Patents Examined by Darlene M Ritchie
  • Patent number: 11238998
    Abstract: An in-vessel cooling and power generation system according to the present disclosure may include a small scale reactor vessel, a heat exchange section provided inside the reactor vessel, and formed to supply supercritical fluid to receive heat from a reactor coolant system in the reactor vessel, an electric power production section comprising a supercritical turbine formed to produce electric energy using the energy of the supercritical fluid whose temperature has increased while receiving heat from the reactor coolant system, a cooling section configured to exchange heat with the supercritical fluid discharged after driving the supercritical turbine to shrink a volume of the supercritical fluid, wherein the supercritical fluid that has received heat from the reactor coolant system in the heat exchange section is formed to circulate through the electric power production section, and the cooling section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignees: KOREA ATOMIC ENERGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE, KING ABDULLAH CITY FOR ATOMIC AND RENEWABLE ENERGY
    Inventors: Youngin Kim, Seungyeob Ryu, Joohyung Moon, Soojai Shin, Seok Kim, Hyunjun Cho, Juhyeon Yoon, Kilsung Kwon
  • Patent number: 11227697
    Abstract: An detector-assembly for measuring flux in a nuclear reactor core includes self-powered in-core detector arrangements each for measuring flux at a different one of a plurality of axial locations in the core, and an assembly connector configured to be connected to a power plant connector. The assembly connector includes a plurality flux signal terminals each connected to one of self-powered in-core detector arrangements. At least one of the self-powered in-core detector arrangements comprises a set of at least two self-powered in-core detectors for measuring flux at a same one of the axial locations in the nuclear reactor core. Each of the at least two self-powered in-core detectors includes a sheath, a detector material section inside the sheath, an insulator between the sheath and the detector material, and a flux signal output line. The flux signal output lines of the at least two self-powered in-core detectors are joined together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: Framatome Inc.
    Inventor: Ian McKeag Johnson
  • Patent number: 11217351
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided that facilitate stability of an FRC plasma in both radial and axial directions and axial position control of an FRC plasma along the symmetry axis of an FRC plasma chamber. The systems and methods exploit an axially unstable equilibria of the FRC plasma to enforce radial stability, while stabilizing or controlling the axial instability. The systems and methods provide feedback control of the FRC plasma axial position independent of the stability properties of the plasma equilibrium by acting on the voltages applied to a set of external coils concentric with the plasma and using a non-linear control technique.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: TAE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: Jesus Antonio Romero Gonzalez
  • Patent number: 11219117
    Abstract: An example plasma confinement system includes an inner electrode having a rounded first end that is disposed on a longitudinal axis of the plasma confinement system and an outer electrode that at least partially surrounds the inner electrode. The outer electrode includes a solid conductive shell and an electrically conductive material disposed on the solid conductive shell and on the longitudinal axis of the plasma confinement system. The electrically conductive material has a melting point within a range of 170° C. to 800° C. at 1 atmosphere of pressure. Related plasma confinement systems and methods are also disclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignees: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC, University of Washington
    Inventors: Uri Shumlak, Harry S. McLean, Brian A. Nelson
  • Patent number: 11211177
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a screen sharing system of a nuclear power plant main control room for improving operation safety of a power plant. According to an example of the present invention, a power plant control screen of each operator is shared in real-time among other operators by a simple manipulation such that operators can easily simultaneously check a power plant operation screen of other operators, whereby a mistake of another operator can be detected and manipulated in time, thus improving operation safety of a power plant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: KOREA HYDRO & NUCLEAR POWER CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sung Kon Kang, Chan Ho Sung, Yeon Sub Jung
  • Patent number: 11211172
    Abstract: Systems and methods that facilitate forming and maintaining FRCs with superior stability as well as particle, energy and flux confinement and, more particularly, systems and methods that facilitate forming and maintaining FRCs with elevated system energies and improved sustainment utilizing multi-scaled capture type vacuum pumping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: TAE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: Alan Van Drie
  • Patent number: 11211173
    Abstract: A nuclear reactor includes a vessel incorporating at least one primary power heat exchanger for cooling the primary liquid of the nuclear reactor during the normal operation of the reactor and at least one primary passive safety heat exchanger for cooling the primary liquid of the nuclear reactor in the event of a malfunction in the normal cooling of the primary liquid of the reactor. The vessel includes a compartment arranged in the thickness thereof, wherein the primary passive safety heat exchanger is at least partially contained inside the compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: SOCIETE TECHNIQUE POUR L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE
    Inventors: Laurent Candillier, Frédéric Costantini, Michel Felziere, Lorrain Demas
  • Patent number: 11200992
    Abstract: A boiling water reactor system includes a reactor vessel including a reactor core. A steam line is in communication with the reactor core and a turbine that is connected to an electrical generator. A dry standby liquid control system includes a standby vessel containing dry powder containing boron and including a high pressure water supply in communication with the standby vessel via a first closed valve, wherein the standby vessel is in communication with the reactor vessel via a second closed valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy Americas LLC
    Inventor: Gary M. Anthony
  • Patent number: 11195627
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided that facilitate forming and maintaining FRCs with superior stability as well as particle, energy and flux confinement and, more particularly, systems and methods that facilitate forming and maintaining FRCs with elevated system energies and improved sustainment utilizing neutral beam injectors with tunable beam energy capabilities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: TAE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Alexander Dunaevsky, Sergei Putvinski, Artem N. Smirnov, Michl W. Binderbauer
  • Patent number: 11183311
    Abstract: A fuel assembly for a pressure-tube nuclear reactor includes a fuel channel assembly. The fuel channel assembly has an outer conduit and an inner conduit received within the outer conduit. The conduits define an annular fuel bundle chamber for receiving a flow of a coolant in one direction. The inner conduit includes a central flow passage for receiving a flow of the coolant in an opposite direction. A fuel bundle positioned within the fuel bundle chamber consists of fuel elements arranged to form an inner ring surrounding the inner conduit, and an outer ring surrounding the inner ring. The coolant may be light water, and geometries of the fuel assembly may be selected so moderation by the volume of coolant promotes generally uniform power distribution in the fuel elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Atomic Energy of Canada Limited / Energie Atomique Du Canada Limitee
    Inventors: Jeremy Pencer, Blair Bromley, Armando Nava-Dominguez
  • Patent number: 11183310
    Abstract: Embodiments of a bottom nozzle of a nuclear fuel assembly provided with flow holes by utilizing a layered aircraft airfoil structure are provided. The bottom nozzle not only increases efficiency of filtering foreign substances by minimizing a size of the flow holes by constituting a shape of flow holes into cross stripes but also prevents coolant water flow velocity drop through prevention of coolant water pressure drop by constituting a lateral sectional shape of the grid frames constituting the cross stripes into an aircraft airfoil type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: KEPCO NUCLEAR FUEL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Joo Hong Chun, Seong Soo Kim, Su Pil Ryu, Do Gwan Lee, Nam Gyu Park, Jong Sung Yoo
  • Patent number: 11169571
    Abstract: A portable laptop computing device includes an internal casing that stores secondary displays which extend outward from the device's primary display to thereby increase the amount of displays a user can view while operating the device. The secondary displays are positioned inside a casing of the primary display which is large enough to house at least two displays. The two displays are connected to a hinge which is configured to provide inward and outward movement and rotational movement of the secondary display about 360°. The system can also be implemented with an expansive ecosystem of interoperable components, including an add-on component from which secondary displays can extend, vertical screen adapters which can replace the customary horizontal configuration, a stand to which the add-on component can connect, and a horizontal screen adapter that connects with the stand to provide a convenient three-display set-up when used with the add-on component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Inventor: Robert Charles DeMaio
  • Patent number: 11170903
    Abstract: A method for detecting a leak in a cladding tube in a nuclear reactor is described. The method is well-suited for use in a reactor having a plurality of cladding tubes housed in a plurality of linearly arranged channels for flowing coolant past the cladding tubes. The method includes monitoring the channels for the occurrence of an increase in radiation above a selected base line indicative of the presence of at least one fission product in the coolant in at least one of the plurality of channels, and monitoring the channels for the occurrence of time dependent changes in the strength of radiation in the coolant above the base line along the length of the at least one of the plurality of channels. The leak location is calculated by triangulating the radiation readings from a fixed linear array of detectors positioned adjacent to the channels to determine the location of the strongest radiation reading and the location along the length of the channel where the increase in radiation occurred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Company LLC
    Inventors: Michael D. Heibel, Jeffrey L. Arndt
  • Patent number: 11163164
    Abstract: A display system comprising a foveal display having a monocular field of view of at least 1 degree is positioned within a scannable field of view of at least 20 degrees, the foveal display positioned for a user. In one embodiment, the foveal display is positioned for the user's fovea.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: Avegant Corp.
