Patent ID: 6233298
Filing Date: 2001-05-15
Classification: G21C,G21G,Y02E

Abstract:
A subcritical reactor apparatus, said apparatus comprising:a vessel, said vessel comprising a shell and an internal volume;graphite, said internal volume housing said graphite;means for introducing neutrons into said internal volume;a fluid medium comprising molten salts and at least one member selected from the group consisting of plutonium and minor actinide waste and fission products wherein absorption of the neutrons in said fluid medium after thermalization forms a processed fluid medium through a plurality of fission chains comprising chains averaging approximately 10 fission events to approximately 100 fission events and wherein said fluid medium is introduced and said processed medium is removed from said internal volume at rates sufficient to maintain a substantially isotopic equilibrium in said processed fluid medium in said internal volume; andwherein said apparatus excludes a back-end chemistry process for chemical separations of fission products or other species.