79 patents
Page 3 of 4
Utility
Resistance Pressure Weld for Nuclear Reactor Fuel Rod Tube End Plug
28 Oct 21
A fuel rod for a nuclear reactor, including a cladding tube having a first end with an annular end face, a second end with an annular end face, and a cylindrical body portion extending therebetween, and a first tube end plug including a front portion, an annular lip with an annular end face, and a substantially straight cylindrical body portion extending therebetween, wherein the surface area of the annular end face of the first end of the cladding tube and the annular end face of the annular lip of the first tube end plug are substantially equal, and the annular end face of the first end of the cladding tube and the annular end face of the annular lip of the first tube end plug are connected by a resistance pressure weld.
Earl Brian Barger, Scott L. Fitzner, Jeffrey T. Lee, Roger D. Ridgeway
Filed: 27 May 21
Utility
Apparatus and Method for Safety Analysis Evaluation with Data-driven Workflow
21 Oct 21
An apparatus and method for system safety analysis evaluation is provided, the apparatus including processing circuitry configured for generating a calculation matrix for a system, generating a plurality of models based on the calculation matrix, performing a benchmarking or convolution analysis of the plurality of models, identifying a design envelope based on the benchmarking or convolution analysis, deriving uncertainty models from the benchmarking or convolution analysis, deriving an assessment judgment based on the uncertainty models and acceptance criteria, defining one or more limiting scenarios based on the design envelope, and determining a safety margin in at least one figure-of-merit for the system based on the design envelope and the acceptance criteria.
Robert P. Martin, Simone H. Morgan
Filed: 26 Apr 21
Utility
In-Situ Inspection Method Based on Digital Data Model of Weld
14 Oct 21
A method inspects weld quality in-situ.
Ryan Scott KITCHEN, Matthew Paul LEVASSEUR, Ryan Steven WACKERLY, Ross PIVOVAR
Filed: 5 Apr 21
Utility
Reactor Design with Controlled Thermal Neutron Flux for Enhanced Neutron Activation Potential
14 Oct 21
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
Robust Nuclear Propulsion Fission Reactor with Tri-pitch Patterned Core and Drum Absorbers
30 Sep 21
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.
Craig D. GRAMLICH, Benjamin D. FISHER, William E. RUSSELL, II
Filed: 21 Aug 20
Utility
Valve Assembly with Isolation Valve Vessel
16 Sep 21
Apparatuses for reducing or eliminating Type 1 LOCAs in a nuclear reactor vessel.
John D. Malloy, III, Michael J. Edwards
Filed: 27 May 21
Utility
Optimization of Expensive Cost Functions Subject to Complex Multidimensional Constraints
2 Sep 21
A method is used to design nuclear reactors using design variables and metric variables.
Ross Evan PIVOVAR
Filed: 6 Jan 21
Utility
System and Method for GERMANIUM-68 Isotope Production
22 Jul 21
A system and method for producing Germanium-68 (Ge-68) isotopes is provided.
Chung Kay Michael WONG, Raymond Jeffery WHYTE
Filed: 14 Jan 21
Utility
Fission Reactor with Segmented Cladding Bodies Having Cladding Arms with Involute Curve Shape
1 Jul 21
Plurality of layers form a nuclear fission reactor structure, each layer having an inner segment body, an intermediate segment body, and an outer segment body (each segment body separated by an interface).
James B. INMAN, Josh J. BERGMAN
Filed: 25 Sep 20
Utility
Resin Adhesion Failure Detection
10 Jun 21
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
Nuclear Reactor Refueling Methods and Apparatuses
22 Apr 21
Refueling of a nuclear reactor (40) includes removing a fuel assembly (10).
