Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A system for drying spent nuclear fuel in two phases, the system comprising:a canister defining a cavity configured for holding spent nuclear fuel elements;a gas circulation system comprising in fluid communication a condenser module and a gas circulator module;the gas circulation system fluidly connected to the cavity of the canister and configured to form a hermetically sealed closed-loop flow path with the canister, the gas circulator module configured to circulate a non-reactive gas through the closed-loop flow path for drying the spent nuclear fuel elements;an isolation valve operable for selectively fluidly connecting a vacuum module to or isolating the vacuum module from the hermetically sealed closed-loop flow path;a programmable controller operably coupled to the isolation valve, the gas circulator module, and the condensing module, the programmable controller configured to automatically: (1) isolate the vacuum module from the hermetically sealed closed-loop flow path during a first drying phase; and (2) fluidly connect the vacuum module to the hermetically sealed closed-loop flow path during a second drying phase;wherein upon the programmable controller determining that the condensing module is no longer removing substantial amounts of water the first drying phase, the programmable controller: (1) fluidly isolates the condensing module and gas circulator module from the hermetically sealed closed-loop flow path; and (2) fluidly connects the vacuum module to the hermetically sealed closed-loop flow path to start the second drying phase. 2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a moisture accumulator which receives moisture from the condenser module, and wherein the programmable controller being operable to monitor the moisture accumulator and fluidly connect the vacuum module to the hermetically sealed closed-loop flow path when no more liquid extracted from the non-reactive gas accumulates in the moisture accumulator. 3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the programmable controller is operable to: hold the cavity at sub-atmospheric pressure for a predetermined period of time while continuing to apply vacuum pressure to the cavity to remove residual moisture. 4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the predetermined period of time is selected to prevent overheating cladding on the radioactive elements. 5. The system according to claim 3, wherein the programmable controller is further operable to discontinue application of the vacuum pressure to the cavity after the predetermined period of time has lapsed. 6. The system according to claim 3, wherein the predetermined period of time is less than 2 hours. 7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined period of time is about 30 minutes. 8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the vacuum module is operable to apply a vacuum pressure to the cavity so as to create a sub-atmospheric pressure within the cavity to vaporize residual moisture on the spent nuclear fuel elements from the first drying phase. 9. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:a dew point temperature sensor operable to measure a dew point temperature of the non-reactive gas circulating in the hermetically sealed closed-loop flow path;the programmable controller operably coupled to the dew point measuring sensor and monitoring moisture in the system during the first drying phase via the dew point temperature sensor;wherein the programmable controller: (1) fluidly isolates the condensing module and gas circulator module from the hermetically sealed closed-loop flow path at an end of the first drying phase characterized by the dew point measuring sensor obtaining a steady dew point temperature measurement; and (2) fluidly connects the vacuum module to the hermetically sealed closed-loop path to start the second drying phase. 10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the dew point temperature sensor is configured to create signals indicative of the measured dew point temperature of the non-reactive gas and transmit the signals to the programmable controller, and wherein the programmable controller is configured to analyze the signals and fluidly connect the vacuum module to the hermetically sealed closed-loop flow path via operating the isolation valve when the dew point temperature measurement sensor produces a steady state reading. 11. The system according to claim 9, wherein the dew point temperature sensor is located upstream of the condensing module and downstream of the cavity in the hermetically sealed closed-loop flow path. 12. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:a pressurized non-reactive gas reservoir fluidly coupled to the hermetically sealed closed-loop flow path upstream of the gas circulator module; anda shutoff valve located between the non-reactive gas reservoir and the hermetically sealed closed-loop flow path for controlling addition of the non-reactive gas to the system. 13. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a preheat module arranged in the hermetically sealed closed-loop flow path between the non-reactive gas reservoir and the gas circulator module. 14. The system according to claim 1, wherein the vacuum module is fluidly coupled to the hermetically sealed closed-loop flow path between the gas circulator module and the canister. 15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the programmable controller is operably coupled to: a first shutoff valve located upstream of the canister between the fluid coupling of the vacuum module to the hermetically sealed closed-loop flow path and the gas circulator module; and a second shutoff valve located downward of the canister between the cast and the condensing module. 16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the programmable controller moves the first and second shutoff valves from an open position to a closed position to fluidly isolate the condensing module and gas circulator module from the hermetically sealed closed-loop flow path. 17. A system for drying spent nuclear fuel in two phases comprising:a canister defining a cavity configured for holding spent nuclear fuel elements;a gas circulation system comprising in fluid communication a condenser module and a gas circulator module;the gas circulation system configured to form a hermetically sealed closed-loop flow path when fluidly connected to the cavity of the canister, the gas circulator module configured to circulate a non-reactive gas in the closed-loop flow path;an isolation valve operable for selectively fluidly connecting a vacuum module to or isolating the vacuum module from the hermetically sealed closed-loop flow path;a programmable controller operably coupled to the isolation valve, the gas circulator module, and the condensing module;the programmable controller configured to automatically: (1) isolate the desiccant module from hermetically sealed closed-loop path during a first drying phase; and (2) add the desiccant module as part of the hermetically sealed closed-loop path during a second drying phase; anda moisture accumulator which receives moisture from the condenser module, and wherein the programmable controller adds the desiccant module as part of the hermetically sealed closed-loop path during the second drying phase when no more liquid accumulates in the moisture accumulator. 18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the programmable controller monitors moisture accumulating in the accumulator and adds the vacuum module to the hermetically sealed closed-loop flow path upon the programmable controller determining that no more moisture is accumulating in the accumulator. 19. The system according to claim 17, further comprising a dew point temperature sensor located in the closed-loop flow path upstream of the condensing module and downstream of the cavity, the dew point temperature sensor operable to measure a dew point temperature of the non-reactive gas circulating in the hermetically sealed closed-loop flow path. 20. The system according to claim 19, wherein: the dew point temperature sensor is configured to create signals indicative of the measured dew point temperature of the non-reactive gas and transmit the signals to the programmable controller which monitors the dew point temperature.