Systems and methods for reducing the storage time of spent nuclear fuel

1. A method of reducing the storage time of spent nuclear fuel, the method comprising:

providing a spent nuclear fuel rod; and

irradiating, by a gamma ray free electron laser (FEL), the spent nuclear fuel rod along a longitudinal axis of the spent nuclear fuel rod with substantially collimated gamma ray photons having energy levels of about 10 MeV to about 15 MeV for a predetermined time period to initiate a photofission reaction in remaining fertile fissile material in the spent nuclear fuel rod.

2. A method of reducing the storage time of spent nuclear fuel, the method comprising:

providing a sample of spent nuclear fuel; and

placing the sample of spent nuclear fuel in a nuclear reactor with active nuclear material and control material; and

removing portions of the control material until the reactor reaches near criticality;

irradiating, after the removing, the spent nuclear fuel with substantially collimated gamma ray photons having energy levels of about 10 MeV to about 15 MeV for a predetermined time period to initiate a photofission reaction in remaining fertile fissile material in the spent nuclear fuel.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

extracting power from the nuclear reactor, wherein the extracted power includes power due to the photofission reaction;

converting the power from the nuclear reactor into electricity; and

employing the electricity to provide power to a gamma ray source that provides the substantially collimated gamma ray photons having energy levels of about 10 MeV to about 15 MeV.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the gamma ray source is a gamma ray free electron laser (FEL).

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the predetermined time period is about 1 to about 10 hours.

6. A method of reducing the storage time of spent nuclear fuel rods, the method comprising:

placing a spent nuclear fuel rod in a nuclear reactor with a plurality of active nuclear fuel rods and a plurality of control rods;

removing one or more of the plurality of control rods until the reactor reaches near criticality; and

irradiating the spent nuclear fuel rod, in the nuclear reactor, with substantially collimated gamma ray photons having energy levels of about 10 MeV to about 15 MeV for a predetermined time period to initiate a photofission reaction in remaining fertile fissile material in the spent nuclear fuel rod.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the irradiating the spent nuclear fuel rod comprises irradiating the spent nuclear fuel rod along its longitudinal axis.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the irradiating the spent nuclear fuel rod comprises irradiating the spent nuclear fuel rod with a gamma ray free electron laser (FEL).

9. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

extracting power from the nuclear reactor that includes power due to the photofission reaction in the remaining fertile fissile material in the spent nuclear fuel rod;

converting the power from the nuclear reactor into electricity; and

employing the electricity to provide power to a gamma ray source that provides the substantially collimated gamma ray photons having energy levels of about 10 MeV to about 15 MeV.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the gamma ray source is a gamma ray free electron laser (FEL).

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the predetermined time period is about 1 to about 10 hours.

12. The method of claim 2 , further comprising extracting power from the nuclear reactor, wherein the extracted power includes power due to the photofission reaction.

13. The method of claim 6 , further comprising extracting power from the nuclear reactor, wherein the extracted power includes power due to the photofission reaction.