An exothermic transmutation method for at least partially deactivating radioactive material, the method comprising the steps of: —Arranging a dusty compound comprising at least a transition metal in a chamber (7) of a reactor (1) outside a closed container; —Arranging the radioactive material in said chamber (7), the radioactive material being and staying encapsulated in said closed container; —Providing hydrogen in contact with the dusty compound and with the radioactive material at a pressure higher than the ambient pressure; —Generating an electric field in the chamber (7), the electric field being applied to the dusty compound and the radioactive material; —Energizing the dusty compound by heating, then generating a transmutation of said at least one transition metal into another transition metal and proton emission towards the radioactive material, said radioactive material being at least partially deactivated, —Removing thermal energy from the reactor (1).

A system and method for drying cavities containing spent nuclear fuel is devised. The invention utilizes a non-intrusive procedure that is based on monitoring the dew point temperature of a non-reactive gas that is circulated through the cavity. In one aspect, the invention is a system for drying a cavity loaded with spent nuclear fuel comprising: a canister forming the cavity, the cavity having an inlet and an outlet; a source of non-reactive gas; means for flowing the non-reactive gas from the source of non-reactive gas through the cavity; and means for repetitively measuring the dew point temperature of the non-reactive gas exiting the cavity.

A system and method for drying cavities containing spent nuclear fuel is devised. The invention utilizes a non-intrusive procedure that is based on monitoring the dew point temperature of a non-reactive gas that is circulated through the cavity. In one aspect, the invention is a system for drying a cavity loaded with spent nuclear fuel comprising: a canister forming the cavity, the cavity having an inlet and an outlet; a source of non-reactive gas; means for flowing the non-reactive gas from the source of non-reactive gas through the cavity; and means for repetitively measuring the dew point temperature of the non-reactive gas exiting the cavity.

Apparatus and method for drying spent nuclear fuel loaded in a cavity of a canister. A non-reactive gas discharged from the canister is selectively circulated through one of a contaminated circulation system and a non-contaminated circulation system according to a measured radiation dose rate.

A method of decontaminating an object removed from a nuclear power plant utilizing a decontamination system is disclosed. The decontamination system includes a platform, an imaging system, a robotic arm including an end effector configured to discharge a decontamination medium, and a control system operably coupled to the imaging system and the robotic arm. The method includes placing the object on the platform, scanning, by the imaging system, the object, generating, by the control system, a three-dimensional model of the object based on the scanned object, planning, by the control system, a decontamination path based on the generated three-dimensional model, controlling, by the control system, a position of the robotic arm according to the planned decontamination path, and discharging, by the end effector, the decontamination medium onto the object at a plurality of positions along the planned decontamination path.

In a submersible ultrasonic cleaning system for use in highly radioactive environments (e.g., cleaning radiated nuclear fuel assemblies), a bond between energy producing transducers and an radiating wall is strengthened with a polyurethane adhesive such as Permabond PT326, or 3M DP-190 adhesive. In various diagnostic tests, one or more of the transducers are operated in an energy-transmitting mode while one or more other transducers are operated in an energy-detecting mode to detect a weakened transducer/wall bond and/or acoustic conditions of the working fluid.

In a submersible ultrasonic cleaning system for use in highly radioactive environments (e.g., cleaning radiated nuclear fuel assemblies), a bond between energy producing transducers and an radiating wall is strengthened with a polyurethane adhesive such as Permabond PT326, or 3M DP-190 adhesive. In various diagnostic tests, one or more of the transducers are operated in an energy-transmitting mode while one or more other transducers are operated in an energy-detecting mode to detect a weakened transducer/wall bond and/or acoustic conditions of the working fluid.

A method for decommissioning a nuclear facility includes: floating the nuclear reactor pressure vessel above the cavity; rotating the reactor pressure vessel so that the upper portion of the nuclear reactor pressure vessel is closer to the bio-protective concrete than the lower portion; mounting the upper portion of the nuclear reactor pressure vessel on the neighboring upper surface of the bio-protective concrete; and cutting and decommissioning the nuclear reactor pressure vessel mounted on the neighboring upper surface.

Steel and/or copper spherical capsules are specifically engineered and manufactured for housing uranium waste products. The uranium waste products are placed within the spherical capsules. Human-made cavern(s) and/or substantially lateral wellbore(s) are constructed for receiving the uranium waste containing spherical capsules. The human-made cavern(s) and/or the substantially lateral wellbore(s) are deeply located in specific types of geologic rock formations thousands of feet below the Earth's surface. These uranium waste containing spherical capsules are loaded from the Earth's surface into the human-made cavern(s) and/or into the substantially lateral wellbore(s). The emplaced spherical capsules are surrounded by an immersive protective medium within the given human-made cavern(s) and/or within the substantially lateral wellbore(s). The given human-made cavern(s) and/or the given substantially lateral wellbore(s), with the uranium waste containing spherical capsules, are sealed off.

Techniques for storing hazardous material include moving a storage canister sized to enclose radioactive hazardous material through an entry of a drillhole that extends into a terranean surface and is at least proximate the terranean surface; moving the storage canister from the entry through an angled drillhole portion that is coupled to the entry and deviates from true vertical at an angle; moving the storage canister from the angled drillhole portion to a hazardous material storage drillhole portion coupled to the angled drillhole portion; moving the storage canister into the hazardous material storage drillhole portion; and forming a seal in the drillhole that isolates the hazardous material storage portion of the drillhole from the entry of the drillhole.