Patent Grant
11721449
This invention claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 120/121, to the U.S. Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 16/773,345, by Craig Porter, filed on Jan. 27, 2020, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
The present invention relates to nuclear waste, specifically devices, systems, and methods for disposing of nuclear waste in a reversable manner.
Nuclear power plants use the heat generated from nuclear fission to convert water to steam to provide electricity. Because nuclear power plants do not burn fuel, they do not produce greenhouse gas emissions. By reliably providing power twenty-four hours a day, nuclear energy is an important part of the energy mix necessary to meet electricity demand. However, nuclear energy reactors, as well as nuclear weapons programs, create high-level nuclear waste that must be disposed of properly to prevent exposure to radioactive material.
Radioactive contamination control and waste management are essential to preventing accidental exposure to radioactive material. Currently, the United States has no central repository, and spent radioactive material is stored at or near one of the one hundred and twenty-one facilities across the country where it is generated. Depending on the material's source, radioactivity can last from a few hours to hundreds of thousands of years.
The advantages of, and needs for, repositories for nuclear waste have been known for many years. If nuclear waste is not disposed of properly, radioactive waste can adversely impact the environment by affecting the quality of air, water, and soil. More specifically, radioactive contamination can affect the human population by causing radiation poisoning or sickness, even death. For example, the Chernobyl disaster was a catastrophic nuclear accident that occurred in 1986 at a nuclear power plant in Northern Ukraine, Soviet Union, when a nuclear reactor exploded. The events of the Chernobyl accident resulted in fires that sent plumes of highly radioactive fallout into the atmosphere, affecting an extensive geographical area. Because of the Chernobyl accident, two hundred and thirty-seven people suffered from acute radiation sickness, of whom thirty-one died within the first three months. It is also estimated that up to 4,000 of the five million persons living in contaminated areas may have cancer-related deaths as a result of the accident.
In the mid-1980s, the Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository in Nye County Nev., eighty miles from Las Vegas, was designated to be a deep geological repository for disposal of high-level nuclear waste originating in commercial facilities in the United States. However, since its proposal, the project has faced funding difficulties and has been contested by the public, particularly by Nevadans who don't want to import such dangerous materials into their backyard. Critics of the project also point out that natural forces, such as earthquakes and erosion, could render the site unstable. This leaves American utilities and the United States government without any designated long-term disposal site for nuclear waste. Today, most nuclear power plants in the United States have resorted to the indefinite on-site dry cask storage of waste in steel and concrete casks.
As a result, due to its radioactive nature, nuclear waste is preferably disposed in a sealed container and located far from human habitation. Several different methods, devices, and systems of disposing of nuclear waste have been presented over the years. One method includes disposing of it in canisters in sediments below international waters. Canisters containing nuclear waste are released from a ship and driven by gravity approximately fifty meters into the sub-seabed ooze of the ocean floor. This approach to disposal of nuclear waste places radioactive material away from areas where humans live.
Some improvements have been made in the field. Examples of references related to the present invention are described below in their own words, and the supporting teachings of each reference are incorporated by reference herein:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,877,353, issued to Wisotsky, Sr., discloses an apparatus and method for embedding hazardous waste material deeply within stable geological formations. The hazardous material is placed in containers and the containers are placed inside hollow piles. The piles are moved to an offshore location and driven into the seabed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,171,483, issued to Tollison, Jr., discloses a method for the long term storage of radioactive hazardous waste in a hollowed out chamber of salt bed in which sealed, relatively incompressible containers of hazardous materials are immobilized in a regular spaced array with the remaining space in the chamber filled with a granular compressive load equalization medium.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,733,066, issued to Myers, discloses a hazardous waste containment vessel, and a method for its use, for safe, permanent disposal of hazardous waste in deep ocean pelagic sediment. The hazardous waste containment vessel is dropped into deep ocean water, descends through the water and penetrates the deep ocean pelagic sediment, thus burying the hazardous waste containment vessel in deep ocean pelagic sediment. The hazardous waste containment vessel has an elongated laminar walled container having first and second ends. The first end tapers to an apex having an angle selected to enhance penetration of the deep ocean pelagic sediment by the hazardous waste containment vessel. A dense filler material is carried within the elongated laminar walled container and isolates at least one hazardous waste containing drum member that is suspended within the dense filler material, from the interior layer of the elongated container member and from additional drum members suspended within the dense filler material. At least one fin member is carried by the second end of the laminar walled container for imparting hydrodynamic stability to the hazardous waste containment vessel during vertical descent through deep ocean water. To ensure adequate penetration, the containment vessel is provided with a self-arming and disarming explosive charge.