    Inventors: Aaron Matthew Eash, Andrew John Gross, Edward Chia Ning Tang, D. Scott Dewald, Joseph Roger Battelle, Kevin William King, Warren Cornelius Welch, III
  • Patent number: 11156187
    Abstract: Disclosed is an interplanetary rocket propulsion to Mars and the Moons of the nearer outer Planets by means of 6000° K temperature, 100 atmosphere pressure, power generation and propulsion systems that utilize a gas cooled nuclear reactor and metal powder combustion, in combination with water wherein dissociation into oxygen to react with certain metals to form on board retained metal oxides, and to heat the hydrogen from dissociated water as well as on-board liquid hydrogen that is seeded with an alkali metal for use in a linear, Faraday magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) generator that is coaxial with a MHD accelerator for propulsion, wherein water and probable metal sources on planetary bodies would provide rocket fueling by metal oxide reprocessing to metal and for manned permanent life support bases, and for search of high value minerals, gold, silver, aluminum, rare minerals, diamonds, for transport with their lesser gravity back to Earth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Inventor: Bert Zauderer
  • Patent number: 11158431
    Abstract: Device for producing energy by nuclear fission, and methods of using same. The device comprises a core container of a core container material, which core container encloses an inner tubing of an inner tubing material. The inner tubing and/or the core container has(have) an inlet and an outlet. The device also comprises a molten fuel salt with a fissionable material and a molten moderator salt comprising metal hydroxide(s), metal deuteroxide(s) or a combination thereof and a redox-element having a reduction potential, which is larger than that of the inner tubing material or of the inner tubing material and the core container material. The molten moderator salt is located in the core container, and the molten fuel salt is located in the inner tubing. Alternatively, the molten fuel salt is located in the core container, and the molten moderator salt is located in the inner tubing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: SEABORG APS
    Inventors: Troels Schönfeldt, Jimmy S. Nielsen, Eirik E. Pettersen, Andreas V. Pedersen, Daniel J. Cooper
  • Patent number: 11145425
    Abstract: A method of forming a water resistant boundary on a fissile material for use in a water cooled nuclear reactor is described. The method comprises mixing a powdered fissile material selected from the group consisting of UN and U3Si2 with an additive selected from oxidation resistant materials having a melting or softening point lower than the sintering temperature of the fissile material, pressing the mixed fissile and additive materials into a pellet, sintering the pellet to a temperature greater than the melting point of the additive. Alternatively, if the melting point of the oxidation resistant particles is greater than the sintering temperature of UN or U3Si2, then the oxidation resistant particles can have a particle size distribution less than that of the UN or U3Si2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Company LLC
    Inventors: Edward J. Lahoda, Peng Xu, Robert L. Oelrich, Jr., Hemant Shah, Jonathan Wright, Lu Cai
  • Patent number: 11145426
    Abstract: A process signal control and monitoring system, includes: a signal processing device which is installed on an outside of a nuclear reactor containment vessel, an internal electrical power source, an analog-digital conversion part, an internal communication part which transmits the digital signal to the signal processing device, an internal repeater, and an external repeater which transmits the received signal to a communication satellite. When electric power supply from the signal processing device is disconnected, the internal electrical power source supplies electric power which is charged in the rechargeable battery, to the analog-digital conversion part and the internal communication part; and the internal communication part judges whether communication with the signal processing device is continued or disconnected; and when the communication is judged to be continued, the internal communication part continues transmitting the digital signal to the signal processing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yoichiro Hamaya
  • Patent number: 11137825
    Abstract: A Head-Mounted Display, HMD, apparatus for recording a video and playing back the video to a viewer in a Virtual Reality, VR, environment. A geographical area is recorded with an omnidirectional video recording camera by dividing the geographical area into a plurality of area portions and recording in separate video sections, each of the area portions while moving the camera in different directions. Time points in each video section are associated with virtual locations of the viewer. At a time point providing the viewer with a choice of directions to proceed, the system receives the viewer's choice and presents to the viewer, a video section corresponding to the virtual location of the viewer and desired direction of movement. The viewer's choice may be indicated by detecting a direction of the viewer's field of view or by receiving from the viewer, a response to a banner notification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
    Inventors: Thorsten Lohmar, Ali El Essaili, Mohamed Ibrahim, Raphael Wagner
  • Patent number: 11139087
    Abstract: A method and apparatus of limiting power of a boiling water nuclear reactor system includes a reactor pressure vessel, a reactor core disposed in the reactor pressure vessel, a core shroud surrounding the reactor core, a downcomer region disposed between an inner surface of the reactor pressure vessel and the core shroud, a steam line connected to an upper end of the reactor pressure vessel and a condenser system that receives steam from the reactor pressure vessel. A portion of the condenser system condensate is returned to the reactor pressure vessel of the boiling water reactor inside the core barrel above the core rather than into the downcomer. Returning the condensate in this way increases the effectiveness of an isolation condenser system or if the condensate is a portion of the feedwater from the main condenser it provides an effective means to regulate core flow and core power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy Americas LLC
    Inventors: Charles Lee Heck, Michael M. Cook