WO2024077373A1

WO2024077373A1 - System for storing nuclear waste above ground using oak containers, and method of use thereof

Info

Publication number: WO2024077373A1
Application number: PCT/CA2023/051313
Authority: WO
Inventors: John William MANCONI
Original assignee: Manconi John William
Priority date: 2022-10-07
Filing date: 2023-10-04
Publication date: 2024-04-18

Abstract

A storage container for waste products; it has an outer casing composed of age- hardened wood; an outer housing, composed of stainless steel; an inner housing, composed of stainless steel, for receiving the waste products, the inner housing positioned in the outer housing; and a sheath dimensioned to receive the inner housing, the sheath composed of a resin embedded with pure white, shocked, piezoelectric quartz crystal powder, the sheath located between the inner housing and the outer housing, wherein the outer housing, containing the inner housing and the sheath, is positioned in the outer casing, and wherein a fastener is used to seal the outer casing once the waste products is received in the inner housing; a method of use thereof.

Description

SYSTEM FOR STORING NUCLEAR WASTE ABOVE GROUND USING OAK

CONTAINERS, AND METHOD OF USE THEREOF

[0001] The present application claims priority from U.S. provisional patent application No. 63/414,263 filed on October 7, 2022, incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to nuclear waste storage, and more particularly to containers for storing nuclear waste safely above ground.

Background

[0003] In 1880, the Curie Brothers discovered “The Piezoelectric Effect” which subsequently led to the ‘Converse Piezoelectric Effect’. The Piezoelectric Effect is the ability of certain materials, such as quartz, to generate an electric charge in response to applied external pressures or forces. The effect is attributed to the linear electromagnetic interaction between the mechanical and electrical states in materials, such as quartz, that have no inversion symmetry.

[0004] The Photoelectric Effect discovered by Albert Einstein occurs when photons of light shine onto certain metal materials causing these same materials to eject high- energy electrons (photoelectrons) from their surfaces. This effect is attributed to the transfer of energy from photons of light to electrons on the surface of the metals.

[0005] The piezoelectric effect may used to ionize pure metal powders causing them to release photoelectrons.

[0006] The converse piezoelectric effect occurs when piezo-electrons, released by the piezoelectric effect associated with pure white, shocked piezoelectric quartz powders (“shocked-quartz”), re-enter holes and traps inside the deformed crystal lattice structure of the quartz molecule. This re-entering process releases trapped UVC photons, many having activation energies in excess of 25 eV.

[0007] In 1933 Erwin Schrodinger developed the fundamental laws of quantum physics which explained how absorption and transmutation of quantum particles take place in a closed space.

[0008] In 1942, Enrico Fermi discovered nuclear fission and developed the world’s first nuclear reactor prototype (CP-1) in Chicago. Graphite was used in his experiments to moderate neutrons during chain reactions.

[0009] As nuclear power is becoming a gradually more common source of power, identifying effective mechanisms for safe disposal of nuclear waste generated by nuclear power plants is becoming increasingly more urgent, in order to limit environmental impacts and reduce deleterious health effects.

Summary

[00010] The present disclosure relates to a container for storing waste products. The container includes an outer casing made from age-hardened wood, preferably with low porosity and high lignin values. The outer casing contains an inner housing and an outer housing, the inner housing and outer housing sandwiching a sheath made from a resin with white, shocked, piezoelectric quartz crystal powder embedded therein. The waste products are placed in the inner housing and sealed in the outer casing.

[00011] The shocked pure white piezoelectric quartz crystal powders embedded within the sheath is used to absorb the radiation emitted from the waste products and transmute the radiation in safe molecular particles and stable gases such as ozone and hydrogen.

[00012] Age-hardened French oak red wine barrels may be used because they continue hardening for up to 200 years, their porosity values are very low, and their ability of oxygenate is very high, given that the presence of oxygen in the barrel is important to keep temperatures constant.

