Patent: A hybrid fusion fast fission reactor

Abstract A hybrid nuclear fusion fast fission reactor is disclosed. The hybrid reactor may include an electrolyte solution comprised of PdCI2 a conductive salt and D2O, an anode of a noble metal, a cathode consisting of a conductive high Z (atomic number greater than 46) material wound around a deuteride-forming actinide nuclear fuel element, a power source providing constant current to the + anode and the - cathode, an applied power profile for fabricating the PdD nanoalloy, and a co-deposition of a PdD nanoalloy on to the high Z cathode winding as well as the nuclear fuel element. A preferred embodiment stablizes the actinide deuteride nuclear fuel element from hydrogen isotope de-loading. A preferred embodiment initiates deuterium-deuterium fusion in the deuterized fuel element and fissioning deuterized fuel element actinides. A preferred embodiment includes surrounding spent nuclear fuel elements with deuteride nuclear fuel elements that will fast fission the spent fuel elements. Another preferred embodiment includes surrounding the deuteride nuclear fuel elements with spent fuel elements as fast neutron reflectors that will also fission.

Classifications G21B1/01 Hybrid fission-fusion nuclear reactors View 1 more classifications WO2009108331A2 WIPO (PCT)

Cross Reference to Related Applications The present application claims priority on and to US provisional patent application number 61/066959, entitled "A Process for A Nuclear Fission Reactor", filed on February 25, 2008 by Lawrence Forsley

Field of Invention This invention relates generally to the field of nuclear energy and more specifically to a hybrid fusion fast fission nuclear reactor.

Background of the Invention [001] Conventional nuclear fission reactors "burn" 235U through thermal neutron fission chain reactions as first taught by Fermi and Sziliard in US Patent 2,708,656 which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. In addition, they breed fissile 239Pu from neutron capture on fertile 238U and subsequent β decays of 239Np to 239Pu. Both 235U and 239Pu will sustain a fission chain reaction after the fission neutrons are slowed, or moderated. However, the most common uranium, 238U, and thorium, 232Th, isotopes, will not sustain a chain reaction primarily due to their high neutron absorption cross- section as compared to their fission cross-sections.

However, in order to fission 235U and 239Pu, the 1 MeV fission neutron energy must be moderated to .025 eV, where, for example, the 235U fission cross section at 1 MeV is approximately 1 barn but increases to 580 barns for a moderated thermal neutron at .025 eV. [002] One MeV fast fission neutrons are moderated to thermal energies typically using either light or heavy water (CANDU reactor).

Fast fission reactors also depend upon a fissile chain reaction, but they require higher ratios of fissile fuel than light water reactors, because there is no moderator. They can breed fissile fuel from fertile actinides using the increased fission neutron flux while the fast neutrons will fission both fissile and fertile nuclei, but with greatly reduced efficiency due to the, 500 times smaller fission cross-sections.

The neutron fission cross-section, coupled with the neutron absorption cross-section and neutron energy cross-section dependencies are the driving factors in designing and controlling any fission reactor dependent upon a chain reaction in fissile material. [003] Water, graphite and other low atomic number materials have been used as neutron moderators, where the lower the atomic number the fewer the number of neutron scatterings required to thermalize, or moderate, the fission neutron kinetic energy. Hydrogen, being a single proton, has nearly the same mass as a neutron, making it the best moderator.

Deuterium, having a proton and a neutron but twice the mass of a neutron, is nearly as good. [004] Titanium, scandium, uranium and other metal hydrides are routinely used to store hydrogen isotopes since they form hydrides ranging from TiH^ to Th4Hi5. Uranium will readily take up hydrogen isotopes at standard temperature and pressure (STP) and the hydrided form, UH3 will easily dissociate and free the hydrogen isotopes at modest temperatures (4000C).

However, these gas loaded, hydrided forms are at comparatively low hydrogen isotope concentrations as compared to what one skilled in the art can accomplish using electrolytically loaded metal hydrides as taught by Tripodi in US Patent Number 7,033,568 ['568] which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. [005]

Besides the use of graphite, light water or heavy water to moderate neutrons one method incorporates hydrogen into the fuel rod as a hydride as taught by Simnod in US Patent Number 3,154,845 which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. This is the basis for the General Atomic TRIGA reactor. These reactors are safer than conventional light water moderated reactors due to the negative temperature coefficient of the in situ neutron moderator.

