Systems and methods for processing materials with complex isotope vectors for use as a nuclear fuel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022244200-A1
Application number	US-202117165726-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 2, 2021
Priority date	Feb 2, 2021
Publication date	Aug 4, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of processing a nuclear material for use as a nuclear fuel in a nuclear reactor is disclosed herein. The nuclear material includes a complex isotope vector including a plurality of isotopes including a targeted isotope and a non-targeted isotope. The method can include: determining a wavelength of electromagnetic radiation based, at least in part, on the targeted isotope; emitting a beam of electromagnetic radiation including the determined wavelength towards the nuclear material; separating, via the emitted beam of electromagnetic radiation, the nuclear material into a first stream and a second stream; enriching, via the emitted beam of electromagnetic radiation, a concentration of the targeted isotope to a predetermined concentration; and dispositioning, via a sensitivity to the determined wavelength, the enriched concentration of the targeted isotope to the first stream of the nuclear material; and dispositioning, via a lack of sensitivity to the determined wavelength, the non-targeted isotope to the second stream of the nuclear material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of processing a nuclear material for use as a nuclear fuel in a nuclear reactor, wherein the nuclear material comprises a complex isotope vector comprising a plurality of isotopes, wherein the plurality of isotopes comprises a targeted isotope and a non-targeted isotope, the method comprising:
determining a wavelength of electromagnetic radiation based, at least in part, on the targeted isotope; emitting a beam of electromagnetic radiation comprising the determined wavelength towards the nuclear material; separating, via the emitted beam of electromagnetic radiation, the nuclear material into a first stream and a second stream; enriching, via the emitted beam of electromagnetic radiation, a concentration of the targeted isotope to a predetermined concentration; dispositioning, via a sensitivity to the determined wavelength, the enriched concentration of the targeted isotope to the first stream of the nuclear material; and dispositioning, via a lack of sensitivity to the determined wavelength, the non-targeted isotope to the second stream of the nuclear material.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first stream is a product stream of the nuclear material, and wherein the second stream is a tails stream of the nuclear material.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising fluorinating the targeted isotope, thereby producing an isotopomer, and wherein enriching the concentration of the targeted isotope to a predetermined concentration comprises exciting, via the determined wavelength, the produced isotopomer.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a desired magnitude of a radiation field of the nuclear fuel; and dispositioning, via the emitted beam of electromagnetic radiation, the non-targeted isotope to the second stream of the nuclear material based, at least in part, on the desired magnitude of the radiation field of the nuclear fuel.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining an amount of parasitic absorption associated with the non-targeted isotope, and wherein enriching the concentration of the targeted isotope to a predetermined concentration is based, at least in part, on the determined amount of parasitic absorption.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the nuclear material comprises a used nuclear fuel.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the used nuclear fuel comprises thorium.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the targeted isotope comprises 233 U.

9 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the used nuclear fuel comprises a minor actinide.

10 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the used nuclear fuel comprises plutonium.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the targeted isotope comprises at least one of 239 PU and 241 Pu.

12 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the used nuclear fuel comprises uranium.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the non-targeted isotope is one of a plurality of non-targeted isotopes, wherein the plurality of non-targeted isotopes is a subset of the plurality of isotopes, and wherein the plurality of non-targeted isotopes comprises at least one of 232 U, 234 U, 236 U, and 238 U, or combinations thereof.

14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the targeted isotope comprises 235U.

15 . A system configured to process a nuclear material for use as a nuclear fuel in a nuclear reactor, wherein the nuclear material comprises a complex isotope vector comprising a targeted isotope and a non-targeted isotope, the system comprising:
an emitter configured to emit a beam of electromagnetic radiation at the nuclear material; and a control circuit configured in signal communication with the emitter, wherein the control circuit is configured to:
receive an input comprising a wavelength of electromagnetic radiation, wherein the wavelength is determined based, at least in part, on the targeted isotope; and
cause the emitter to emit a beam comprising the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation towards the nuclear material;
wherein the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation, upon interacting with the nuclear material, is configured to:
separate the nuclear material into a first stream and a second stream;
enrich a concentration of the targeted isotope to a predetermined concentration;
disposition, via a sensitivity to the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation, the enriched concentration of the targeted isotope to the first stream of the nuclear material; and
disposition, via a lack of sensitivity to the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation, the non-targeted isotope to the second stream of the nuclear material.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the emitter is further configured to fluorinate the targeted isotope, thereby producing an isotopomer, and wherein the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation is configured to enrich the concentration of the targeted isotope to a predetermined concentration by exciting the produced isotopomer.

17 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to receive an input comprising a determined amount of parasitic absorption associated with the non-targeted isotope, and wherein the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation is configured to enrich the concentration of the targeted isotope to a predetermined concentration based, at least in part, on the determined amount of parasitic absorption.

18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the nuclear material comprises a used nuclear fuel.

19 . A method of processing a nuclear material for use as a nuclear fuel in a nuclear reactor, wherein the nuclear material comprises a complex isotope vector comprising a plurality of isotopes, wherein the plurality of isotopes comprises a targeted isotope and a non-targeted isotope, the method comprising:
emitting a beam of electromagnetic radiation comprising a wavelength towards the nuclear material; enriching, via the beam of electromagnetic radiation, a concentration of the targeted isotope to a predetermined concentration; dispositioning, via a sensitivity to the wavelength, the enriched concentration of the targeted isotope to a first stream of the nuclear material; and dispositioning, via a lack of sensitivity to the wavelength, the non-targeted isotope to a second stream of the nuclear material.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising fluorinating the targeted isotope, thereby producing an isotopomer, and wherein enriching the concentration of the targeted isotope to a predetermined concentration comprises exciting, via the emitted beam of electromagnetic radiation, the produced isotopomer.

Assignees

• Westinghouse Electric Co Llc

Inventors

• Stucker David L

Classifications

• B01D59/34

  Separation by photochemical methods · CPC title

• G21C19/42 Primary

  Reprocessing of irradiated fuel · CPC title

• G21C19/48

  Non-aqueous processes · CPC title

• G01N2223/00

  Investigating materials by wave or particle radiation · CPC title

• G01N23/221

  by activation analysis · CPC title