[00013] A broad aspect is a storage container for nuclear waste. The container includes an outer casing composed of age-hardened wood; an outer housing, composed of stainless steel; an inner housing, composed of stainless steel, for receiving the waste products, the inner housing positioned in the outer housing; and a sheath dimensioned to receive the inner housing, the sheath composed of a resin embedded with white, shocked, piezoelectric quartz crystal powder, the sheath located between the inner housing and the outer housing, wherein the outer housing, containing the inner housing and the sheath, is positioned in the outer casing, and wherein a fastener is used to seal the outer casing once the nuclear waste is received in the inner housing.

[00014] In some embodiments, the white, shocked, piezoelectric quartz crystal powder may be of a purity of at least 99.5% SiO₂. [00015] In some embodiments, the wood of the outer casing may be oak and may have been exposed to red wine.

[00016] In some embodiments, the resin may be medical-grade silicone.

[00017] In some embodiments, the fastener may include two concrete crowns, for positioning on each end of the outer casing.

[00018] In some embodiments, the outer casing may be a red wine cask, and the inner housing and the outer housing may each have a cylindrical shape.

[00019] In some embodiments, the sheath may include a titanium-doped catalyst embedded in the resin.

[00020] In some embodiments, the sheath may include a plurality of pure metal powders and non-metal powders embedded in the resin, selected from silver, copper, zinc, titanium, iron oxide, lithium oxide, and graphite.

[00021] In some embodiments, the sheath may include a catalyst embedded in the resin.

[00022] In some embodiments, the catalyst may be composed of titanium - doped zirconia (ZrO₂.Ti).

[00023] In some embodiments, the white, shocked, piezoelectric quartz crystal powder may be of a first mesh size and the catalyst powder is of a second mesh size equal to the first mesh size.

[00024] In some embodiments, the first predetermined mesh size may be between 50 and 500 mesh. [00025] In some embodiments, first predetermined mesh size may be approximately 300 mesh or 50 microns.

[00026] In some embodiments, the container may include a twin-gas borosilicate air lock in communication with the inner housing, adapted to discharge hydrogen and ozone gases contained in the inner housing.

[00027] In some embodiments, the container may include lithium oxide (L₂O) as a coolant for the nuclear waste, and to eliminate CO₂ by contained in the container by producing lithium carbonate (l_i₂CO₃) through a reaction of l_₂O with CO₂.

[00028] In some embodiments, the container may be adapted to receive nuclear medical waste products.

[00029] In some embodiments, the container may be adapted to receive medical waste products.

[00030] Another broad aspect is a method of storing waste products. The method includes placing the nuclear waste in a stainless-steel inner housing; sealing the inner housing with a sheath composed of a resin embedded with pure white, shocked, piezoelectric quartz crystal powder; placing the inner housing into a stainless-steel outer housing; and placing the outer housing into an age-hardened wood outer casing and sealing the outer casing.

[00031] In some embodiments, the nuclear waste may be high level nuclear waste products (HLW).

[00032] In some embodiments, the white, shocked, piezoelectric quartz crystal powder may be of a purity of at least 99.5% SiO₂.

[00033] In some embodiments, the wood of the outer casing may be oak that may have been exposed to red wine.

[00034] In some embodiments, the resin may be pure medical-grade silicone.

[00035] In some embodiments, the fastener may include two concrete crowns, for positioning on each end of the outer casing.

[00036] In some embodiments, the outer casing may be a red wine cask, and the inner housing and the outer housing may each have a cylindrical shape.

[00037] In some embodiments, the sheath may include a titanium-doped catalyst embedded in the resin.

[00038] In some embodiments, the sheath may include a plurality of pure metal powders and non-metal powders embedded in the resin, selected from silver, copper, zinc, titanium, iron oxide, lithium oxide, and graphite.

[00039] In some embodiments, the sheath may include a catalyst embedded in the resin.

[00040] In some embodiments, the catalyst may be composed of titanium - doped zirconia (ZrO₂.Ti).