More recently, Peterson filed US Patent Application number 20080069289 which is incorporated by reference in its entirety for the Hyperion safe reactor using a uranium, thorium or mixed fuel reactor with hydrided actinide fuel elements that rely upon the positive temperature dependence of hydride dissociation giving rise to a negative moderation coefficient.

Consideration was also given to incorporating a hydrogen-deuterium gas mixture to tune the reactor neutron moderation coefficient. [006] Consequently, there is considerable experience with hydrided actinide fuel rods. Indeed, conventional light water reactors even avoid fuel hydriding because the fuel rod swells, damaging the cladding unless precautions are taken, as described by Simond. [007]

Conventional fission reactors, whether moderated with light water, heavy water, graphite or other material depend upon a sustained chain reaction in fissile material via moderated fission neutrons. Even fast fission reactors, without a moderator, rely upon a fissile actinide chain reaction. The method taught herein removes the neutron energy fission dependency, the need for a chain reaction and the need for fissile fuel. [008]

An alternative reactor design uses fertile fuel, 232Th, to breed fissile fuel, 233U, through neutron capture. However, this breeder reactor requires a source of neutrons. One method is to surround a fissile core, or "pin" with fertile fuel elements, and over time swap out the spent inner elements for the newly fissile outer elements. New fertile fuel can then be placed on the perimeter to breed fissile fuel by neutron capture.

Other reactor designs have been modified specifically to burn spent fuel, such as the CANDU and fast fission reactors. However, all of these reactors depend upon fission neutrons that are too fast to efficiently fission fissile material without moderation, and to slow to efficiently fission fertile material.

[009] Alternatively, an external source of very fast neutrons can be used such as from a laser fusion reactor (Slough, J. ."Suitability of Small Scale Linear Systems for a Fission- Fusion Reactor, Breeder, and Waste Transmutation", J. of Fusion Energy, 27:115-118. (2007)), a tokamak or an advanced accelerator. The first two employ either deuterium- deuterium or deuterium-tritium fusion to produce very fast neutrons at 2.45 MeV and 14.1 MeV, respectively.

The accelerator produces GeV protons that shatter lead nuclei in a "log" producing fast spallation neutrons. In each of these systems spent fuel or fertile fuel surrounds the neutron source that either fissions or breeds fissile fuel. However, none of these systems have been found to be economical, despite over 40 years of laser fusion, tokamak and advanced accelerators operations. [010]

Previously, Forsley and Patterson explored the electrolytic deuteriding of uranium and thorium (Forsley, "Electrocatalytic Reduction of Radioactivity in the Uranium Thorium System", Proceedings of the ICCF-VII Conference, (1997), Vancouver, Canada). Patterson was issued US Patent 5,672,259, "System with electrolytic cell and method for producing heat and reducing radioactivity of a radioactive material by electrolysis".

However, his electrolytically-d riven radioactive reduction may have with only diluted radioactivity within the fluidized bed system. [011] Recently, Boss (Boss, et al, "Triple Tracks in CR-39 as the result of Pd-D Co- deposition: evidence of energetic neutrons", Naturwissenschaften, (2009) VoI 96:135- 142) documented the production of deuterium-deuterium (2.45 MeV) and deuterium- tritium (14.1 MeV) fusion neutrons using palladium co-deposition on non-hydriding metals.

These energetic neutrons were observed and spectrally resolved using solid state detectors identical to those routinely used in the ICF (DoE lnertial Confinement Fusion program) experiments (Seguin, FH, et al. "Spectrometry of charged particles from inertial-confinement-fusion plasmas" Rev Sci Instrum. 74:975-995. (2003). [012]

Boss, et al, filed U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/919,190, on March 14, 2007, entitled "Method and Apparatus for Generating Particles", which is incorporated by reference in its entirety and Serial No. 11/859,499, ['499] "System and Method for Generating Particles", filed on September, 21 , 2007, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. Although that patent teaches a method to generate neutrons and describes in general terms their use, this embodiment teaches another means to fast fission a natural abundance uranium deuteride fuel element driven by DD primary and secondary fusion neutrons within said fuel element.