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,736,094, issued to Bianchi et al., discloses a system includes a body portion having rear portion having a fluid intake port and a nose portion having a fluid discharge port. The body portion contains an omni-directional vibratory device, a pump, a fluid conduit that is coupled to the pump and the fluid discharge port, and a power source that is electrically connected to the vibratory device and the pump. The body portion may also contain control circuitry and two end caps rigidly fixed therein, wherein the fluid conduit passes through each end cap. The vibratory device and the pump may be activated by a sensor such as a hydrostatic pressure sensor, an accelerometer, or an altimeter. The body portion may also contain communications circuitry that remotely controls the vibratory device and the pump. The body portion is configured to house a payload such as a sensor system, a battery pack, or a ballast for anchoring.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,631,454, issued to Sun et al., discloses the present invention provides wellbore pressure control system and method for well cementation stages, and relates to the offshore oil and gas exploitation field. The wellbore pressure control system comprises: an injection pump; and a control device, configured to control the injection pump to inject a fluid or gas through an injection pipeline to a return pipeline that communicates with an annular space of the wellbore to decrease the pressure in the return pipeline and thereby decrease the pressure in the annular space, wherein, the density of the fluid or gas is lower than the density of a drilling fluid in the annular space. The technical scheme of the present invention can effectively prevent leaky zones from being fractured by high-density cement slurry in the well cementation process that may cause safety accidents such as well kick and well blowout, etc.
The inventions heretofore known suffer from a number of disadvantages which include: trapping waste in seismically active material, not being sufficiently secure, not being able to convert waste into an asset, not reducing environmental impact, functioning inconsistently, being unreliable and/or not functioning properly, producing chemical contamination, creating environmental contamination, being unable to retrieve a disposal canister, and having an irreversible disposal process.
What is needed is a device, system, and/or method for disposing and/or retrieving nuclear waste that solves one or more of the problems described herein and/or one or more problems that may come to the attention of one skilled in the art upon becoming familiar with this specification.
The present invention has been developed in response to the present state of the art, and in particular, in response to the problems and needs in the art that have not yet been fully solved by currently available nuclear waste disposal and retrieval devices, systems, and methods. Accordingly, the present invention has been developed to provide a waste material depositing and/or retrieving system for depositing waste material.
In one embodiment of the invention, there may be a waste material depositing system including a penetrator. The penetrator may include a first disposal stage and/or a second disposal stage. The first disposal stage may have an outer shell that may be disposed about a cavity. The cavity may be shaped and/or sized to receive a waste disposal canister. The second disposal stage may be removably coupled to a top end of the first disposal stage by an automatic disengagement device. The second disposal stage may have: an outer cylinder, a plurality of second disposal fins that may be disposed along a length of the outer cylinder, and/or an arrestor system that may be coupled to a top portion of the outer cylinder. There may be a cannister retrieval mount coupled to a rear end of a cannister.
In another embodiment of the invention, the arrestor system may include a plurality of petals that may be rotatably coupled to the outer cylinder. The petals may each have a closed mode and/or a deployed mode. The waste material depositing system may further comprise an inner cylinder that may be slidably coupled to an interior of the second disposal stage, disposed within an interior of the outer cylinder of the second disposal stage, and/or disposed within an interior of the outer shell of the first disposal stage.
In yet another embodiment of the invention, each petal may include: a petal portion; a petal pivot that may be coupled to the petal portion, and/or disposed within a body of the outer cylinder; and/or an L-shaped portion that may be coupled to the petal pivot opposite the petal portion, that may be in fixed angular relation to the petal portion, and/or disposed above a top surface of the inner cylinder. In a closed mode the petal portion may be disposed in alignment with the body of the outer cylinder. In an open mode the petal portion may be disposed substantially orthogonal to the body of the outer cylinder.
