Patents by Inventor Brian G. Lockamon

Brian G. Lockamon has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • ELECTROCHEMICAL CORROSION POTENTIAL DEVICE AND METHOD
    Publication number: 20120263267
    Abstract: The invention provides at least two electrochemical sensors positioned in a nuclear reactor or in a system adjacent to the nuclear reactor, wherein at least one of the at least two electrochemical sensors has a heated zirconium electrode, and the at least two electrochemical sensors produce voltages proportional to an electrochemical corrosion potential for a surface that each of the at least two electrochemical sensors are installed upon. The invention also provides an arrangement configured to accept the voltages produced by the at least two electrochemical sensors, wherein the arrangement is configured to determine an electrochemical corrosion potential of a zirconium fuel rod in the nuclear reactor based upon the voltages of the at least two electrochemical sensors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2007
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Inventors: Mihai G.M. Pop, Brian G. Lockamon, Hans-Jurgen Sell, Renate Kilian
  • Electrochemical corrosion potential device and method
    Patent number: 8290111
    Abstract: The invention provides at least two electrochemical sensors positioned in a nuclear reactor or in a system adjacent to the nuclear reactor, wherein at least one of the at least two electrochemical sensors has a heated zirconium electrode, and the at least two electrochemical sensors produce voltages proportional to an electrochemical corrosion potential for a surface that each of the at least two electrochemical sensors are installed upon. The invention also provides an arrangement configured to accept the voltages produced by the at least two electrochemical sensors, wherein the arrangement is configured to determine an electrochemical corrosion potential of a zirconium fuel rod in the nuclear reactor based upon the voltages of the at least two electrochemical sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignees: Areva NP Inc., Areva NP GmbH
    Inventors: Mihai G. M. Pop, Brian G. Lockamon, Hans-Jürgen Sell, Renate Kilian
  • In-situ bwr and pwr CRUD flake analysis method and tool
    Patent number: 8069522
    Abstract: The invention provides a method and tool to perform an analysis of CRUD on a nuclear fuel rod. The method recites providing a nuclear fuel rod with a layer of CRUD on an exterior of the fuel rod, scraping the CRUD from the fuel rod with a CRUD scraping tool and collecting CRUD flakes from the CRUD scraping tool. The method also provides for sorting the CRUD flakes into particle fractions, and analyzing the CRUD with a scanning electron microscope, wherein the scraping tool has a blade with a rigidity that is matched to an anticipated CRUD deposit shear strength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: AREVA NP Inc.
    Inventors: Mihai G. M. Pop, Brian G. Lockamon, Laurence S. Lamanna, John T. Willse
  • In-situ bwr and pwr CRUD flake analysis method and tool
    Publication number: 20100281640
    Abstract: The invention provides a method and tool to perform an analysis of CRUD on a nuclear fuel rod. The method recites providing a nuclear fuel rod with a layer of CRUD on an exterior of the fuel rod, scraping the CRUD from the fuel rod with a CRUD scraping tool and collecting CRUD flakes from the CRUD scraping tool. The method also provides for sorting the CRUD flakes into particle fractions, and analyzing the CRUD with a scanning electron microscope, wherein the scraping tool has a blade with a rigidity that is matched to an anticipated CRUD deposit shear strength.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2007
    Publication date: November 11, 2010
    Inventors: Mihai G.M. Pop, Brian G. Lockamon, Laurence S. Lamanna, John T. Willse
  • In-situ BWR and PWR CRUD flake analysis method and tool
    Publication number: 20080277581
    Abstract: The invention provides a method and tool to perform an analysis of CRUD on a nuclear fuel rod. The method recites providing a nuclear fuel rod with a layer of CRUD on an exterior of the fuel rod, scraping the CRUD from the fuel rod with a CRUD scraping tool and collecting CRUD flakes from the CRUD scraping tool. The method also provides for sorting the CRUD flakes into particle fractions, and analyzing the CRUD with a scanning electron microscope, wherein the scraping tool has a blade with a rigidity that is matched to an anticipated CRUD deposit shear strength.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2007
    Publication date: November 13, 2008
    Inventors: Mihai G.M. Pop, Brian G. Lockamon, Laurence S. Lamanna, John T. Willse
  • In-situ BWR and PWR CRUD flake analysis method and tool
    Patent number: 7304301
    Abstract: The invention provides a method and tool to perform an analysis of CRUD on a nuclear fuel rod. The method recites providing a nuclear fuel rod with a layer of CRUD on an exterior of the fuel rod, scraping the CRUD from the fuel rod with a CRUD scraping tool and collecting CRUD flakes from the CRUD scraping tool. The method also provides for sorting the CRUD flakes into particle fractions, and analyzing the CRUD with a scanning electron microscope, wherein the scraping tool has a blade with a rigidity that is matched to an anticipated CRUD deposit shear strength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2007
    Assignee: Framatome ANP, Inc.
    Inventors: Mihai G. M. Pop, Brian G. Lockamon, Laurence S. Lamanna, John T. Willse
  • In-situ BWR and PWR CRUD flake analysis method and tool
    Patent number: 7132651
    Abstract: The invention provides a method and tool to perform an analysis of CRUD on a nuclear fuel rod. The method recites providing a nuclear fuel rod with a layer of CRUD on an exterior of the fuel rod, scraping the CRUD from the fuel rod with a CRUD scraping tool and collecting CRUD flakes from the CRUD scraping tool. The method also provides for sorting the CRUD flakes into particle fractions, and analyzing the CRUD with a scanning electron microscope, wherein the scraping tool has a blade with a rigidity that is matched to an anticipated CRUD deposit shear strength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2006
    Assignee: Framatome ANP, Inc.
    Inventors: Mihai G. M. Pop, Brian G. Lockamon, Laurence S. Lamanna, John T. Willse