[00041] In some embodiments, the white, shocked, piezoelectric quartz crystal powder may be of a first mesh size and the catalyst powder may be of a second mesh size equal to the first mesh size.

[00042] In some embodiments, the first predetermined mesh size may be between 50 and 500 mesh.

[00043] In some embodiments, first predetermined mesh size may be approximately

300 mesh or 50 microns.

[00044] In some embodiments, the container may include a twin-gas borosilicate air lock in communication with the inner housing, adapted to discharge hydrogen and ozone gases accumulating in the inner housing.

[00045] In some embodiments, the container may include lithium oxide (l_₂O) as a coolant for the waste products, and to eliminate CO2 contained in the container by producing lithium carbonate (l_i₂CO₃) through a reaction of l_₂O with CO₂.

[00046] In some embodiments, the container may be adapted to receive nuclear waste products.

[00047] In some embodiments, the container may be adapted to receive medical waste products.

[00048] In some embodiments, the temperature within the container may be regulated, where temperature of the waste products may be kept constant.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[00049] The invention will be better understood by way of the following detailed description of embodiments of the invention with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

[00050] Figure 1 is a drawing of a front cross-sectional view of an exemplary container for storing waste products in accordance with the present teachings; and [00051] Figure 2 is a flowchart diagram of an exemplary method of storing waste products in accordance with the present teachings.

Detailed Description

[00052] Reference is made to Figure 1, illustrating an exemplary container 100 for storing waste products 150 in accordance with the present teachings.

[00053] In preferred embodiments, the container 100 stores nuclear waste products 150, the container 100 adapted to absorb radiation emitted by the nuclear waste products 150. However, it will be understood that container 100 may also store other waste products, including those that do or do not emit radiation, such as hazardous waste from hospitals, chemical factories, pharmaceutical industries, military industries, laboratories, etc.

[00054] Container 100 includes an age-hardened wooden outer casing 101, a stainless-steel inner housing 104, a stainless-steel outer housing 102, a sheath 103 positioned between the inner housing 104 and the outer housing 102, the sheath 103 surrounding the inner housing 104. The container 100 further includes one or more fasteners 111. The container 100 may include an air lock 106.

[00055] The inner housing 104 is adapted to receive the waste products 150. The inner housing 104 may include a sealable opening to gain access to the inner compartment 105 of the inner housing 104, the inner compartment 105 for receiving the waste products 150. The inner housing 104 may have a cylindrical shape. It will be understood that other shapes, such as a prism shape, may be contemplated. [00056] The sheath 103 receives the inner housing 104. Once the inner housing 104 is contained in the sheath 103, the sheath 103 may be sealed to enclose the inner housing 104. The sheath 103 is composed of pure white, shocked, piezoelectric quartz crystal powder embedded in a resin. The resin may be silicone (e.g. pure medical silicone). The resin may also embed a catalyst powder. The catalyst powder may be titanium-doped. The titanium-doped resin may be titanium-doped zirconia (ZrO₂.Ti). [00057] The resin may also embed one or more metal powders or non-metal powders selected from silver, copper, zinc, titanium, iron oxide, lithium oxide, and graphite.

[00058] The pure white, shocked piezoelectric quartz crystal powder may have a purity of at least 99.5% SiO₂.

[00059] The white, shocked piezoelectric quartz crystal powder may be at a first predetermined mesh size. The first predetermined mesh size may be between 50 and 500 mesh. The first predetermined mesh size may be approximately 300 mesh or 50 microns. The catalyst powder may have the same predetermined mesh size as the white, shocked piezoelectric quartz crystal powder, or a different predetermined mesh size.

[00060] Many types of white, shocked piezoelectric quartz powder materials can be used in the manufacture of these nuclear radiation absorption and transmutation devices. According to the present disclosure, for improved absorption of radiation released by nuclear waste to occur, the type of quartz used must be 99.5% pure white and ‘shocked’ and currently found only in the vicinity of an ancient meteoritic impact crater.

