Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Using Thin Barriers for Gamma Harvesting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for managing spent nuclear fuel (SNF) face challenges in safely storing and utilizing its gamma radiation, as they are costly, inefficient, and pose risks of criticality accidents and heat dissipation issues, while also limiting the use of SNF as a gamma radiation source due to neutron absorption and complex separation processes.
Innovation Solution
A novel SNF storage system using thin barriers to contain SNF, allowing gamma rays to escape while preventing radioisotopes from contaminating the environment, coupled with thermally conductive elements for heat dissipation, and strategically arranging SNF containers to prevent criticality accidents, enabling the use of freshly discharged SNF as a gamma radiation source.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional thick barriers are used to contain SNF, then radioisotope containment is improved, but gamma ray utilization is worsened due to excessive attenuation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs thin barrier structures (such as thin metal containers or encapsulation layers) to contain the spent nuclear fuel. These thin barriers are sufficient to prevent radioisotope release while allowing gamma rays to pass through with minimal attenuation, thus resolving the contradiction between containment reliability and gamma ray utilization efficiency.
2Reliability
If SNF is stored in conventional facilities, then safety is improved, but gamma radiation harvesting is worsened due to shielding and distance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the SNF storage system into multiple independent modular units, each containing SNF in thin barriers. These modules can be arranged to provide both safety containment and optimized gamma radiation exposure zones for harvesting, allowing simultaneous achievement of safety and energy utilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary thin barrier structure that mediates between the SNF and the external environment. This barrier allows gamma rays to pass through while containing radioisotopes, enabling safe yet efficient gamma radiation harvesting without the need for conventional thick shielding.
3Quantity of substance
If targets are placed in reactor core, then radioactive source production is improved, but reactor safety and efficiency are worsened due to neutron absorption and operational complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful waste product (spent nuclear fuel with high gamma radiation) into a beneficial resource for gamma ray irradiation applications. Instead of viewing SNF as a liability requiring complex handling and disposal, the invention harnesses its gamma radiation for useful purposes, simplifying the overall process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the spent nuclear fuel's own gamma radiation emission as the source for irradiation applications, eliminating the need for separate target materials and complex production processes. The SNF serves dual purposes: waste containment and gamma ray source, achieving self-service functionality.
4Manufacturing precision
If chemical separation of radioisotopes from SNF is performed, then gamma source purity is improved, but process complexity and cost are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary gamma radiation from the SNF by using thin barriers that allow gamma rays to pass while containing the radioisotopes. This selective extraction eliminates the need for complex chemical separation processes to isolate specific radioisotopes, as the gamma radiation can be utilized directly from the intact SNF.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach allows for safe and efficient storage of SNF, enabling the harvesting of gamma radiation for commercial applications, reducing storage costs, and transforming SNF from a liability to an asset by providing a revenue stream through gamma ray sales, while ensuring safety and operational flexibility.
Implementation Method 1
the thin barrier is configured to substantially prevent the release of radioisotopes found in the SNF while also being configured to allow the release of a substantially large portion of the gamma rays produced by the SNF into the external area
Implementation Method 2
The thin barrier may contain a coolant disposed proximate to the thin barrier, the coolant being configured to substantially minimize the attenuation in at least one direction of gamma rays produced by the SNF
Implementation Method 3
A thermally conductive element may come into thermal contact with the thin barrier, the thermally conductive element being configured to transfer at least some of the heat produced by the SNF to a heat sink
Implementation Method 4
allowing the release of a substantially large portion of the gamma rays produced by the SNF
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, apparatuses, and systems for the storage of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) such that a single facility can serve as both a SNF storage facility and a gamma ray irradiation facility are disclosed. In one embodiment, the SNF is encapsulated inside of a container. The SNF bearing container prevents the escape of fission products into the environment but allows the escape of gamma rays from the container. In this embodiment, several of these containers are evenly spaced throughout a room within a fortified facility and a conveyor system transports products through the room such that gamma rays emitted by the SNF deposit a desired amount of energy into the products. A passive heat removal system is formed by the coupling of the SNF bearing container to a thermal conduction element such that the SNF remains sufficiently cool even when the SNF is generating large heat loads.