ADDITION INTO THE FUEL MIXTURE OF NUCLEAR FUEL FOR NUCLEAR REACTORS

Abstract

In one form, during the production of electrical energy from a stable uranium isotope by means of a fission chain reaction, extra neutrons are formed that can be used, in addition to electricity production, to also convert certain elements to other elements, specifically of some selected stable isotopes of particular elements to stable isotopes of other elements.

Neutron sources are used in the production of electrical energy in nuclear reactors, which are currently considered to be nuclear waste (they are absorbed in control rods in reactors and considered to be undesirable parts, that could start an uncontrolled fission reaction), or they are used to produce militarily sensitive fissionable plutonium, the commercial use of which is not allowed at present due to possible military abuse.

Claims

1-10. (canceled)

11. A uranium nuclear fuel mixture, comprising an admixture including one or more of cadmium isotopes .sub.48.sup.106Cd and .sub.48.sup.108Cd and mercury isotope .sub.80.sup.196Hg.

12. A method, comprising adding cadmium isotopes .sub.48.sup.106Cd and .sub.48.sup.108Cd as an admixture to a uranium nuclear fuel mixture in one or more nuclear reactors to obtain silver isotopes .sub.47.sup.107Ag and .sub.79.sup.109Ag.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more nuclear reactors have a power of 1 GW.

14. A method, comprising adding a mercury isotope .sub.80.sup.196Hg as an admixture to a uranium nuclear fuel mixture in one or more nuclear reactors to obtain a gold isotope .sub.79.sup.197Au.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the one or more nuclear reactors have a power of 1 GW.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] The deficiencies and disadvantages mentioned above are essentially eliminated through the proposed addition into the fuel mixture of the nuclear fuel into nuclear reactors according to the invention, the essence of which is that the admixture is added into or the nuclear fuel and consists of stable cadmium isotopes, specifically of .sub.48.sup.106Cd, .sub.48.sup.108Cd isotopes, where transformation of these natural stable isotopes of cadmium into stable silver isotopes occurs, specifically .sub.47.sup.107Ag, .sub.47.sup.109Ag by neutrons resulting from the fission chain reaction of the original nuclear uranium fuel component consisting of the uranium isotope .sub.92.sup.235U and they partially replace the creation of plutonium for military use, specifically of the .sub.94.sup.239Pu isotope, while the created stable silver isotopes can be commercially used.

And/Or

[0014] The admixture into the fuel mixture of the nuclear fuel for nuclear reactors, consisting of a stable isotope of mercury, specifically of the stable natural .sub.80.sup.196Hg isotope, where there is a nuclear transformation to a stable gold isotope, specifically .sub.79.sup.197Au, by neutrons originating during the fission chain reaction of the original component of the nuclear uranium fuel from the uranium isotope .sub.92.sup.235U and they partially replace the formation of plutonium for military use, particularly .sub.94.sup.239Pu isotope, whereby the stable gold isotope produced can be commercially used.

[0015] At present, most neutrons are captured in the reactor control rods, where they are absorbed, alternatively a fraction f the neutrons is used to produce the plutonium isotope, .sub.94.sup.239Pu isotope, which can be used again to produce electricity, similar to the uranium isotope .sub.92.sup.235U, and also for the production of an atomic bomb, and this is a process undesirable in the peaceful use of nuclear power. We can say that in addition to producing the plutonium isotope, most neutrons are not used and are without economic effect, and the sale of plutonium is not possible due to possible military use.

[0016] The advantage of the invention consists in the fact that the neutrons generated during the fission nuclear reaction from the uranium isotope .sub.92.sup.235U will be utilized more efficiently from both a technical and economic standpoint (according equation [1]).

Proposal of the Fuel Mixture for Use in a Nuclear Fission Reactor

[0017] According to the technical features of the invention the admixture added into the fuel mixture of the uranium nuclear fuel used at present, which consists of uranium isotopes, particularly .sub.92.sup.235U+.sub.92.sup.238U, found in a naturally harvested uranium ore, with the natural occurrence of isotopes being .sub.92.sup.235U—0.72% and .sub.92.sup.238U—99.274% from the total natural uranium, with this ore being enriched to a higher concentration of the fissile isotope of uranium .sub.92.sup.235U to a percentage value of 2.5% to 3%, and sometimes even to 5% of the total uranium mixture.

[0018] The advantage of the invention is that the neutrons generated during the fission nuclear reaction from the uranium isotope .sub.92.sup.235U (under the equation [1]) are better utilized technically and economically.