[00061] When conductive powders such as pure silver, copper, zinc, titanium, iron oxide, lithium oxide, or graphite powders are added to the sheath 103, these powders may be substantially of the same mesh size as the white, shocked piezoelectric quartz crystal powder to prevent separation when submitted to movement or vibrations.

[00062] An exemplary mesh size may be determined based on the Tyler Equivalent Mesh size classification is a well-known mesh size classification system created by the W.S. Tyler screening company based in Mentor, Ohio, USA. Mesh size should be understood as being the number of openings per (linear) inch of mesh and is well known in the art.

[00063] In some embodiments, the powders and resin may be mixed homogeneously together before the resinous matter is allowed to cure to form the sheath 103.

[00064] The outer housing 102 receives the inner housing 104 that is contained in the sheath 103. The outer housing 102 may include a sealable opening for receiving the inner housing 104 and the sheath. In some embodiments, the outer housing 102 may be composed of two halves that may seal together to contain the inner housing 104 and the sheath 103. The outer housing 102, once the outer housing 102 has received the inner housing 104 and the sheath 103, may be sealed. The outer housing 102 may be of a cylindrical shape. It will be understood that other shapes, such as a prism shape, may be contemplated. The outer housing 102 may have a same shape as the inner housing 104, but in larger dimensions as the outer housing 102 contains the inner housing 104. The sheath 103 fits between the inner housing 104 and the outer housing 102.

[00065] The wood of the outer casing 101 may be oak. In some instances, the wood may be French oak. The wood of the outer casing may be exposed (e.g., soaked) in red wine for a period of time (e.g. months; one or more years). The outer casing 101 may be a barrel or a cask. In preferred embodiments, the wood has low porosity and high lignin values. For instance, exemplary woods may be chestnut or other types of hardwood that are known to have very low porosity and high lignin levels. For instance, age-hardened oak casks also have extremely low porosity rates in the region of 0.5%, making them good material for preventing leakage of beta radiation (electrons) from the oak cask into the environment. Moreover, age-hardened French oak red wine barrels are known to have very high OTRs - Oxygen Transfer Rates - in the region of 20 mmol/Lxh. OTR represents the amount of oxygen transferred into one kilogram of air inside the oak cask of this present disclosure.

[00066] The French oak wood used to produce the wine barrels may originate from the Quercus petraea oa tree or the Quercus petraea oak tree. In some embodiments, the barrels may be made from wood originating from Quercus garryana. In some instances, the barrels may be made from wood originating from Quercus alba.

[00067] The outer casing 101 receives the outer housing 102 with the sheath 103 and the inner housing 104 contained therein. [00068] One or more fasteners 111 may then be used to seal the outer casing 101, having trapped therein the outer housing 102 with the sheath 103 and the inner housing 104 contained therein. Exemplary fasteners 111 include two concrete crowns, one for each end of the outer casing 101. It will be understood that in some examples, where one end of the outer casing 101 is sealed, one fastener 111 to seal the opposite end may only be required. The concrete crowns may be bolted to one or both ends of the outer casing 101.

[00069] In some embodiments, the container 100 may include an air lock 106 for enabling hydrogen and ozone accumulating in the container 100 (e.g. in the inner housing 104) to escape to alleviate pressure in the container 100. The air lock 106 may be a twin-gas borosilicate air lock. The air lock 106 may be located at a top side of the outer casing 101. The air lock 106 may discharge the expelled gases into airtight cylinders for storing the expelled gases elsewhere.

[00070] The container 100 of the present disclosure may be designed and manufactured in relation to the function the container 100 performs and to the type, size and shape of the system that houses the container 100.

[00071] In some instances, the container 100 may include lithium oxide (L₂O) 107 as a coolant for the nuclear waste, and to eliminate CO₂ by contained in the container by producing lithium carbonate (Li₂CO₃) through a reaction of L₂O with CO₂. The lithium oxide (L₂O) 107 may be present in the inner compartment 105.