In a further embodiment of the invention, the outer shell of the first disposal stage may include a stop protrusion that may be coupled to an interior of the outer shell along a top portion of the outer shell and/or extending orthogonal therefrom. A bottom end of the inner cylinder may be disposed along the stop protrusion. The inner cylinder may include a perforated base plate that may be disposed along the bottom end of the inner cylinder and/or orthogonal thereto. A locking pin may be disposed within the body of the outer cylinder and/or extending outwardly therefrom, and/or removably coupled to a locking void that may be disposed within the inner cylinder. A transponder may be coupled to the penetrator. The first disposal stage may include a plurality of first disposal fins that may extend outwardly from the outer shell and/or may be disposed along a length of a top portion of the first disposal stage. The plurality of first disposal fins may align with the plurality of second disposal fins. The automatic disengagement device may include an impact-triggered spring-loaded latch. The spring-loaded latch may be pivotally coupled to the second disposal stage. The first disposal stage may include a lip that may be removably coupled to the spring-loaded latch. The first disposal stage may include a first transponder that may be coupled to the first disposal stage, and/or the second disposal stage may include a second transponder that may be coupled to the second disposal stage and/or in communication with the first transponder.
In still another embodiment of the invention, there may be a method of depositing waste material into a sub-seabed sediment of the ocean floor, that may include one or more of the steps of: receiving waste material, loading the waste material into a first disposal stage of a penetrator; loading the penetrator onto a disposal vessel; transporting the penetrator to a disposal site; releasing the penetrator from the disposal vessel at the disposal site; and/or penetrating the sub-seabed sediment of the ocean floor with the penetrator.
The penetrator may include the first disposal stage and/or a second disposal stage that may be removably coupled to the first disposal stage. The method may also include the steps of: uncoupling the second disposal stage from the first disposal stage; deploying an arrestor system; and/or activating a transponder. The arrestor system may be coupled to a top portion of the second disposal stage. The penetrator may include: a first disposal stage, that may have an outer shell that may be disposed about a cavity, the cavity may be shaped and/or sized to receive a waste disposal canister; and/or a second disposal stage that may be removably coupled to a top end of the first disposal stage by an automatic disengagement device, that may have: an outer cylinder, a plurality of second disposal fins that may be disposed along a length of the outer cylinder, and/or an arrestor system that may be coupled to a top portion of the outer cylinder. A transponder may be coupled to the penetrator.
More, in one embodiment of the invention, the method of depositing waste material into a sub-seabed sediment of the ocean floor may include the steps of activating a first transponder that may be coupled to the first disposal stage, and/or activating a second transponder that may be coupled to the second disposal stage and/or in communication with the first transponder. The method of depositing waste may also include the step of providing a radioactive power source to the first transponder and/or the second transponder.
Too, in one embodiment of the invention, there may be a method of reclaiming waste material from a sub-seabed sediment of the ocean floor that may include the steps of: identifying a second signal from a second transponder that may be coupled to a second disposal stage that may be located within a surface of a sub-seabed sediment of the ocean floor; homing in on the second signal and/or locating the second disposal stage; recognizing a first signal from a first transponder that may be coupled to a first disposal stage that may be located below the second disposal stage and/or within the sub-seabed sediment of the ocean floor; digging downward from the second disposal stage toward the first signal and/or locating the first disposal stage; and/or retrieving the first disposal stage from the sub-seabed sediment of the ocean floor. The first disposal stage may contain waste material, and/or thereby retrieving waste material from the sub-seabed sediment of the ocean floor. The method of reclaiming waste material from a sub-seabed sediment of the ocean floor may further include the step of drilling downward from the second disposal stage to the first disposal stage.
Reference throughout this specification to features, advantages, or similar language does not imply that all of the features and advantages that may be realized with the present invention should be or are in any single embodiment of the invention. Rather, language referring to the features and advantages is understood to mean that a specific feature, advantage, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, discussion of the features and advantages, and similar language, throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, refer to the same embodiment.
Furthermore, the described features, advantages, and characteristics of the invention may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize that the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific features or advantages of a particular embodiment. In other instances, additional features and advantages may be recognized in certain embodiments that may not be present in all embodiments of the invention.
These features and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims or may be learned by the practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter.
In order for the advantages of the invention to be readily understood, a more particular description of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments that are illustrated in the appended drawing(s). It is noted that the drawings of the invention are not to scale. The drawings are mere schematics representations, not intended to portray specific parameters of the invention. Understanding that these drawing(s) depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not, therefore, to be considered to be limiting its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawing(s), in which:
For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawing(s), and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended. Any alterations and further modifications of the inventive features illustrated herein, and any additional applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated herein, which would occur to one skilled in the relevant art and having possession of this disclosure, are to be considered within the scope of the invention.
Reference throughout this specification to an “embodiment,” an “example” or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, characteristic, or combinations thereof described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases an “embodiment,” an “example,” and similar language throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment, to different embodiments, or to one or more of the figures. Additionally, reference to the wording “embodiment,” “example” or the like, for two or more features, elements, etc. does not mean that the features are necessarily related, dissimilar, the same, etc.