[0019] Here the possibility of usage is caused by the fact that neutron sources generated during the production of electricity in a nuclear reactor are not being used sufficiently (except for the production of fissionable .sub.94.sup.239Pu for military use).

[0020] The invention offers a new composition of the mixture of nuclear fuel:

[0021] The current mixture of nuclear fuel+admixture consisting of: [0022] Two natural cadmium isotopes, specifically: .sub.48.sup.106Cd and .sub.48.sup.108Cd that are converted after the addition of one neutron into unstable cadmium isotopes: .sub.48.sup.107Cd and .sub.48.sup.109Cd. These two unstable isotopes are changed in a nuclear transformation after an electron gets emitted (beta minus radiations) into two stable isotopes of silver .sub.47.sup.107Ag and .sub.47.sup.109Ag under the equation [3]:

.sub.48.sup.106Cd+.sub.0.sup.1n.fwdarw..sub.48.sup.107Cd

.sub.48.sup.108Cd++.sub.0.sup.1n.fwdarw..sub.48.sup.109Cd

.sub.48.sup.107Cd.fwdarw..sub.47.sup.107Ag +.sub.−1.sup.0e with a half-life of 6.5 hours

.sub.48.sup.109Cd.fwdarw..sub.47.sup.109Ag +.sub.−1.sup.0e with a half-life of 461 days  The Equation [3]: [0023] From a stable natural mercury isotope, specifically .sub.80.sup.196Hg, which gets converted after the addition of one neutron into an unstable mercury isotope .sub.80.sup.197Hg, which then gets converted in a nuclear transformation after the irradiation of an electron (beta minus radiation) into a stable gold isotope .sub.79.sup.197Au. These reactions are carried out according to the equation [4]:

.sub.80.sup.196Hg+.sub.0.sup.1n.fwdarw..sub.80.sup.197Hg

.sub.80.sup.197Hg.fwdarw..sub.79.sup.197Ag+β.sup.−  The Equation [4]:

DESCRIPTION OF MINIMUM ONE EXAMPLE OF A PRACTICAL IMPLICATION OF THE INVENTION

Example No. 1

[0024] Cadmium isotopes are added to the currently used mixture of the uranium nuclear fuel used in nuclear reactors, specifically .sub.48.sup.106Cd and .sub.48.sup.108Cd, which are converted to two unstable cadmium isotopes .sub.48.sup.107Cd and .sub.48.sup.109Cd after the addition of two neutrons which are generated as a surplus during the fission reaction under the equation [1]. These two unstable cadmium isotopes are transformed into two stable silver isotopes .sub.47.sup.107Ag and .sub.47.sup.109Ag during the nuclear transformation, after electron irradiation (beta minus radiation) as described by the equation [3]:

.sub.48.sup.106Cd+.sub.0.sup.1n.fwdarw..sub.48.sup.107Cd

.sub.48.sup.108Cd++.sub.0.sup.1n.fwdarw..sub.48.sup.109Cd

.sub.48.sup.107Cd.fwdarw..sub.47.sup.107Ag +.sub.−1.sup.0e with a half-life of 6.5 hours

.sub.48.sup.109Cd.fwdarw..sub.47.sup.109Ag +.sub.−1.sup.0e with a half-life of 461 days  The Equation [3]:

[0025] Thus, the stable isotopes of silver, that are economically more valuable than the original cadmium isotopes, are generated in the nuclear reactor.

Example No. 2

[0026] Similarly to the currently used mixture of nuclear uranium fuel for nuclear reactors a mercury isotope is added, specifically .sub.80.sup.196Hg, which is converted into an unstable mercury isotope .sub.80.sup.197Hg after the addition of one neutron, and during the nuclear transformation this unstable mercury isotope will be transformed into an stable gold isotope .sub.79.sup.197Au, after an electron has been emitted (beta minus radiation). These reactions are carried out according to equation [4 ]:

.sub.80.sup.196Hg+.sub.0.sup.1n.fwdarw..sub.80.sup.197Hg

.sub.80.sup.197Hg.fwdarw..sub.79.sup.197Ag+β.sup.−  The Equation [4]:

[0027] This way a stable gold isotope is generated in the nuclear reactor, and it is economically more valuable than the original mercury isotope.

[0028] Practically, this invention can be used in all active atomic reactors, the installed performance of which represents an equivalent of 370 units of 1 GW reactors. By this invention it would be possible to produce an additional 1480 t of gold annually, which is only by the annual mining of natural mercury in amount of 3600 tons, from which 5 tonnes of .sub.80.sup.196Hg isotope can be obtained. From this isotope, through the action of neutrons, it is able to produce approximately the same amount of the stable gold isotope .sub.79.sup.197Au.