An autonomous self-powered system for cooling radioactive materials comprising: a pool of liquid; a closed-loop fluid circuit comprising a working fluid having a boiling temperature that is less than a boiling temperature of the liquid of the pool, the closed-loop fluid circuit comprising, in operable fluid coupling, an evaporative heat exchanger at least partially immersed in the liquid of the pool, a turbogenerator, and a condenser; one or more forced flow units operably coupled to the closed-loop fluid circuit to induce flow of the working fluid through the closed-loop fluid circuit; and the closed-loop fluid circuit converting thermal energy extracted from the liquid of the pool into electrical energy in accordance with the Rankine Cycle, the electrical energy powering the one or more forced flow units.

A nuclear facility has a fuel pool containing a liquid and an associated cooling circuit for a circulating cooling agent. The cooling circuit contains a cooling module with a first heat exchanger which immerges into the liquid, a second heat exchanger which is located outside the fuel pool, and connecting lines between the first exchanger and the second heat exchanger. In order to provide for reliable cooling even if a filling level drops, the cooling module contains a lifting body and floats in the liquid such that its altitude varies with the filling level of the liquid in the fuel pool.

A nuclear facility has a fuel pool containing a liquid and an associated cooling circuit for a circulating cooling agent. The cooling circuit contains a cooling module with a first heat exchanger which immerges into the liquid, a second heat exchanger which is located outside the fuel pool, and connecting lines between the first exchanger and the second heat exchanger. In order to provide for reliable cooling even if a filling level drops, the cooling module contains a lifting body and floats in the liquid such that its altitude varies with the filling level of the liquid in the fuel pool.

A method of loading fuel in multiple reactor cores associated with a plurality of fuel cycles. The method includes, in a first fuel cycle, loading a first reactor core with a first fuel assembly selected from a first batch of fuel, loading the first reactor core with a first partially spent fuel assembly from a second batch of fuel, loading a second reactor core with a second fuel assembly from the first batch of fuel, and loading the second reactor core with a second partially spent fuel assembly from the second batch of fuel. In a second fuel cycle, which is performed after a completion of the first fuel cycle, the method includes loading the second reactor core with a fresh fuel assembly, and loading the second reactor core with the first fuel assembly from the first batch of fuel.

A method of loading fuel in multiple reactor cores associated with a plurality of fuel cycles. The method includes, in a first fuel cycle, loading a first reactor core with a first fuel assembly selected from a first batch of fuel, loading the first reactor core with a first partially spent fuel assembly from a second batch of fuel, loading a second reactor core with a second fuel assembly from the first batch of fuel, and loading the second reactor core with a second partially spent fuel assembly from the second batch of fuel. In a second fuel cycle, which is performed after a completion of the first fuel cycle, the method includes loading the second reactor core with a fresh fuel assembly, and loading the second reactor core with the first fuel assembly from the first batch of fuel.

Various embodiments of a decay heat conversion to electricity system and related methods are disclosed. According to one exemplary embodiment, a decay heat conversion to electricity system may include a spent fuel rack configured to pressurize spent fuel bundles to obtain superheated vapor to drive a turbine-driven pump and fast alternator all submerged with the spent fuel rack and positioned at the bottom of the spent fuel pool for conversion of electricity distributed outside of the spent fuel pool via cables without impairing spent fuel pool operations.

Various embodiments of a decay heat conversion to electricity system and related methods are disclosed. According to one exemplary embodiment, a decay heat conversion to electricity system may include a spent fuel rack configured to pressurize spent fuel bundles to obtain superheated vapor to drive a turbine-driven pump and fast alternator all submerged with the spent fuel rack and positioned at the bottom of the spent fuel pool for conversion of electricity distributed outside of the spent fuel pool via cables without impairing spent fuel pool operations.

A component cooling water system for a nuclear power plant. In one embodiment, the system includes an inner containment vessel housing a nuclear reactor and an outer containment enclosure structure. An annular water reservoir is formed between the containment vessel and containment enclosure structure which provides a heat sink for dissipating thermal energy. A shell-less heat exchanger is provided having an exposed tube bundle immersed in water held within the annular water reservoir. Component cooling water from the plant flows through the tube bundle and is cooled by transferring heat to the annular water reservoir. In one non-limiting embodiment, the tube bundle may be U-shaped.

Described herein, are methods for providing a protective coating to a storage container for storing nuclear material, the method comprising depositing nickel particles on at least one surface of the substrate to produce the protective coating, wherein the nickel particles are deposited by cold spraying a composition comprising nickel particles and a carrier gas comprising nitrogen. In one aspect, the carrier gas consists essentially or consists only of nitrogen. The methods do not require pretreatment or modification of the nickel particles prior to cold spraying, which makes the methods described herein economically practical. The coatings produced by the methods described herein possess several advantageous properties including, but not limited to, high adhesion strength to the storage system and low porosity. The coatings produced by the methods described herein are effective against chemical attack such as, for example, CISCC.

The invention relates to a nuclear facility pool cleaning device having a floating platform, capable of floating in water, having buoyancy bodies; a drive device for displacing the floating platform on the surface of a water-filled nuclear facility pool to be cleaned; a winching device connected to the floating platform; a pump which is winchable vertically by the winching device and has a vacuum hose, connected thereto at its first end, for cleaning the bottom of the nuclear facility pool; a remote control device for remotely operating at least the drive device and the winching device; an optional stationary external storage tank; and wherein the second end of the vacuum hose preferably leads at least indirectly into the stationary external storage tank.