Lewis A. Walton, Matthew W. Ales
Filed: 28 Dec 20
Utility
Nuclear Reactor Plenum Plate Standoff Spools
1 Apr 21
A nuclear reactor having a pressure vessel, the reactor including a first plenum plate disposed within the pressure vessel, the first plenum plate defining a first plurality of apertures, a second plenum plate disposed within the pressure vessel, the second plenum plate being parallel to the first plenum plate and defining a first plurality of apertures, a fuel element including a fuel element flow tube extending through a first one of both the first pluralities of apertures of both the first and the second plenum plates, and a first fuel element standoff spool being disposed about a portion of the fuel element flow tube that is disposed between the first and the second plenum plates.
James B. Inman, Steven M. Delessio, Andrew C. Whitten, Curtis G. Hamilton
Filed: 18 Sep 20
Utility
Control Drum System for Use with Nuclear Reactors
18 Mar 21
A control drum system for a nuclear reactor including a reactor core, including an ex-core reflector including a plurality of cylindrical apertures, a plurality of control drum assemblies, each control drum assembly including a drive shaft, a drum cylinder affixed to a bottom end of the drive shaft, and a planetary gear attached to a top end of the drive shaft, wherein each drum cylinder is rotatably received in a cylindrical aperture, a first control drum drive motor operably connected to a first control drum assembly, and an annular ring gear that is operably connected to the planetary gear of each of the control drum assemblies so that all the control drum assemblies rotate simultaneously.
James B. Inman, Scott J. Shargots, Gary W. Neeley
Filed: 17 Sep 20
Utility
Apparatus and Method for Heat Exchanger Inspection
4 Mar 21
A robot for heat exchanger inspection is provided including a mobility system configured to move the robot in reference to the heat exchanger, a camera configured to capture image data including at least a portion of the heat exchanger, and processing circuitry.
Benjamin D. Fisher, Nicholas Johnson
Filed: 30 Aug 19
Utility
Apparatus and Method for Inspection of a Film on a Substrate
23 Dec 20
Methods of and apparatus for inspecting composite layers of a first material formed on a second material are provided including providing an illumination source, illuminating at least a portion of the composite at the layer, receiving light reflected from the sample, determining a spectral response from the received light, and comparing the received spectral response to an expected spectral response.
Aaron C. Havener, James D. Jogerst, Thomas C. Mohr, Keith B. Rider
Filed: 30 Aug 20
Utility
Helical Baffle for Once-Through Steam Generator
16 Dec 20
A steam generator includes a shroud and an annular stepwise helical baffle extending along at least part of a length of the shroud.
Kareem M.A. ALY
Filed: 20 Jul 20
Utility
PWR Decay Heat Removal System In Which Steam from the Pressurizer Drives a Turbine Which Drives a Pump to Inject Water into the Reactor Pressure Vessel
16 Dec 20
In conjunction with a pressurized water reactor (PWR) and a pressurizer configured to control pressure in the reactor pressure vessel, a decay heat removal system comprises a pressurized passive condenser, a turbine-driven pump connected to suction water from at least one water source into the reactor pressure vessel; and steam piping configured to deliver steam from the pressurizer to the turbine to operate the pump and to discharge the delivered steam into the pressurized passive condenser.
Thomas G. Graham
Filed: 23 Jul 20
Utility
Rapid Digital Nuclear Reactor Design Using Machine Learning
9 Dec 20
A method designs nuclear reactors using design variables and metric variables.
Ross Evan PIVOVAR, Ryan Trigg SWANSON
Filed: 7 Jun 20
Utility
Spacer Grid Welding Fixture
2 Dec 20
A spacer grid welding fixture comprises a frame sized to receive an assembled spacer grid comprising a first set of parallel straps and a second set of parallel straps oriented orthogonally to the first set of parallel straps, the first and second sets of parallel straps interlocked together by slots cut into the straps.
Roger D. Ridgeway, Jeffrey W. Austin, Jeffrey T. Lee
Filed: 19 Aug 20
Utility
Molten Metal Fuel Buffer In Fission Reactor and Method of Manufacture
25 Nov 20
Fission reactor has a cladding encasing a heat generating source including a fissionable nuclear fuel composition.
Craig D. GRAMLICH
Filed: 16 Apr 20