METHOD TO PROCESS USED NUCLEAR FUEL AND CENTRIFUGAL EXTRACTOR USED FOR THIS PURPOSE Russian patent published in 2011 - IPC G21C19/46 

FIELD: power engineering.

SUBSTANCE: centrifugal extractor comprises a unit of centrifugal extraction and a unit of electrolytic recovery. In the unit of electrolytic recovery, the unit of centrifugal extraction comprises a body of the main part, forming an outer shell, and a rotor body installed in the main part body and arranged so that application of centrifugal force helps in phase separation of a mixture from a fuel solution, which is produced by dissolution of used nuclear fuel in an aqueous solution of nitric acid, and an extracting dissolvent intended to extract nuclides contained in the fuel solution, there is a space in the specified unit of centrifugal extraction, which is intended for use as a mixing space, where the fuel solution is mixed with the extracting dissolvent and where the unit of electrolytic recovery is made so that the fuel solution that contains fission products and minor actinides, is sent to the unit of electrolytic recovery to carry out electrolytic recovery of nuclides until valency of plutonium contained in the fuel solution does not reach the level, when efficiency of extraction with the dissolvent drops low, and so that the electrolytically recovered solution is supplied into the rotor body.

EFFECT: invention makes it possible to extract uranium with high extent of purity without carrying out the stage of plutonium extraction from used nuclear fuel.

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