Each statement of an embodiment, or example, is to be considered independent of any other statement of an embodiment despite any use of similar or identical language characterizing each embodiment. Therefore, where one embodiment is identified as “another embodiment,” the identified embodiment is independent of any other embodiments characterized by the language “another embodiment.” The features, functions, and the like described herein are considered to be able to be combined in whole or in part one with another as the claims and/or art may direct, either directly or indirectly, implicitly or explicitly.
As used herein, “comprising,” “including,” “containing,” “is,” “are,” “characterized by,” and grammatical equivalents thereof are inclusive or open-ended terms that do not exclude additional unrecited elements or method steps. “Comprising” is to be interpreted as including the more restrictive terms “consisting of” and “consisting essentially of.”
The illustrated penetrator 101 includes a first disposal stage 102. The first disposal stage 102 is sized and shaped to penetrate a sub-seabed sediment of the ocean floor. As shown, a bottom portion of the first disposal stage 102 is pointed, thereby facilitating penetration of the seafloor. However, a bottom portion of the first disposal stage 102 may have any shape, such as, but not limited to pointed, rounded, or flat. The illustrated cavity 105 is sized and shaped to receive a waste disposal canister containing nuclear waste.
A second disposal stage 103 is removably coupled to a top end of the first disposal stage 102. Accordingly, the two stages 102 and 103 may be similar to stages of a multi-stage rocket, in that they are structured to hold together until a particular point in time or event, at which time they separate. The first disposal stage 102 is coupled directly below the second disposal stage 103 when the penetrator 101 is dropped from a ship. The first disposal stage 102 and the second disposal stage 103 are securely and removably coupled so that the first disposal stage 102 can be released from the second disposal stage 103 and penetrate the sub-seabed sediments of the ocean floor, leaving the second disposal stage at the seabed while the first disposal stage penetrates deeper into the seabed.
The illustrated second disposal stage 103 includes an outer cylinder 106. A plurality of second disposal fins 107 are illustrated as being disposed about a perimeter and along a length of the outer cylinder 106. The second disposal fins 107 are shaped, sized, and orientated to allow the second disposal stage 103 to more predictably navigate through water. The illustrated fins of both stages may also serve as shields to protect one or more automatic disengagement devices so that as the penetrator is descending towards the seabed, materials in the fluid do not foul the automatic disengagement device(s).
An arrestor system 108 is coupled to a top portion of the outer cylinder 106. The arrestor system 108 is configured to slow down and stop seabed penetration of the second disposal stage 103.
In operation, a penetrator 101 is dropped from a ship at the surface of the sea at a predetermined location above a selected seabed. The penetrator then descends by gravity towards the seabed below. The seabed may be selected for its location, lack of seismic activity over millennia, and other features that make it suitable for retrievable disposal of high-level nuclear waste (HLW). HLW is generally a type of nuclear waste created by the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel. HLW contains many of the fission products and transuranic elements generated in the reactor core and is the type of nuclear waste with the highest activity. HLW generally accounts for over 95% of the total radioactivity produced in the nuclear power process. HLW may also include spent nuclear fuel which could be integral to the fuel assemblies or could be separated from the fuel assembly, e.g., fuel rods separate from assembly.
The penetrator 101 includes fins 107 that orient the penetrator 101 downward and may be angled to induce a spin in order to more accurately/consistently strike a desired position on the seabed, thereby permitting controlled disposal of large numbers of penetrators 101 in an array. Accordingly, after striking the seabed, the penetrator separates 101 into two components (a first disposal stage 102 and a second disposal stage 103), with the first disposal stage 102 penetrating deep into the seabed sediments (generally about fifty meters for a penetrator 101 shaped and sized to contain a standard sized canister), and with the second disposal stage 103 flaring its petals 109 at separation from the first disposal stage 102 and resting on or near the seabed floor, thus forming a “re-entry” cone to facilitate possible future retrieval. Because the sub-seabed sediments have a peanut-butter like consistency, the first disposal stage 102 is able to use the force of gravity to penetrate, and sink into, the ocean floor, thereby providing a safe and stable area for the retrievable disposal of nuclear waste. Each of the two stages 102, 103 may include a transponder/transmitter for locating and retrieving those stages.
