United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority

British Nuclear Fuels Plc

John A Williams

Alfred L Mills

James H Watson

William Batey

Colin M Leslie

John Reekie

A method and apparatus for separating particles suspended in a liquid from the liquid. A flow of the liquid is passed through a filter bed of ferromagnetic bodies which acts as a coarse filter to trap the larger particles in the flow. The filter bed is arranged within a truncated cone between the poles of an electromagnet. To cleanse the bed and flush out the trapped particles a wash liquid is passed through the bed and the electromagnet is energized to levitate the bed to thereby allow the wash liquid to remove the particles. The liquid flow from the coarse filter can be passed to a high gradient magnetic separator at which remaining small particles in the flow are filtered magnetically.

Separating particles from a liquid

Radioactive liquids are stored in coils placed in tanks containing circulating cooling medium. The liquid in the coil is circulated by a fluidic pump. In the event of a failure in the pumps circulating the cooling medium the decay heat will cause the cooling medium to boil. A reflux condensor fitted to the tank prevents loss of cooling medium during such periods of pump malfunction.

Storage of radioactive liquids

Irradiated nuclear fuel is separated from the protective metal sheath in which it is enclosed by treating the sheath with an embrittling agent which effects embrittlement of the sheath, breaking up the sheath and separating the nuclear fuel material from the embrittled and broken-up sheath.

Recovery of nuclear fuel material

Irradiated nuclear fuel is dissolved in nitric acid under a carbon dioxide atmosphere which is treated to remove iodine, krypton and xenon and recycled.

Processing of irradiated nuclear fuel

In a chemical plant the atmosphere under which a chemical process is performed is contained and continuously circulated by the driving force obtained by the alternate condensation and evaporation of a part of the atmosphere.

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Warrington, United Kingdom

John A Williams