Patent ID: 7638026
Filing Date: 2009-12-29
Classification: C25C

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for treating spent nuclear fuel by a single step process comprising: a primary container capable of holding and maintaining LiCl or LiCl in combination with KCl and UCl a primary molten bath of LiCl or LiCl in combination with KCl and UCl a second container which is porous to uranium chloride and which is smaller than said primary container and which contains a plurality of spent nuclear fuel pellets or rods and where said second container is immersed in said primary molten bath and where said spent nuclear fuel is covered by a second molten bath having essentially the same composition as said primary molten bath; a porous barrier which encloses said second container and where a plurality of pores in said porous barrier are sized to allow for the passage of specific ions; a guard cathode which encloses said porous barrier; an anode which is positioned in said second container so that a first end of the anode is in the second molten bath and a second end is exposed above a surface of said second molten bath; a primary cathode which has a first end of positioned in said primary molten bath and a second end which is external to said primary molten bath and where said primary cathode is electrically coupled to said anode through a primary power source; a secondary cathode which is electrically attached to a portion of said guard cathode at a point which is external to said primary molten bath and which is electrically coupled to said anode through a secondary power source.