As shown, the penetrator 101 includes a first disposal stage 102 with an outer shell 104. The outer shell 104 includes a cavity 105 configured to store one or more canisters 200 containing nuclear waste. Accordingly, the outer shell 104 may be removably and/or slip-coupled to a canister 200 and/or may contain one or more liners/layers.
The first disposal stage 102 also includes a plurality of first disposal fins 203. The illustrated first disposal fins 203 align with the second disposal fins 107. According to one embodiment, the first disposal fins 203 may be relatively short in comparison to a vertical length of the penetrator 101. The first disposal fins 203 and/or the second disposal fins 107 may serve as a cowling for a latch. The plurality of fins are shaped and sized for stabilizing the penetrator 101 to efficiently move in a downward direction as the penetrator 101 is pulled by gravity.
The illustrated automatic disengagement device 201 couples the second disposal stage 103 to a top end of the first disposal stage 102. The disengagement device 201 is configured to removably couple the first disposal stage 102 and the second disposal stage 103 together. The disengagement device 201 may include a plurality of spring-loaded latches, each covered by a pair of hollow fins 203 and 107. The disengagement device 201 may include other and/or additional automatic disengagement systems, such as but not limited to exploding bolts, impact triggered magnetic couplings, and the like and combinations thereof.
The illustrated fins 203 and 107 may be hollow so that latches may be disposed within and/or protected by the hollow spaces of the fins 203 and 107. Accordingly, in the illustrated example, both stages 102 and 103 include fins 107 and 203, respectively, that work together pre-separation and that may cowl coupling structures, such as the automatic disengagement device 201, that couple the first disposal stage 102 and the second disposal stage together 103 so that those coupling structures 201 do not interfere with the desired pathing taken by the penetrator 101 during free-fall.
The illustrated cannister 105 includes a cannister retrieval mount 298 coupled to a rear end of the cannister. The illustrated cannister retrieval mount is a protrusion extending rearwardly from a rear face of the cannister and is shaped similar to a door-knob, in that it provides a gripping surface that a retrieval unit (e.g. submersible drone) could use to grab and pull the cannister up and out of the sub-seabed during retrieval. The cannister retrieval mount may be of various shapes and configurations that provide a mounting point for a retrieval unit to access, such as but not limited to being an eye bolt, a flange, a lip, a plurality of rear-side protrusions, an aperture through a false rear of the cannister, a threaded bolt or hole, and/or a structure that may be utilized as a mating structure to allow a retrieval unit to couple to the cannister for retrieval.
The cannister retrieval mount will generally include structure that is not easily fouled by debris/mud and that can be easily and reliably operated many years after placement in the sub-seabed. The cannister retrieval mount may be integral to the cannister or may be attached sometime during the disposal process. The attachment may be by a permanent fixing such as but not limited to welding, and/or it may be a more mechanical fixing, such as but not limited to using a clamping/bolting device/system to couple the cannister retrieval mount to the cannister.
The illustrated deployed arrestor system 108 includes a plurality of petals 109 flared out from and disposed about a top portion 301 of the outer cylinder 106. As shown, the plurality of petals 109 extend and secure the second disposal stage 103 onto a seabed or ocean floor. The plurality of petals 109 may also help prevent the second disposal stage from sinking into the seabed. The illustrated plurality of petals 109 are elongated/extended, and such may be accomplished by telescopic extension, by unfolding of folded layers, or otherwise. It may also be that the petals 109, when deployed, are not extended (e.g. see
The penetrator 101 also includes a transponder/transmitter 302 coupled to an outer shell 104 of the first disposal stage 102. The illustrated transponder 302 may be a first transponder 302 that is coupled to the first disposal stage 102 of the penetrator 101. The transponder 302 may be configured to transmit and/or receive a signal. For instance, the first disposal stage 102 may have a transmitter 302 such as, but not limited to, a radio transmitter, a digital signal transmitter, a level transmitter, etc. There may be a second transponder/transmitter coupled to the second disposal stage. Accordingly, the second stage may be found by homing in on the second transponder and then the first stage may be found, thereafter, by homing in on the first transponder.
An inner cylinder 400 is disposed within an interior of outer cylinder 401 of the second disposal stage 103 and is disposed within an interior of outer shell 402 of the first disposal stage 102. Accordingly, the inner cylinder bridges the two stages and forms a cap, of sorts, over the top of the first disposal stage. The inner cylinder nests inside the top of the first disposal stage and is functionally coupled to an interior bottom of the second disposal stage.
