Abstract: This invention relates to a nuclear plant having a reactor vessel and a fluid circuit including flow path defining means, defining a flow path for circulating a reactor coolant fluid from and to the reactor vessel. The nuclear plant includes a particle collection zone defined along at least part of the length of the flow path, and particle deflection means arranged in particle deflecting relationship with the flow path to deflect particles from a fluid stream in the flow path into or toward the particle collection zone.

Abstract: This invention relates to a nuclear plant having a reactor vessel and a fluid circuit including flow path defining means, defining a flow path for circulating a reactor coolant fluid from and to the reactor vessel. The nuclear plant includes a particle collection zone defined along at least part of the length of the flow path, and particle deflection means arranged in particle deflecting relationship with the flow path to deflect particles from a fluid stream in the flow path into or toward the particle collection zone.

Abstract: This invention relates to a nuclear plant having a reactor vessel and a fluid circuit including flow path defining means, defining a flow path for circulating a reactor coolant fluid from and to the reactor vessel. The nuclear plant includes a particle collection zone defined along at least part of the length of the flow path, and particle deflection means arranged in particle deflecting relationship with the flow path to deflect particles from a fluid stream in the flow path into or toward the particle collection zone.

Abstract: Migration of radioactive materials from a pressure vessel to a steam system in a nuclear power plant is suppressed by using a dryer (3) provided with corrugated plates (22) having surfaces coated with an inorganic ion-exchange material stable under a condition in which high-temperature water exist, such as TiO2.

Abstract: A reactor coolant debris filter for insertion within a nuclear fuel assembly support.

Abstract: A process for selectively removing metal values which may include catalytic values from a mixture containing same, wherein a magnetic particle is contacted with a liquid solvent which selectively dissolves the metal values to absorb the liquid solvent onto the magnetic particle. Thereafter the solvent-containing magnetic particles are contacted with a mixture containing the heavy metal values to transfer metal values into the solvent carried by the magnetic particles, and then magnetically separating the magnetic particles. Ion exchange resins may be used for selective solvents.

Abstract: Actinides metals are recovered from spent nuclear fuel oxides containing fission products by a pyrochemical process. The process comprises, in part, electrorefining the metal complex from an anode by electrolytically oxidizing actinides into a salt and then electrodepositing actinides onto a cathode to form an actinide metal deposit. The actinide metal deposit is then melted to separate the salts and the actinide metals. The separated salt is recycled into an electrorefiner and the actinide metals are recovered and then transferred to a fuel fabrication system.

Abstract: A debris screen for a fuel assembly for a reactor to which coolant fluid is supplied comprises a substantially planar plate member having an array of coollant openings extending through the plate member dimensioned to trap at least a portion of debris particles carried by the coolant; and a skirt member enclosing the periphery of the plate member; each of the coolant flow openings having a coolant entry region at a lower surface, a coolant exit region at an upper surface and a coolant flow path extending between the entry and exit regions, the flow path including an intermediate segment laterally offset from the entry and exit regions to cause coolant to change direction of flow in the intermediate segment and thereby prevent at least a portion of the debris particles from passing through the plate members.

Abstract: The coolant is circulated thorugh the core of the reactor by a pump between a higher-pressure plenum and a lower-pressure plenum. The impurities are removed by a cold trap between the higher-pressure plenum and the lower-pressure plenum. The trap is an integrated unit including an inner tube and an outer tube defining between them an annulus which contains packing. The outer surface of the outer tube is cooled to a temperature such that the impurities are precipitated from the coolant. Since the packing is coldest on the outside, the precipitation progresses axially upstream to downstream and radially inwardly. The precipitation in the outer part of the annulus insulates the inner part of the annulus thermally so that the reduction of the temperature of the coolant to saturation level in the inner part is delayed precluding premature blocking of the cold trap. The cooled coolant in the annulus also precools the coolant flowing in through the inner tube.

Abstract: Colloidal corrosion products which are referred to as crud are removed from nuclear reactor coolant streams by suspending zirconium oxide particles in the coolant stream. The crud will be attracted to the surfaces of the zirconia particles and caused to agglomerate thereon. Such zirconia/crud agglomerates may be readily filtered from the coolant. By providing scavenger particles which comprise active areas of zirconia on basically magnetite particles, after the crud is agglomerated to the active zirconia surfaces, the agglomerates may be removed from the coolant utilizing magnetic separation principles.

Abstract: A cartridge for the permanent storage and disposal of radioactive particulate waste composed of a liquid impervious casing enclosing a waste storage region provided with a ferromagnetic matrix made of steel wool, together with inlet and outlet conduits suitably associated with the waste storage region to enable a liquid containing such waste material to be conducted through the matrix while the particulate waste is adhered thereto under the influence of a magnetic field and the remaining liquid filtrate is expelled from the cartridge, and to then permit an encapsulating material, such as a resin-catalyst mixture, to be introduced into the waste storage region to completely fill that region.

Abstract: In the detection of failed fuel in liquid metal cooled nuclear reactors, a helical annular linear induction pump (5,6) electromagnetically pumps coolant in sampling pipes (4) from fuel sub-assemblies of the reactor core to a selector mechanism (9,10) which collects, in turn, the discharge from each sampling pipe (4) for supply to equipment for monitoring for the presence in the coolant of products indicative of fuel failure. The selector mechanism collects the discharge without contacting the sampling pipes (4) and the same pump (5,6) is employed to pump the selected samples via pipe 11 to the monitoring equipment. This pump may also serve to pump a proportion of the bulked sample from the non-selected sampling pipes after discharge into a vessel (7), the bulked sample being conducted through the pump via pipes (13).

Abstract: A steam generator recirculating system for use with the secondary coolant of the steam generators of a pressurized water nuclear reactor is comprised of two separate recirculation loops. Each loop contains a common discharge line into which a secondary coolant discharge line and blowdown discharge line from at least one steam generator feeds. The common discharge line contains a recirculating pump and a heat exchanger, with bypasses provided about each. The common discharge lines discharge into branch feedlines back to the steam generators. The system may also be used as a blowdown system leading to a steam generator blowdown processing system and may include a water purification means and used to purify the secondary coolant water. Cross-connecting lines are provided to permit optional use of a particular loop with various steam generators.

Abstract: A high gradient magnetic filter is enhanced by the electrophoretic effect whereby the range of effectiveness of the conventional high gradient magnetic filter for collecting suspended magnetic solid particles from liquid streams, such as power plant coolant streams, is extended to collect suspended magnetic solid particles of submicron size as well as particulates not susceptible to a magnetic field gradient. A conventional high gradient magnetic filter is connected into a pipeline, through which a liquid stream containing the suspended solid particles to be removed is flowing, so that the filter is electrically insulated from the remainder of the pipeline, and a potential is applied to the filter to polarize same relative to the pipeline with a polarity which is opposite the polarity of the charged particles in the stream which are to be collected.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for purifying a liquid which contains magnetic solid particles therein, includes a system for feeding the liquid to a container of an electromagnetic filter including a matrix disposed inside the container and a coil disposed so as to encompass the outer circumference of the container and generating a line of magnetic force to magnetize the matrix when a current is applied thereto. The coil is cooled by diverting the purified liquid from a downstream side of the matrix.