140 patents
Utility
Heat Pipe Fuel Element and Fission Reactor Incorporating Same, Particularly Having Phyllotaxis Spacing Pattern of Heat Pipe Fuel Elements, and Method of Manufacture
18 Jan 24
A heat pipe fuel element includes an evaporation section, a condensing section, a capillary section connecting the evaporation section to the condensing section, and a primary coolant.
Benjamin D. FISHER, Craig D. GRAMLICH, Ross E. PIVOVAR, John R. SALASIN, Jonathan K. WITTER
Filed: 11 Jul 23
Utility
Photon Propagation Modified Additive Manufacturing Compositions and Methods of Additive Manufacturing Using Same
4 Jan 24
Additive manufacturing compositions include low-absorbing particles or non-absorbing particles that have an absorbance for wavelengths of 300 nm to 700 nm that is equal to or greater than 0 Au and is less 1.0 Au, such as 0.001 Au absorbance Au.
John R. SALASIN, Benjamin D. FISHER
Filed: 16 Aug 23
Utility
Reactor design with controlled thermal neutron flux for enhanced neutron activation potential
19 Dec 23
Reactor core and thermal neutron fission reactor has fuel rods with a composite fuel composition (each having the same uniform cross-section along their axial length), end plates at first and second ends, and intermediate support plates located along a longitudinal length of the reactor core.
Craig D. Gramlich, William E. Russell, II
Filed: 8 Feb 21
Utility
Resin Adhesion Failure Detection
23 Nov 23
Methods to in-situ monitor production of additive manufacturing products collects images from the deposition process on a layer-by-layer basis, including a void image of the pattern left in a slurry layer after deposition of a layer and a displacement image formed by immersing the just-deposited layer in a renewed slurry layer.
Ryan Scott KITCHEN, Benjamin D. FISHER
Filed: 31 Jul 23
Utility
Electron Beam Integration for Sterilizing Radiopharmaceuticals Inside a Hot Cell
23 Nov 23
A sterilization system for a radiopharmaceutical product comprising a hot cell disposed within a clean room environment.
Benjamin D. Fisher, Curtis G. Hamilton, Kenneth Palazzi
Filed: 18 May 23
Utility
Internal Hierarchical Polynomial Model for Physics Simulation
16 Nov 23
A method is provided for using a hierarchical polynomial model for physics simulation.
Ross PIVOVAR
Filed: 2 May 23
Utility
Functionally graded lattice cermet fuel structure with shape corresponding to a mathematically-based periodic solid, particularly for nuclear thermal propulsion
14 Nov 23
Nuclear propulsion fission reactor structure has an active core region including fuel element structures, a reflector with rotatable neutron absorber structures (such as drum absorbers), and a core former conformal mating the outer surface of the fuel element structures to the reflector.
Benjamin D. Fisher, John R. Salasin, Craig D. Gramlich, Jonathan K. Witter
Filed: 29 Jun 22
Utility
Photon Propagation Modified Additive Manufacturing Compositions and Methods of Additive Manufacturing Using Same
26 Oct 23
Additive manufacturing compositions include low-absorbing particles or non-absorbing particles that have an absorbance for wavelengths of 300 nm to 700 nm that is equal to or greater than 0 Au and is less 1.0 Au, such as 0.001 Au≤absorbance≤0.7 Au.
John R. SALASIN, Benjamin D. FISHER
Filed: 3 Jul 23
Utility
Carbide-based Fuel Assembly for Thermal Propulsion Applications
12 Oct 23
Carbide-based fuel assembly includes outer structural member of ceramic matrix composite material, the interior surface of which is lined in higher temperature regions with an insulation layer of porous refractory ceramic material.
Eric A. BARRINGER, Russell R. JENSEN, Jeremy L. GUSTAFSON, Matt ALES, Joshua J. BERGMAN, Ryan T. SWANSON, Jonathan K. WITTER, Danny GALICKI, James B. INMAN, Matt KRECICKI, Roger RIDGEWAY
Filed: 1 Jun 23
Utility
Defective fuel bundle location system
10 Oct 23
A defective fuel bundle location system for use with a heavy water moderated nuclear fission reactor having a fueling machine, including a test tool defining an internal volume, the test tool being configured to be received within both the fueling machine and a corresponding fuel channel of the reactor, and a test container defining an internal volume, wherein the test container is configured to be received within the internal volume of the test tool and the internal volume of the test container is configured to receive primary fluid from the reactor when the test tool is disposed within the corresponding fuel channel of the reactor.
Thomas G. Onderwater
Filed: 19 Aug 22
Utility
Insulated Electrode Fixture for Resistance Welding and Method of Welding Using Same
5 Oct 23
Insulated electrode fixture has an electrically conductive body with a receiving channel configured to receive a workpiece and an insert that is electrically isolated from the electrically conductive body is located on the first side and circumferential to the receiving channel.
