC title

• G21C3/54 Primary

  Fused salt, oxide or hydroxide compositions · CPC title

• C01G43/08 Primary

  Chlorides · CPC title

• C25B1/00

  Electrolytic production of inorganic compounds or non-metals · CPC title