Consequently, a heavily deuterided actinide can be its own source of fast neutrons, with an average neutron kinetic energy greater than 2 MeV and greater than the actinide fission neutron energy. Such energetic neutrons are capable of fissioning both fertile and fissile material. There is no chain reaction. There is no concept of actinide criticality.

Purely fertile material, like 232Th or non-fertile isotopes, like 209Bi, may fission producing additional fast neutrons and energy up to 200 MeV/nucleon fissioned. [013] This results in considerable environmental, health physics, and economic savings by using either spent nuclear fuel, mixed oxide nuclear fuel, natural uranium or natural thorium to "stoke the fires of a nuclear furnace" and is the basis for our Green Nuclear Energy technology, or GNE (pronounced, "Genie").

GNE reactors may consume fertile or fissionable isotopes such as 232Th, 235U, 238U, 239Pu, 241Am, and 252Cf, and may consume fission wastes and activation products in situ without requiring fuel reprocessing. GNE reactors may consume spent fuel rods without either mechanical processing or chemical reprocessing.

In this regard, GNE reactor technology may be an improvement over proposed Generation IV fission reactor technologies (http://nuclear.enerqv.aov/aenlV/neGenlV1.htmh under development. GNE may: improve safety (no chain reaction), burn actinides (reduced waste) and provide compatibility with current heat exchanger technology (existing infrastructure).

By employing a novel, in situ, very fast neutron source, GNE constitutes a new Generation V hybrid reactor technology, combining aspects of Generation IV fast fission reactors, the DoE Advanced Accelerator reactor, and hybrid fusion/fission systems. It may eliminate the need for uranium enrichment and fuel reprocessing and, consequently, the opportunity for nuclear weapons proliferation through the diversion of fissile isotopes.

Advantages of the embodiment of the invention [014] It may be an advantage of one or more of the embodiments of the invention to provide a safer nuclear reactor.

[015] Another advantage of one or more of the embodiments may be to provide a nuclear reactor with an internal source of fast neutrons.

[016] Another advantage of one or more of the embodiments may be to provide a nuclear reactor that operates with fertile or fissile fuel.

[017] A further advantage of one or more of the embodiments may be to provide a nuclear reactor that consumes its own nuclear waste products. [018] A further advantage of one or more of the embodiments may be to provide a means to fission spent fuel rods. [019]

Yet another advantage of one or more of the embodiments may be to co- generate heat while consuming nuclear fission products and unspent nuclear fuel. [020]

Still yet another advantage of one or more of the embodiments may be to co- generate power from a conventional steam/water cycle [021]

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following descriptions, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein, by way of illustration and example, an embodiment of the present invention is disclosed. Summary of Invention

[022] In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is disclosed a means to fabricate a highly deuterided actinide fuel element by the electrolysis of a heavy water solution (D2O) consisting of PdCb and a conductive salt with a cylindrical anode of a noble metal, a cathode consisting of a conductive high Z (greater than atomic number 46) material that doesn't form a deuteride, wound around a less electrically conductive actinide metal fuel element, a power source providing constant current to the + anode and the - cathode, an applied power profile for fabricating a PdD nanoalloy, by the co-deposition of a PdD nano-alloy on to the high Z cathode winding and said fuel element resulting in nuclear fission of the said fuel element using fast neutrons produced within the PdD nano-alloy and primary and secondary deuterium- deuterium fusion reactions within said fuel element.

An alternative embodiment results in a heavily deuterided actinide fuel element that is electrolytically loaded and then sealed against isotopic hydrogen desorption, requiring no further electrolytic loading.

Said sealed loaded fuel element may then be pulsed by an external acoustic, thermal, radio-frequency or other source providing short duration impulses resulting in periodic actinide metal lattice deuteride loading excursions and consequent neutron generation. This embodiment may be operated independently of an electrolytic bath but with a thermal bath to remove the heat from said loaded fuel element fusion and fission processes.