[00072] The present disclosure introduces a nuclear waste radiation absorbing sheath 103, that surrounds the waste products and can be inserted safely and securely inside age-hardened wooden outer casing, the pure white, shocked piezoelectric quartz contained in the sheath being capable of absorbing and transmuting alpha, beta, gamma, and neutron radiation, thus enabling nuclear waste to be stored safely above ground.

[00073] The quantum energy-based silicone resinous sheath described in this present disclosure is capable of absorbing and transmuting alpha, beta, gamma, and neutron radiations released by nuclear waste. This absorption and transmutation process creates natural molecular particles, non-ionized pure metal powders, and discrete quantities of stable ozone and hydrogen gases.

[00074] It has therefore been discovered that pure white, shocked piezoelectric quartz (aka ‘shocked-quartz’) powders, when embedded in silicone resinous materials, as described above, and made into a sheath that encloses the spent waste (e.g. nuclear fuel rod bundles) can be used to store nuclear waste safely above ground inside age-hardened wooden outer casings (e.g. French oak red wine casks) that are naturally capable of absorbing and transmuting radiation from nuclear waste (HLW) into natural stable molecular particles and powders, and stable gases.

[00075] It has been further discovered that when pure metal and non-metal powders embedded inside the sheath are ionized by the UVC photons released by the piezoelectric powders, the metal and non-metal ions so generated can be used in a second stage to absorb electrons released by beta radiation and, in doing so, enable the metal and non-metal powders to return to their original stable molecular state.

[00076] EXEMPLARY METHOD OF STORING WASTE PRODUCTS:

[00077] Reference is now made to Figure 2, illustrating an exemplary method 200 of storing waste products. For illustrative purposes, the exemplary method 200 may be performed with regard to container 100. However, it will be understood that method 200 may be performed with respect to other containers in accordance with the present teachings for storing waste products.

[00078] The waste products are placed into the inner housing at step 210 (e.g. through an opening of the inner housing, or the inner housing may be composed of two sealable halves that can be detached to reveal an inner compartment for receiving the waste products). The inner housing may then be sealed, with the waste products contained therein.

[00079] The inner housing may be sealed with the sheath at step 220. The sheath contains the inner housing, and may enclose the inner housing, sealing the inner housing therein.

[00080] The inner housing, sheathed, may be placed in the outer housing at step 230. In some embodiments, the sheath maybe be first placed in the outer housing (e.g. lining the outer housing) and the inner housing is placed in the outer housing already containing the sheath. The outer housing, containing the sheath and the inner housing, may also be hermetically sealed (e.g. adding a lid to an opening of the outer housing from which the inner housing has been added; two sealable halves of the outer housing can be joined to seal the outer housing).

[00081] The outer housing may then be placed in the outer casing at step 240 (i.e., in an inner compartment of the outer casing).

[00082] The outer casing may then be sealed at step 250 using fasteners. For instance, the fasteners may be two concrete crowns, one secured to each end of the outer casing. It will be understood that in some examples, where one end of the outer casing, one fastener to seal the opposite end may only be required.

[00083] In some embodiments, hydrogen and ozone gases created inside the container are extracted automatically from the container by means of a gas air lock (e.g. a borosilicate dual gas air lock) that is fitted onto the upper surface of the outer casing.

[00084] Carbon dioxide may be eliminated using lithium oxide, where the lithium oxide may also act as a coolant.

[00085] Once extracted, the hydrogen and ozone gases can then be stored separately in appropriate gas cylinders and later transported to a safe location.

[00086] As such, in some examples, the interconnected outer housing and inner housing are then inserted inside the outer casing and kept in place using two concrete crowns that are bolted securely onto the top and bottom ends of the outer casing. In some instances, the crowns may be lined with the same material as that of the sheath. [00087] The processes described herein using a sealed barrel are chemically and physically reversible, guaranteeing that energy in the barrel is conserved, the energy converted from one form of energy to another.

