Current use for spent nuclear fuel pellets ?

[Externet]

Hi.

What is being done with the heat released by spent nuclear pellets ? Is it just released to atmosphere, or some industrial application is being fulfilled ?

 

Is the heat produced by spent pellets used to preheat water that supplies reactors thus using the energy ?

 

For several levels of radioactivity in the spent pellets; is there a safe one (or shielded one) that if we lived in a world of saints and security was not an issue, a plain size home could use its heat for winter warming; how many pellets would do the task and how long would they last performing reasonably well ?

 

Somewhere I read one spent pellet (about a cubic centimeter?) has the energy of 500Kg of coal. Is that right ?

 

What are the methods of encapsulation/shielding the radioactivity of the pellets and still extract the heat for industrial uses?

[Moontanman]

Hi.

What is being done with the heat released by spent nuclear pellets ? Is it just released to atmosphere, or some industrial application is being fulfilled ?

 

Is the heat produced by spent pellets used to preheat water that supplies reactors thus using the energy ?

 

For several levels of radioactivity in the spent pellets; is there a safe one (or shielded one) that if we lived in a world of saints and security was not an issue, a plain size home could use its heat for winter warming; how many pellets would do the task and how long would they last performing reasonably well ?

 

Somewhere I read one spent pellet (about a cubic centimeter?) has the energy of 500Kg of coal. Is that right ?

 

What are the methods of encapsulation/shielding the radioactivity of the pellets and still extract the heat for industrial uses?

 

 

Here is one use for that waste.