Patent Number: 052971821
Section: abstract

A method of decommissioning a nuclear reactor is provided in which radiation exposure is minimized. The method includes the steps of encapsulating portions of the reactor vessel and reactor internals into a solid reactor capsule and then converting this reactor capsule into a plurality of decommissioned segments. The encapsulating step preferably includes the step of forming a matrix within the chamber which integrally attaches to the vessel and integrally embeds the reactor internals to create a solid reactor capsule. Such a reactor capsule has an outer shell which is formed from the vessel and which substantially encases the matrix and thus the reactor internals. More particularly, this encapsulating is preferably accomplished by providing a fluidized matrix-creating material, preferably concrete, which may be predictably solidified and which functions as a radioactive shield in its solid state. The conversion of the reactor capsule is preferably accomplished by cutting the reactor capsule into transportable-size segments and then encasing these transportable-size segments.