[00088] Although the invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that modifications may be resorted to as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such modifications and variations are to be considered within the purview and scope of the present invention.

[00089] Representative, non-limiting examples of the present invention were described above in detail with reference to the attached drawing. This detailed description is merely intended to teach a person of skill in the art further details for practicing preferred aspects of the present teachings and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Furthermore, each of the additional features and teachings disclosed above and below may be utilized separately or in conjunction with other features and teachings.

[00090] Moreover, combinations of features and steps disclosed in the above detailed description, as well as in the experimental examples, may not be necessary to practice the invention in the broadest sense, and are instead taught merely to particularly describe representative examples of the invention. Furthermore, various features of the above-described representative examples, as well as the various independent and dependent claims below, may be combined in ways that are not specifically and explicitly enumerated to provide additional useful embodiments of the present teachings.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A storage container for waste products comprising: an outer casing composed of age-hardened oak wood; an outer housing, composed of stainless steel; an inner housing, composed of stainless steel, for receiving the waste products, the inner housing positioned in the outer housing; and a sheath dimensioned to receive the inner housing, the sheath composed of a resin embedded with white, shocked, piezoelectric quartz crystal powder, the sheath located between the inner housing and the outer housing, wherein the outer housing, containing the inner housing and the sheath, is positioned in the outer casing, and wherein a fastener is used to seal the outer casing once the waste products are received in the inner housing.

2. The container in accordance with claim 1, wherein the white, shocked, piezoelectric quartz crystal powder is of a purity of at least 99.5% SiO₂.

3. The container in accordance with claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the wood of the outer casing is oak and has been exposed to red wine.

4. The container in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the resin is pure medical-grade silicone.

5. The container in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the fastener includes two concrete crowns, for positioning on each end of the outer casing.

6 The container in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the outer casing is a red wine oak cask, and the inner housing and the outer housing each have a cylindrical shape.

7. The container in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the sheath further comprises a titanium-doped catalyst embedded in the resin.

8. The container in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the sheath further comprises a plurality of pure metal powders and non-metal powders embedded in the resin, selected from silver, copper, zinc, titanium, iron oxide, lithium oxide, and graphite.

9. The container in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the sheath further comprises a catalyst embedded in the resin.

10. The container in accordance with claim 9, wherein the catalyst is composed of titanium-doped zirconia (ZrO₂.Ti).

11. The container as defined in claim 9 or claim 10, wherein the white, shocked, piezoelectric quartz crystal powder is of a first mesh size and the catalyst powder is of a second mesh size equal to the first mesh size.

12. The container as defined in claim 11, wherein the first predetermined mesh size is between 50 and 500 mesh.

13. The container as defined in claim 11, wherein the first predetermined mesh size is approximately 300 mesh or 50 microns.

14. The container in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 13, further comprising a twin-gas borosilicate air lock in communication with the inner housing, adapted to discharge hydrogen and ozone gases accumulating in the inner housing.

15. The container in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 14, further comprising lithium oxide (L₂O) as a coolant for the nuclear waste, and to eliminate CO₂ contained in the container by producing lithium carbonate (l_i₂CO₃) through a reaction of l_₂O with CO₂.

15. The container in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the container is adapted to receive nuclear waste products.

17. A method of storing nuclear waste, comprising:

- placing the waste products in a stainless steel inner housing;

- sealing the inner housing with a sheath composed of a resin embedded with pure white, shocked, piezoelectric quartz crystal powder;

- placing the inner housing into a stainless steel outer housing; and

- placing the outer housing into an age-hardened wood outer casing and sealing the outer casing.

18. The method in accordance with claim 17, wherein the waste products are nuclear waste products.

19. The method in accordance with claim 17 or claim 18, wherein the white, shocked, piezoelectric quartz crystal powder is of a purity of at least 99.5% SiO₂.

20. The method in accordance with any one of claims 17 to 19, wherein the wood of the outer casing is oak and has been exposed to red wine.