[024] Either embodiment may be used in a conventional nuclear spent fuel pool with a plurality of said deuterided fuel elements surrounding one conventional spent nuclear fuel element in a ring or other other geometry, or a plurality of said spent fuel elements further surrounded by an outer perimeter of spent fuel elements acting as fast neutron reflectors causing there to be a higher percentage of fast neutrons at the center of the ring or similar geometry of a plurality of deuterided fuel elements .

Said inner spent fuel elements and outer perimeter spent fuel elements will undergo neutron capture and fission with the highest percentage of fission occurring in the center where the neutron flux and neutron energy is highest. The resulting fission heat can be used to co- generate heat in a conventional nuclear power plant where the spent fuel elements are stored.

The invention describes a hybrid nuclear fusion fast fission reactor in a vessel comprising an electrolyte solution comprised of PdCb a conductive salt and D2O; an anode of a conductive noble metal provided within said electrolyte solution; a cathode comprising a conductive high Z (atomic number greater than 46) material wound around a metallic actinide nuclear fuel element; a power source providing constant current to the + anode and the - cathode; an applied power profile for fabricating the PdD nano-alloy; and an electrolytically co-deposited PdD nano-alloy on to the high Z cathode winding and on said fuel element. The said cathode is wound around said fuel element and acts as a neutron generator.

Said cathode is comprised of a composition of the non-deuteriding series selected from the group consisting of platinum, gold, mercury, lead and bismuth.

The nuclear fuel element is electrolytically deuterided beyond the actinide-deuterium beta phase adapting it, by the electrolytic loading of deuterium, to provide lattice fluctuations which initiate primary and secondary deuterium-deuterium fusion reactions at sites in the actinide metal lattice producing fast neutrons.

These fast neutrons fission the actinides comprising said nuclear fuel element. [026]

A deuterided fuel element can be sealed with an amalgam of compounds to prevent isotopic hydrogen deloading through desorption. It further comprises an apparatus for pulsed control that produces acoustic, thermal, radiofrequency or other emanations attached to the deuterided fuel element that periodically enhances the local actinide-deuterium loading resulting in deuteron fluctuations.

These fluctuations produce primary and secondary deuterium-deuterium fusion reactions and neutrons. [027] These neutrons fission the actinides comprising said fuel element. A plurality of said deuterided fuel elements can be arranged to irradiate and fission a spent nuclear fuel element, or a plurality of nuclear spent fuel elements, with fast primary and secondary deuterium-deuterium fusion reaction neutrons.

A plurality of said spent nuclear fuel elements can be arranged around said deuterided fuel elements to act as fast neutron reflectors while also fissioning said spent fuel elements. A nuclear spent fuel pool comprised of a plurality of said spent fuel elements and deuterided fuel elements as with a method for removing heat generated by the primary and secondary deuterium-deuterium fusion reactions in said deuterided fuel elements and from fast neutron fission of said spent fuel elements.

21 posted on 07/09/2021 8:32:55 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegal aliens are put up in hotels.....................)

Typo alert

That article is about possible 3-body nuke FUSION at the Earth’s core.

"On a related subject, scientists now believe the Earth’s core heat comes from nuclear fission of radioactive elements..............."

Not fission, the article is actually talking about "lattice confinement fusion" (aka "cold fusion".

From the article abstract:

" Here we postulate that the generation of heat is the result of three-body nuclear fusion of deuterons confined in hexagonal FeDx core-centre crystals; the reaction rate is enhanced by the combined attraction effects of high-pressure (~364 GPa) and high-temperature (~5700 K) and by the physical catalysis of neutral pions: 2D + 2D + 2D → 21H + 4He + 2 + 20.85 MeV.

24 posted on 07/09/2021 9:29:56 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegal aliens are put up in hotels.....................)

True, it’s a patent app, not a granted patent AFAICT

Here's how you tell at a glance: Publication number ends with an "A" = application. Ends with a "B" = granted patent.

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