Compositions – Radioactive compositions – Nuclear reactor fuel
Patent
1984-02-08
1987-10-20
Kyle, Deborah L.
Compositions
Radioactive compositions
Nuclear reactor fuel
376261, 376272, 405128, 521696, G21F 924
Patent
active
047012803
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention provides for a procedure of permanently storing radioactive material in a rock chamber, and particularly for the permanent storage of used nuclear fuel from nuclear reactors and such radioactive waste as is formed by the production of used nuclear fuel (NAGIVA permanent storage).
Used nuclear fuel contains uranium, plutonium and fission-products, of which the uranium and the plutonium can be reprocessed and reused as fuel. However, it is not possible today to regain all the uranium and the plutonium, and during reprocessing, waste is formed, which contains, a large number of fission products, small amounts of uranium and plutonium and other transuranic elements. Most of the waste products are extremely radioactive.
Since strong radioactive radiation is dangerous to living organisms, it is necessary for the highly active waste to be stored away from such organisms for an extremely long time.
It has been suggested that the highly acitve waste be permanently stored under ground, at great depth under primary rock. Such a method of storage would bring about an effective protection from radioactive radiation. However, primary rock normally contains cracks and cavities and often also aquifers. The rock can also be subjected to deformations, for example from earthquakes. With this method of storage, therefore, there is a risk that such deformations of the bedrock can cause the waste containers stored in the rock to break open. Furthermore, there is the risk that the water in the subterranean streams will come into contact with the radioactive waste, which will then be able to spread without control. The radioactive decay also produces heat, causing convection currents in the subterranean streams.
In order to reduce the above-mentioned risks, a further method has been suggested in which the radioactive material is stored in a hollow body of solid material, which is placed in a hollow space inside a rock chamber. Such chamber has larger dimensions than the hollow body and the space between the outer casing of the body and the open space is filled with a plastic-deformable material. This space is in turn surrounded by a further, outer spacing surrounding the first space on all sides; this space must likewise be filled with a plastic-deformable material. The plastic material must have low permeability for water and must not split when deformed. The encapsulated material is stored freely within the hollow body for insertion and removal of the material and there are inspection-holes in the body for monitoring. However, this construction does not provides an effective permanent method of storage for all time, and, with its provision of several inspection shafts and the storage of material capsules lying freely inside the body, it can hardly be considered to fulfil the requirements for permanent storage, i.e. a period of thousands of years. This method would require considerable expense, both for construction and inspection.
The present invention, the characteristics of which are described in the patent claims, provides a method for permanent storage of radioactive material, which is both safe and requires no maintenance but which can, if so desired, be continuously inspected and allows any faults to be rectified.
The invention will be described in greater detail in connection with an embodiment, with reference to the drawing, in which
FIG. 1 shows a vertical section of a construction for carrying out the process and
FIG. 2 shows the construction seen in a vertical section at right angles to the section of FIG. 1.
In the rock 1 there is incorporated a hollow space 2, which is connected to the surface (not shown) via a lift-shaft 3. The lift shaft 3 has one or more levels (one is shown in the drawing). Inside the hollow space 2 there is a hollow construction 4, the outside of which, with a space in between, is completely separated from the walls, ceiling and floor of the hollow space. Construction 4 consists of a permanent material impervious to water, and the interstice or the outer space between the walls o
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Kyle Deborah L.
Wasil Daniel
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