Earl B. BARGER, Scott L. FITZNER, Jeffrey T. LEE
Filed: 28 Mar 23
Utility
Carbide-based Fuel Assembly for Thermal Propulsion Applications
5 Oct 23
Carbide-based fuel assembly includes outer structural member of ceramic matrix composite material (e.g., SiC—SiC composite), insulation layer of porous refractory ceramic material (e.g., zirconium carbide with open-cell foam structure or fibrous zirconium carbide), and interior structural member of refractory ceramic-graphite composite material (e.g., zirconium carbide-graphite or niobium carbide-graphite).
Eric A. BARRINGER, Russell R. JENSEN, Jeremy L. GUSTAFSON, Matt ALES, Joshua J. BERGMAN, Ryan T. SWANSON, Jonathan K. WITTER, Danny GALICKI, James B. INMAN, Matt KRECICKI, Roger RIDGEWAY
Filed: 6 Jun 23
Utility
Resin adhesion failure detection
19 Sep 23
Methods to in-situ monitor production of additive manufacturing products collects images from the deposition process on a layer-by-layer basis, including a void image of the pattern left in a slurry layer after deposition of a layer and a displacement image formed by immersing the just-deposited layer in a renewed slurry layer.
Ryan Scott Kitchen, Benjamin D. Fisher
Filed: 18 Nov 20
Utility
Fuel Bundle with Twisted Ribbon Fuel Rodlets for Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Applications, Structures for Manufacture, and Methods of Manufacture
7 Sep 23
Fuel bundle has plurality of twisted ribbon fuel rodlets arranged hexagonal packing or circle packing arrangement in a reactor core encased in a multilayer casing.
Benjamin D. FISHER, John R. SALASIN, David J. GARNER, Christopher N. FOLMAR, Sabrina McCOY
Filed: 7 Mar 23
Utility
Fuel Bundle with Twisted Ribbon Fuel Rodlets for Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Applications, Structures for Manufacture, and Methods of Manufacture
7 Sep 23
Fuel bundle has plurality of twisted ribbon fuel rodlets arranged hexagonal packing or circle packing arrangement in a reactor core encased in a multilayer casing.
Benjamin D. FISHER, John R. SALASIN, Marilyn I. DELGADO
Filed: 7 Mar 23
Utility
Fuel Bundle with Twisted Ribbon Fuel Rodlets for Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Applications, Structures for Manufacture, and Methods of Manufacture
7 Sep 23
Fuel bundle has plurality of twisted ribbon fuel rodlets arranged in hexagonal packing or circle packing arrangement in a reactor core encased in a multilayer casing.
Benjamin D. FISHER, John R. SALASIN
Filed: 7 Mar 23
Utility
Photon propagation modified additive manufacturing compositions and methods of additive manufacturing using same
22 Aug 23
Additive manufacturing compositions include low-absorbing particles or non-absorbing particles that have an absorbance for wavelengths of 300 nm to 700 nm that is equal to or greater than 0 Au and is less 1.0 Au, such as 0.001 Au≤absorbance≤0.7 Au.
John R. Salasin, Benjamin D. Fisher
Filed: 1 Nov 21
Utility
Dual shut-off valve
22 Aug 23
A dual shut-off valve including a valve body defining an interior cavity and a flow tube passing therethrough, an outer cylinder including a body portion defining an interior cavity and a through hole passing therethrough, the outer cylinder being rotatably disposed within the interior cavity of the valve body, and an inner cylinder including a body portion defining a through hole passing therethrough, the inner cylinder being rotatably disposed within the interior cavity of the outer cylinder, wherein the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder are both rotatable between a first position in which the through holes of the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder are aligned with the flow tube and a second position in which the through holes of the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder are transverse to the flow tube.
James Brian Inman
Filed: 4 Jun 21
Utility
Plenum plate standoff spools for separating a pair of plenum plates in a nuclear reactor
15 Aug 23
A nuclear reactor has first and second plenum plates disposed in a pressure vessel.
James B. Inman, Steven M. Delessio, Andrew C. Whitten, Curtis G. Hamilton
Filed: 18 Sep 20
Utility
Carbide-based fuel assembly for thermal propulsion applications
15 Aug 23
Carbide-based fuel assembly includes outer structural member of ceramic matrix composite material, the interior surface of which is lined in higher temperature regions with an insulation layer of porous refractory ceramic material.
Eric A. Barringer, Russell R. Jensen, Jeremy L. Gustafson, Matt Ales, Joshua J. Bergman, Ryan T. Swanson, Jonathan K. Witter, Danny Galicki, James B. Inman, Matt Krecicki, Roger Ridgeway
Filed: 11 Aug 21