The first disposal stage 102 is shown to include a stop protrusion 403 coupled to a top portion of outer shell 404 and extending inwardly therefrom. The stop protrusion 403 prevents the inner cylinder from intruding further into the top of the first disposal stage. The stop protrusion 403 may be a ring welded to an interior of the first disposal stage, may be one or more ledges jutting to the interior of the first disposal stage, and/or may include other structures that protrude and thereby “stop” the inner cylinder from intruding beyond a predefined amount.
The illustrated inner cylinder 400 is disposed on the stop protrusion 403 and is slidably coupled to the second disposal stage 103. The inner cylinder 400 includes a bottom end of inner cylinder 405 with a perforated base plate 406 coupled to the bottom end 405. The illustrated perforated base plate 406 engages with the seabed material on separation and thereby anchors the second disposal stage to the seabed.
A purpose of the perforations of the perforated base plate 406 is to provide sufficient resistance upon contact with the sediments to allow some flow thru of the unconsolidated sediments while maintaining the pressure needed to lock partially deployed petals (See e.g.,
More, resistance of the perforated base plate 406 of the inner cylinder 400, and/or deployed petals (See e.g.,
A separation gap 407 is disposed between the first disposal stage 102 and the second disposal stage 103. The illustrated separation gap 407 is between the first disposal stage 102 and the second disposal stage 103 so that the stages 102 and 103 are not in contact upon initial descent of the penetrator (See e.g.,
The illustrated stop protrusion 403, on impact with the seabed, may force the inner cylinder 400 to move relative to the second disposal stage 103, while not moving relative to the first disposal stage 102. This allows the inner cylinder to essentially “pull the trigger” on the automatic disengagement device and/or the arrestor system. Accordingly, the inner cylinder 400 may be utilized to trigger deployment of the petals (See e.g.,
Illustrated along the outer cylinder 106 of the second disposal stage 103, and along the outer shell 104 of the first disposal stage 102, there are a plurality of latches 408 for removably coupling the stages 102 and 103 together. The latches 408 may be configured to release when triggered by the penetrator (See e.g.,
In another non-limiting example, when the first disposal stage 102 hits the ocean floor, the downward velocity of the first disposal stage 102 is reduced, while the second disposal stage 103 continues until arrested by contact with the first disposal stage (i.e. closing the gap between the two stages). As a result, the second disposal stage 103 runs into the first disposal stage 102 when the first disposal stage 102 hits the ocean floor, thereby closing the separation gap 407 between the stages 102 and 103 and triggering the latches 408 to open. The second disposal stage 103 may then detach from the first disposal stage 102. The first disposal stage 102 will continue to travel downward due to inertia through the seabed mud. The pointed shape of a bottom portion of the first disposal stage 102 together with the fins (See e.g.,
Looking to
In
The illustrated arrestor system 500 includes a plurality of petals 109 that are rotatably coupled to the outer cylinder 106. The illustrated L-shaped portion 504 is in fixed angular relation to the petal portion 502 and is disposed above a top surface 506 of the inner cylinder 400. The petal 109 is shown in a closed mode 501. Prior to petal 109 deployment, the L-shaped portion 504, and spring-loaded locking pin 507, may be stored in the body 505 of the outer cylinder 106 of the second disposal stage 103, such as shown by
In
The illustrated arrestor system 500 includes a plurality of petals 109 that are rotatably coupled to the outer cylinder 106. The illustrated L-shaped portion 504 is in fixed angular relation to the petal portion 502 and is disposed above a top surface 506 of the inner cylinder 400. The petal 109 is shown in a deployed mode 600. Accordingly, the petal portion 502 is disposed substantially orthogonal to the body 505 of the outer cylinder 106. In a deployed mode 600, the petal portion 502 is disposed substantially orthogonal to the body 505 of the outer cylinder 106 so that the petal portion is perpendicular to the body 505 and a measure of an angle of where the petal portion 502 meets the body 505 is approximately ninety degrees.
