Abstract: Reducing the volume of radioactively loaded liquids, particularly evaporator concentrates, by heating in a storage container up to solidification, wherein liquids are replenished for filling up the storage container. Heating takes place discontinuously in heating periods separated from each other in time. The heat is introduced directly into the container contents. Vapors produced are drawn off intermittently.

Abstract: For bonding particularly radioactive wastes into a binder, a transporting and mixing device is used which transports the mixture to a storage tank prior to the hardening. The wastes are transported into the mixing zone by gravity and aided by the conveyor helix which also imparts additional wall cleaning action through the dry conveyor zone. A single or multi-component binder is concurrently transported in a direction lateral to the mixing tool to the mixing zone. The mixture is conducted in a straight-line extension of the transport and mixing direction to an outlet to which the storage tank is connected.

Abstract: Radioactive wastes are treated in a furnace which has electrodes for electric heating. The furnace has at the lower end an outlet for slag material as well as a gas discharge line. Its well is a self-supporting tubular body which is arranged detachably in a metal furnace housing. At the upper end of the well is a line for feeding water. Thereby, carbon-containing waste, possibly also carbon of a carbon bed, is reacted to form water gas (CO+H.sub.2), which is burned after purification in an exhaust gas plant. The outlet of the metal housing has a movable grate.

Abstract: A method for operating a nuclear reactor having reactor coolant including an exhaust gas source and an exhaust gas system connected to the exhaust gas source, the exhaust gas system having at least one compressor connected to the exhaust gas source, a gas cooler connected to the compressor, a first reducing valve connected to the gas cooler, a switching valve connected to the first reducing valve, a moisture adsorber connected to the switching valve, a delay line normally connected in parallel with the moisture adsorber, a gas loop connected between the moisture adsorber and the compressor, a flue connection set at a given pressure during normal operation, and a second reducing valve connected between the delay line and the flue connection, includes interconnecting the delay line and the moisture adsorber in series, setting the flue connection to a pressure at least twice as high as the given pressure, reversing the switching valve thus allowing the exhaust gas to pass from the moisture adsorber to the delay

Abstract: Radioactive wastes are treated in a furnace which has electrodes for electric heating. The furnace has at the lower end an outlet for slag material as well as a gas discharge line. Its well is a self-supporting tubular body which is arranged detachably in a metal furnace housing. At the upper end of the well is a line for feeding water. Thereby, carbon-containing waste, possibly also carbon of a carbon bed, is reacted to form water gas (CO+H.sub.2), which is burned after purification in an exhaust gas plant. The outlet of the metal housing has a movable grate.

Abstract: Apparatus for storing spent fuel assemblies of a nuclear reactor including a fuel-assembly transport cask having a hollow chamber for receiving therein at least one fuel assembly and having a cover for gas-tightly closing off an opening to the hollow chamber, including means for supplying a trace gas into the hollow chamber, an additional cover defining a leakage detection chamber covering the cross-section of the opening to the hollow chamber, and a measuring device for the trace gas connected to the leakage detection chamber for monitoring gas-tightness of the closure of the opening to the hollow chamber, and method for using the apparatus.

Abstract: Drying radioactive waste water concentrates from evaporators to produce a dried product of low residual moisture by(a) preheating a waste water concentrate with a solids content of at most 20% by weight to a temperature of 50.degree.-70.degree. C.,(b) passing the preheated concentrate with a solids content of at most 20% by weight into a two-cylinder drier at the rate of 10 to 20 liters per square meter of usable cylinder surface per hour,(c) maintaining the cylinder temperature between about 160.degree. to 210.degree. C.,(d) retaining the concentrate in the drier for a residence time of 7 to 18 seconds on the cylinder to produce a dried product of low residual moisture on the cylinder surface, and(e) discharging the dried product of low residual moisture from the cylinder surface.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for treating various radioactive concentrates having a liquid component, such as suspensions and salt solutions, which are present separately in a processing plant from evaporation systems, resin bead ion exchange filters, and from at least one further separating stage provided with, for example, mechanical filters, sedimentation basins and/or powdered resin ion exchange filters. The filter concentrates containing suspended solids are dewatered in a filter cake-producing filter and the concentrates from the evaporation system (salt solutions) are dewatered wholly or in part directly in transporting and storage drums to the dryness required for storage. At least one of the various concentrates are at least for a time conducted directly (without dewatering) into a storage drum where they are mixed with binders and converted to solids by hardening.

Abstract: Treating and venting gaseous nuclides in the gas space above the liquid level in tanks containing radioactive liquid is accomplished by connecting the gas spaces in series with the gas space at one end having the highest radioactivity, normally discharging at a limited rate into a waste gas system, and air to replace the discharged gas, introduced into the gas space at the other end. Sudden surges or fluctuations in gas pressure in the gas spaces due to rapid filling of the tank with liquid is relieved by discharging gas from the gas space of low activity at the other end into a stack. Voids in the tanks created by rapid emptying of the tanks is filled by air entering the gas space of low activity at the other end. A self cleaning filter which removes nuclides from the gas before entering the stack is reactivated by the passage of air in a reverse direction through the filter with the return of the nuclides to the gas space of low activity.

Abstract: Contaminated wash water in nuclear plants are processed by mixing the wash waters with ion exchange resins to form a suspension and then feeding the resulting suspension to a filter.

Abstract: In a catalytic converter which has a housing, gas inlet and outlet nipples in the housing, a screen positioned in and held by said housing for supporting a loose catalyst material thereon and a free space provided in the housing above the loose catalyst material, there is provided a flow-directing device for guiding a stream, after its introduction into the housing through the gas inlet nipple, onto the loose catalyst uniformly and vertically from above.

Abstract: A method for treating waste gases containing radioactive contamination, particularly krypton and xenon nuclides. The waste gas stream to be decontaminated is initially conducted through an enrichment system wherein the waste gas stream is divided into at least two partial streams one of which is substantially free from the radioactive impurities and constitutes the poor gas fraction and another of which constitutes the rich gas fraction. The poor gas fraction is discharged, at least in part into the atmosphere while the rich gas fraction is fed into an activated carbon delay path whose output is discharged, either directly or indirectly into the atmosphere. Apparatus for carrying out the method is also disclosed.