APPARATUSES AND METHODS FOR PRODUCTION OF RADIOISOTOPES IN NUCLEAR REACTOR INSTRUMENTATION TUBES

• Main Authors: SMITH, DAVID GREY, RUSSELL, WILLIAM EARL, II, STACHOWSKI, RUSSELL EDWARD, MONETTA, CHRISTOPHER J
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French
• Published: 02.08.2016
• Subjects: CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ELEMENTS; DECONTAMINATION ARRANGEMENTS THEREFOR; ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; GAMMA RAY OR X-RAY MICROSCOPES; IRRADIATION DEVICES; NUCLEAR ENGINEERING; NUCLEAR PHYSICS; NUCLEAR REACTORS; PHYSICS; PLASMA TECHNIQUE; PRODUCTION OF ACCELERATED ELECTRICALLY-CHARGED PARTICLES OR OFNEUTRONS; PRODUCTION OR ACCELERATION OF NEUTRAL MOLECULAR OR ATOMICBEAMS; PROTECTION AGAINST X-RADIATION, GAMMA RADIATION, CORPUSCULARRADIATION OR PARTICLE BOMBARDMENT; RADIOACTIVE SOURCES; TECHNIQUES FOR HANDLING PARTICLES OR IONISING RADIATION NOTOTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; TREATING RADIOACTIVELY CONTAMINATED MATERIAL

Example embodiments are directed to apparatuses and methods for producing radioisotopes in instrumentation tubes of operating commercial nuclear reactors. Irradiation targets may be inserted and removed from instrumentation tubes during operation and converted to radioisotopes otherwise unavailable from nuclear reactors. Example apparatuses may continuously insert, remove, and store irradiation targets to be converted to useable radioisotopes. Des modes de réalisation illustratifs visent des appareillages et des procédés de production de radio-isotopes dans des tubes dinstrumentation de réacteurs nucléaires commerciaux en fonction. Des cibles dirradiation peuvent être insérées et retirées des tubes dinstrumentation pendant le fonctionnement et converties en radio-isotopes autrement non disponibles de réacteurs nucléaires. Des exemples dappareillage peuvent insérer, retirer et stocker continuellement des cibles dirradiation à convertir en radio-isotopes utilisables.