In operation of one embodiment of the invention, an initial arrestor system 500, such as a spring-loaded pin 507 and L-shaped portion 504, deploys a petal portion 502 in a direction substantially parallel to a surface, or horizon, of the seafloor. In one non-limiting embodiment of the invention, a top surface 506 of an inner cylinder 400 is carried upward, with respect to the second disposal stage 103, by momentum of the penetrator (See e.g.,
Next, as the inner cylinder 400 continues to move upward with respect to the second disposal stage 103, a spring-loaded locking pin 507 extends into a locking void 508 of the inner cylinder 400 when the locking void 508 reaches the spring-loaded locking pin 507, thereby locking the second disposal stage 103 and the inner cylinder 400 together in place. The relative positions of the locking void 508 and the locking pin 507 are selected such that when the inner cylinder 400 is positioned, relative to the body 505 of the second disposal stage 103, in the desired final deployment position, the locking pin 507 and the locking void 508 are aligned, and thereby the locking pin 507 is trapped within the locking void 508, preventing further motion of the inner cylinder 400 relative to the second disposal stage 103. This position of the inner cylinder 400 causes the top surface 506 of the inner cylinder 400 to butt up against the leg of the L-shaped portion 504 and thereby also prevents the petals 19 from retracting. As a result, the petals 109 of the second disposal stage 103 are deployed in operation, and the deployed petal portions 502, keep the second disposal stage 103 anchored to a specific location, such as by piercing the seafloor. This is the illustrated arrestor system 500.
While a particular arrestor system is shown, it is understood that the specific mechanisms of arrestor systems may be plethoric and may include one or more of the following: triggers, triggering mechanisms, spring-loaded actuators, levers, magnetic actuators, deployable petals/wings/plates/arms, extendible/inflatable/telescopic petals/wings/plates/arms, and the like and combinations thereof. The arrestor system helps prevent the second disposal stage from sinking into the seabed.
As shown,
Generally, the petals 109 will help form the body (See e.g.,
The illustrated second transponder 700 may be in communication with the first transponder (See e.g.,
The second transponder 700 and the first transponder (See e.g.,
In operation of one embodiment of the invention, when the latches (See e.g.,
Illustrated by this embodiment, there are a plurality of deployed petals 109, coupled to the second disposal stage 103 and extending outwardly therefrom, parallel to the seafloor. Accordingly, the petals 109 may extend onto the seafloor and/or its sub-seabed sediments. Also shown by
The illustrated spring-loaded latch 900 is pivotally coupled to the second disposal stage 103 and is removably coupled to the lip 901. Upon impact, the first disposal stage 102 and the second disposal stage 103 may compress, allowing the spring loaded latch 900 to pivot off of the lip, and thereby uncoupling the first disposal stage 102 from the second disposal stage 103. Accordingly, the impact-trigger spring-loaded latch 900 and lip 901 may be part of the automatic disengagement device (See e.g.,
In operation of one embodiment of the invention, upon a triggering event (generally the tip of the first disposal stage 102 impacting the seabed), the latches 900 open to release and/or uncouple the first disposal stage 102 from the second disposal stage 103. A variety of latches may be used to removably couple the first disposal stage 102 to the second disposal stage 103. Some non-limiting examples of latches 900 that may be used include: draw latches, cam latches, Suffolk latches, elbow catches, or any mechanical fastener that joins the first disposal stage 102 to the second disposal stage 103 and allows for regular separation. Likewise, the latches 900 may be electronic and/or otherwise electronically/digitally engaged and/or disengaged.
First, nuclear waste is collected from a site, such as a nuclear power plant. The material may be shipped in standardized containers to a port where they may be received 951 and loaded into penetrators 952. The penetrators may have a first disposal stage removably coupled to a second disposal stage (See e.g.,
The penetrators are then loaded onto a disposal vessel 953, such as but not limited to a ship, barge, tanker, carrier, cruiser, etc. The disposal vessels transport the penetrators to a selected disposal site 954. The designated disposal site may be selected in a plethora of ways. For instance, the designated disposal site may be selected by the following ways, such as, but not limited to a: 1. A site greater than 4,000 meters below the surface which may ensure the food chain link with the surface is broken; 2. A site in the abyssal plain or abyssal hills region which may ensure seismic stability; 3. A site located away from known ship wreck sites, known fisheries, known mineral resources, known undersea cables, and other such areas which may minimize the probability of future human intrusion; 4. A site with uniform site characteristics which may ensure consistent penetration depth and/or encapsulation and/or which may provide an effective barrier to prevent the migration of radionuclides; and/or 5. A site where the geological record of sediment deposition rate is greater than the migration rate of most of the radionuclides through the selected sediments which may ensure the radionuclides of concern remain within the sediments and/or do not escape into the ocean. Accordingly, the disposal site 954 may be selected based on a variety of criteria, such as but not limited to: seabed consistency, seismic activity, depth, distance, and so on.
