Abstract: A solid fuel cell for high temperature operation including a refractory solid electrolyte, an anode and a cathode both in intimate contact with the electrolyte and an electronically conducting interconnect medium having pores or channels therethrough permitting oxidant and fuel to be delivered without mixing respectively to the cathode and the anode, wherein the anode, cathode and interconnect medium are provided as zones within a common unitary material, the anode and cathode being present as zones adjacent to different surfaces of the material and the interconnect medium being present as a zone intermediate to the cathode and anode zones.

Abstract: A biosensor for detecting metal ions of elements such as Hg, Cr, As, Tc, Cu, Ag, Se, V, Mo and U which are capable of being reduced to metal by a reductase enzyme. The reductase enzyme is contained in an immobilized enzyme composition also including a cofactor and a coenzyme. The cofactor, for example NADPH, is oxidized by a reaction coupled with the reductase reduction of the metal ions and the cofactor in its oxidized state, e.g., NADP.sup.+, is re-reduced thereby maintaining a supply of the reduced state cofactor by action of the coenzyme in a further oxidation reaction coupled with the cofactor reduction. The further oxidation reaction may be oxidation of an alcohol to an aldehyde brought about by a dehydrogenase coenzyme. The oxidation brought about by the coenzyme, i.e., the amount of oxidized product, is a measure of the amount of oxidized state cofactor produced which, in turn, is a measure of the concentration of metal ions being detected.

Abstract: A process for the treatment of material which is or is suspected to be contaminated with one or more actinides or compounds thereof, which process includes contacting the said material with a liquid medium which comprises an aqueous solution which is free of heavy metal ions (prior to use thereof) and comprises ingredients which are naturally degradable to non-toxic products with or without mild physical assistance such as heat or ultra-violet radiation, said solution comprising:(a) carbonated water;(b) a conditioning agent; and(c) a complexing agent which comprises the anion of a carboxylic acid having from 2 to 6 carbon atoms;wherein the said process is for treatment of solid organic wastes which are or are suspected to be contaminated with plutonium or compounds thereof with or without other hazardous contaminants and includes the steps of shredding the organic waste material, intimately mixing the shredded waste material with the said liquid medium thereby dissolving contaminants as complexes in said liqu

Abstract: A dispensing apparatus comprises a robot device (14) having gripping means (20a, 20b) presentable to a plurality of stations, each station being adapted to provide an operation in a sequence of operations such as to produce a measured quantity or dose from a supply of a hazardous substance, and one of the stations (32) comprising a multi-syringe receiving and filling station comprising syringe receiving means (106) capable of receiving and holding syringes of different sizes each adapted to contain a said substance, the said station having means (95) for operating each syringe when located at that station whereby syringes of different sizes may be operated automatically as selected. The said station may comprise a hazardous liquid filling station for filling items one of which comprises a syringe.

Abstract: A rotor especially for use in a high speed electric motor/generator comprises fibre-reinforced plastics material incorporating magnetic filler material, the fibre-reinforced plastics material being arranged as a multi-layered cylindrical portion of the rotor, the magnetic filler material being disposed within and between the layers. The said cylindrical portion may be a hollow tubular portion. The said portion may be enclosed in a non-composite eg, wear resistant, layer.

Abstract: An apparatus for the electromagnetic control of the suspension of an object including an electromagnet including an inductive coil, a source of electric power for the electromagnet which source includes a controllable electric supply device capable of delivering a controlled electric supply to the coil of the electromagnet, a control signal producer for producing an error control signal in response to an incremental change in a parameter related to the position of the object relative to the electromagnet and a negative feedback control loop for feeding an error control signal generated by the control signal producer to the electrical supply device to adjust the electrical supply to the coil so as to stabilise the suspension of the object relative to the electromagnet, wherein the control signal producer includes a detector for detecting the component V.sub.

Abstract: The beam power of a laser beam is sampled by locating an elongate radiation conductive path across and substantially normal to the axis of the beam and detecting the light emitted at at least one of the ends of the radiation path, the radiation at the end of the radiation path being representative of the beam power of the laser.The radiation conductive path can be a glass rod but preferably the path comprises one or more optical fibres.

Abstract: Apparatus for moving axially elongate articles, such as nuclear fuel pins, between work stations and comprising aligned rollers forming at least two substantially parallel paths tranversely spaced apart. Drive devices are provided for axially moving the articles along the paths and displacement devices are provided for moving the fuel pins transversely between the paths.

Abstract: Apparatus for the inspection of the surface of a cylindrical object which comprises a rotator for rotating the object to be inspected about its axis, a projector for projecting an incident beam of radiation to form a spot on the surface of the object whilst the object is rotating, a device for providing, relative to the object when being rotated, translation of the spot formed by the projection means, a detector for detecting a scattered beam of radiation which comprises radiation of the incident beam after scattering by the surface of the object and a processor for deriving from the detection by the detector of the scattered beam information about the depth of the surface of the inspected object in the region where the incident beam spot is applied.

