Nuclear reactor assemblies, nuclear reactor target assemblies, and nuclear reactor methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12531168-B2
Application number	US-202217730203-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 27, 2022
Priority date	Mar 31, 2017
Publication date	Jan 20, 2026
Grant date	Jan 20, 2026

Abstract

Reactor target assemblies are provided that can include a housing defining a perimeter of at least one volume and Np or Am spheres within the one volume. Reactor assemblies are provided that can include a reactor vessel and a bundle of target assemblies within the reactor vessel, at least one of the target assemblies comprising a housing defining a volume with Np or Am spheres being within the volume. Irradiation methods are also provided that can include irradiating Np or Am spheres within a nuclear reactor, then removing the irradiated spheres from the reactor and treating the irradiated spheres.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A method for producing spheres of Am, Np, or Pu for loading into refractory materials in a target assembly, the method comprising:
preparing a solution comprising Am-nitrate, Np-nitrate, or Pu-nitrate; cooling the solution to −5° C. and 0° C. to gel the Am-nitrate, Np-nitrate, or Pu-nitrate; providing the gelled Am-nitrate, Np-nitrate, or Pu-nitrate through a conduit with another fluid to form gelled Am, Np, or Pu spheres; washing and drying gelled spheres to form solid Am, Np, or Pu spheres; and using the Am, Np, or Pu spheres in a target assembly.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the providing the gelled Am-nitrate, Np-nitrate, or Pu-nitrate through a conduit with another fluid to form gelled Am, Np, or Pu spheres further comprises forming a mixed feed solution comprising the Am-nitrate, Np-nitrate, or Pu-nitrate.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the mixed feed solution comprises HMTA.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the mixed feed solution comprises urea.

5 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising changing the temperature of the mixed feed solution to greater than 0° C. to form the Am, Np, or Pu spheres.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing the gelled Am, Np, or Pu from the conduit to a forming fluid.

7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising removing the forming fluid when washing the gelled spheres.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising washing the gelled spheres with a solvent.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the solvent is trichloroethylene and/or isopropyl alcohol.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the solvent comprises ammonium hydroxide.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the drying comprises heating the washed spheres.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein, upon drying, the spheres are rinsed with water and dried to form oxide spheres.

Assignees

• Battelle Memorial Institute

Inventors

• Katalenich Jeffrey A
• Reid Bruce D
• Gates Robert O
• Prichard Andrew W
• Schmitt Bruce E
• Livingston Jim

Classifications

• C01G56/005

  Oxides; Hydroxides · CPC title

• C01G56/004

  Compounds of plutonium (C01G56/001 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C22B60/04

  Obtaining plutonium · CPC title

• Y02E30/30

  Nuclear fission reactors · CPC title

• G21C3/28

  with fissile or breeder material in solid form within a non-active casing · CPC title