Once at the disposal site, the penetrator is released from the disposal vessel 955 and the collected nuclear waste is deposited in the ocean floor. This may be accomplished by dropping free-fall penetrators, as those described herein, from an ocean-going vessel, such as through a moon pool of the same, at specific locations, one after the other, with specific/precise translational movement of the ocean-going vessel between each drop, in order to deposit the penetrators in an array on the ocean floor. When the penetrator reaches the ocean floor, it penetrates the sub-seabed sediment 956 and the second disposal stage is uncoupled from the first disposal stage 957.
The illustrated method includes a penetrator (See e.g.,
As the second disposal stage is uncoupled from the first disposal stage 957 by an automatic disengagement device (See e.g.,
Once the nuclear waste is deposited in the ocean floor, a transponder of the penetrator is activated 959 so that it may be monitored. Transponders from the first disposal stage and the second disposal stage may be activated, respectively, and used to monitor the nuclear waste and provide data regarding specified properties of the nuclear waste. For example, the nuclear waste may be monitored for stability, location, etc. Activation 959 of the transponders may occur on, before, or during fee-fall or on or after deployment. A radioactive power source may be supplied to the transponders 962 for activation and signal transmission. The transponders may provide continuous signal transmission.
The illustrated retrieving the first disposal stage from the sub-seabed sediment of the ocean floor 975 includes retrieving a first disposal stage (See e.g.
It is understood that the above-described embodiments are only illustrative of the application of the principles of the present invention. The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiment is to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.
For example, although the second transponder is shown disposed along the body of the second disposal stage, it understood that the second transponder may be disposed along any portion of the second disposal stage, such as along a fin or petal. In addition, the penetrator may have a variety of latch mechanisms, such as, but not limited to, an explosive bolt or shear pin. Also, the deployable petals may also have a variety of structures, such as sheets or an iris-structure. Similarly, the initial petal deployment trigger and mechanism may be all one mechanism, or it may be two or more mechanisms.
As another example, while nuclear waste is discussed herein, other types of waste may be disposed of using the system described herein.
Additionally, although the figures illustrate a first disposal stage and a second disposal stage each with four disposal fins, the stages may include any number of fins, such as, but not limited to: three, four, five, or ten. More, the fins on the stages may not align and may be staggered, etc. The first disposal stage fins may be angled, straight, and have any length configured to align with the fins of stage two. Additionally, the first disposal stage may have latch ledges configured to receive a latch from the second disposal stage. Similarly, the stages may be removably coupled via a friction fit, a cavity, explosive bolts, etc. More, the first disposal stage may have an inner ledge configured to drive up the inner cylinder upon impact. For example, the first disposal stage may include a flange of some sort to hit or strike the inner cylinder.
It is expected that there could be numerous variations of the design of this invention. For instance, it is envisioned that the first disposal stage may include a vent or venting system that equalizes pressure within the penetrator as it descends to the ocean floor. More, the first disposal stage may include an outer shell that is vented, unvented, cylindrical, long, skinny, fat, etc. Likewise, the cavity for canisters may have any shape configured to accommodate different shaped canisters, as well as different storage configurations for canisters or packed materials.
Furthermore, the second disposal stage may have a body of different shapes, such as, but not limited to, cylindrical, cuboidal, pentagonal, hexagonal, etc. In addition, the stage two fins may have any configuration to match or align with the stage one fins. For instance, the second disposal fins may have different shapes and/or be angled or straight.
Too, the release mechanism of the inner cylinder may be coupled to the perforated plate but may also be coupled elsewhere. Further, the perforated plate may be a fin or concentric cylinders. Even more, the cylinder may be a collection of mechanisms, components, or parts, rather than being configured as a complete cylinder. Furthermore, the canister may be configured to contain a variety of substances, solids, liquids, gases, etc.
Finally, it is envisioned that the components of the device may be constructed of a variety of materials, such as but not limited to: concrete, metal, glass, and/or plastic, and/or composites thereof, and such may be selected based on expected environmental conditions during loading, transport, release, penetration, and ultimate disposal within the seabed, so as to properly execute the desired functions, steps, operations, and results described herein.
Thus, while the present invention has been fully described above with particularity and detail in connection with what is presently deemed to be the most practical and preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that numerous modifications, including, but not limited to, variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use may be made, without departing from the principles and concepts of the invention as set forth in the claims. Further, it is contemplated that an embodiment may be limited to consist of or to consist essentially of one or more of the features, functions, structures, methods described herein.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
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| 20200357533 A1 | Nov 2020 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
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| 62775215 | Dec 2018 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 16773345 | Jan 2020 | US |
| Child | 16829502 | US |