Abstract: An end plug is inserted into the end of a nuclear fuel pin cladding tube after loading mixed oxide fuel pellets into the tube from a containment area. During the pellet loading operation, a disposable sleeve and an end plug carrier protect the external surfaces of the cladding tube and the end plug from contamination. The sleeve, mounted on the end of the cladding tube, is inserted into a seal arranged in a wall of the containment area. The end plug, located within a recess in the plug carrier, is then inserted into the end of the cladding tube by sliding the carrier through the sleeve. Upon removal of the cladding tube, the sleeve and the carrier are retained in the seal for ejection into the containment area during the next pellet loading operation.

Abstract: In a method of treating a surface 12 of an object 10 contaminated with radionuclides 14, a laser source 16 is directed at the surface 12 to apply a local area 18 of intense heat to the surface 12. The laser source 16 is arranged to pass in a raster manner to cause local melting of the surface 12, surface 12 subsequently solidifying and fixing the radionuclides 14 therein. At least one layer of a coating material be applied before or after the application of the intense heat to fix and seal the radionuclides on or in the object.

Abstract: A cementitious surface contaminated with a radioactive substance is decontaminated by applying a micro-organism to the surface to degrade the surface. The residue which contains the radioactive substance is then removed by suction, scraping, brushing or abrasion blasting. The micro-organism might comprise an aerobic sulphur oxidising bacteria, or an anaerobic sulphate reducing bacteria, or a mixture thereof. Action of the micro-organism can be stopped as necessary by heating, or by depriving the micro-organism of nutrients.

Abstract: A process and an electrolytic cell for the production of fluorine. A fluorine-containing electrolyte is passed in non-turbulent flow between an anode and a cathode of the electrolytic cell. The electrolyte emerging from between the anode and the cathode is divided into two streams. One stream emerges adjacent to the anode and has fluorine entrained therein, the other stream emerges adjacent to the cathode and has hydrogen entrained therein. The fluorine and the hydrogen are subsequently separated from their respective streams of electrolyte.

Abstract: A gamma radiation camera system that utilizes a gamma blocking object which is removably located in the field of view of a gamma detector and blocks at least a portion of gamma radiation, emitted from a scene, from the detector and thereby forming a two-dimensional image of the scene. Further, individual components received by the detector from the scene provide an output signal to respective processing circuitry. The difference is then determined between components of a first output signal obtained when the object is present in the field of view of the detector and components of a second output signal obtained when the object is not present in the field of view.

Abstract: An air lock system for the transfer of large containers into a containment comprises a set of horizontally and vertically slidable doors adapted to define a variable opening for the passage of containers. The set of doors cooperate with a further preceding set, which can be a single slidable door, to form an airlock. Ventilation means in the containment provide an inward air flow through the opening into the containment.

Abstract: Uranium chloride is reacted with either magnesium, sodium or calcium in the presence of a molten salt comprising light metal chlorides including lithium chloride. The temperature is maintained below the melting point of uranium. The magnesium may be in the form of magnesium-cadmium alloy, the temperature being maintained below the temperature at which magnesium and cadmium vaporize. The components of the molten salt may be first fused together so as to form the molten salt eutectic. Subsequently after separation of the uranium, products of the reaction may be recovered and recycled.

Abstract: A process for the production of plutonium-containing mixed oxide nuclear fuel. The process comprises selecting a plutonium-containing solution, determining the plutonium isotopic composition of the solution, precipitating particulate plutonium oxide from the solution, forming a mixture comprising the plutonium oxide and a particulate uranium oxide, and forming nuclear fuel compacts from the mixture. The amount of plutonium in the mixture is controlled in accordance with a given equation.

Abstract: A dispensing apparatus comprises a base, and a robot device on the base having opposing jaw members. A number of stations locate on the base, and cooperate with the robot device in a sequence of operations such as to produce a measured pharmaceutical dose from a supply of a pharmaceutically acceptable substance. One of the stations locates several hypodermic syringes in parallel and a container, and produces relative movement of the appropriate syringe and the container towards and away from each other to arrange that the syringe penetrates and withdraws from the container.

Abstract: A containment structure (1) for storage of nuclear fuel or liquids which have been in contact with nuclear fuel includes a concrete wall (3) and a concrete floor (2) with a corrosion resistant liner (5) fixed to and in contact with the walls and floor except at the junctions of the walls and floor at which the liner is curved to provide "soft corners" (7) to permit movement of the liner relative to the concrete walls and floor.The term "soft corner" as used in the context of the present specification denotes a region providing a gap or empty space or collapsible or compressible material, eg foam, between the stainless steel liner and the concrete walls and floor. Any collapsible or compressible material employed needs to be stable to the radioactive environment and for this reason it is preferred that a gap or empty space is employed.

Abstract: A system for metering the feed of portions of nuclear fuel assemblies and comprising a declivitous screen for receiving the portions and separating the portions into larger and smaller components thereof. The separated components are independently fed into a storage container by a variety of means including hoppers, receptacles, chambers, troughs and chutes, acting in a sequential manner, so as to provide efficient filling of the container.