Patents by Inventor Martin van Staden
Martin van Staden 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).
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Patent number: 10902956Abstract: A method of manufacturing nuclear fuel elements may include: forming a base portion of the fuel element by depositing a powdered matrix material including a mixture of a graphite material and a fibrous material; depositing particles on the base portion in a predetermined pattern to form a first particle layer, by controlling the position of each particle in the first particle layer; depositing the matrix material on the first particle layer to form a first matrix layer; depositing particles on the first matrix layer in a predetermined pattern to form a second particle layer by controlling positions of each particle in the second particle layer; depositing the matrix material on the second particle layer to form a second matrix layer; and forming a cap portion of the fuel pebble by depositing the matrix material. The particles in the first particle layer and the second particle layer include nuclear fuel particles.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 2019Date of Patent: January 26, 2021Assignee: X-ENERGY, LLCInventors: Martin van Staden, Peter Pappano
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Patent number: 10770187Abstract: Nuclear fuel elements may include: a fuel zone including fuel particles disposed in parallel layers in a matrix including graphite powder; and a shell comprising graphite and surrounding the fuel zone. The fuel particles may include fissile particles, burnable poison particles, breeder particles, or a combination thereof. The fuel zone may include a central region and a peripheral region surrounding the central region, and a fuel particle density of the peripheral region may be greater than a fuel particle density of the central region.Type: GrantFiled: August 9, 2017Date of Patent: September 8, 2020Assignee: X-ENERGY, LLCInventors: Peter Pappano, Martin Van Staden
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Publication number: 20200176136Abstract: A method of manufacturing nuclear fuel elements may include: forming a base portion of the fuel element by depositing a powdered matrix material including a mixture of a graphite material and a fibrous material; depositing particles on the base portion in a predetermined pattern to form a first particle layer, by controlling the position of each particle in the first particle layer; depositing the matrix material on the first particle layer to form a first matrix layer; depositing particles on the first matrix layer in a predetermined pattern to form a second particle layer by controlling positions of each particle in the second particle layer; depositing the matrix material on the second particle layer to form a second matrix layer; and forming a cap portion of the fuel pebble by depositing the matrix material. The particles in the first particle layer and the second particle layer include nuclear fuel particles.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 23, 2019Publication date: June 4, 2020Inventors: Martin van Staden, Peter Pappano
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Patent number: 10522255Abstract: A method of manufacturing nuclear fuel elements may include: forming a base portion of the fuel element by depositing a powdered matrix material including a mixture of a graphite material and a fibrous material; depositing particles on the base portion in a predetermined pattern to form a first particle layer, by controlling the position of each particle in the first particle layer; depositing the matrix material on the first particle layer to form a first matrix layer; depositing particles on the first matrix layer in a predetermined pattern to form a second particle layer by controlling positions of each particle in the second particle layer; depositing the matrix material on the second particle layer to form a second matrix layer; and forming a cap portion of the fuel pebble by depositing the matrix material. The particles in the first particle layer and the second particle layer include nuclear fuel particles.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 2017Date of Patent: December 31, 2019Assignee: X-Energy, LLCInventors: Martin van Staden, Peter Pappano
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Publication number: 20170372803Abstract: Nuclear fuel elements may include: a fuel zone including fuel particles disposed in parallel layers in a matrix including graphite powder; and a shell comprising graphite and surrounding the fuel zone. The fuel particles may include fissile particles, burnable poison particles, breeder particles, or a combination thereof. The fuel zone may include a central region and a peripheral region surrounding the central region, and a fuel particle density of the peripheral region may be greater than a fuel particle density of the central region.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 9, 2017Publication date: December 28, 2017Inventors: Peter PAPPANO, Martin VAN STADEN
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Patent number: 9793010Abstract: A method of mass producing nuclear fuel elements may include: forming a graphite base portion of the fuel elements; repeatedly performing a sequence of operations comprising depositing a uniform graphite layer over a previous layer, depositing a layer of particles on the uniform graphite layer within a fuel zone diameter, so that the particles are spaced apart in a predefined pattern, and applying a binder using additive manufacturing methods to bind each layer with successively increasing and then decreasing diameters to form a central portion of fuel elements including a fuel-containing fuel zone; and repeatedly performing a sequence of operations comprising forming a uniform graphite layer on a previous layer and applying a binder using additive manufacturing methods to bind each layer with successively decreasing diameters to form a cap portion of fuel elements. The particles may include one or more of a nuclear fuel material, burnable poison material, or breeder material.Type: GrantFiled: February 16, 2016Date of Patent: October 17, 2017Assignee: X-ENERGY, LLCInventor: Martin van Staden
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Patent number: 9786391Abstract: A method of manufacturing nuclear fuel elements may include: forming a graphite base portion of the fuel element; depositing a first layer of graphite spheres on the base portion; depositing a first layer of fuel, burnable poison and/or breeder particles on the first layer of graphite spheres; forming a second layer of graphite spheres on the first layer of particles; depositing a second layer of fuel, burnable poison and/or breeder particles on the second layer of graphite spheres; and forming a graphite cap portion of the fuel element. Fuel, burnable poison and/or breeder particles of the first layer may be are spaced apart by substantially the same distance, and fuel, burnable poison and/or breeder particles of the second layer may be spaced apart by substantially the same distance. The fuel element may be a spherical fuel pebble. The fuel particles may be tri-structural-isotropic (TRISO) particles without an overcoat.Type: GrantFiled: February 16, 2016Date of Patent: October 10, 2017Assignee: X-ENERGY, LLCInventors: Peter Pappano, Martin van Staden
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Publication number: 20170278586Abstract: A method of manufacturing nuclear fuel elements may include: forming a base portion of the fuel element by depositing a powdered matrix material including a mixture of a graphite material and a fibrous material; depositing particles on the base portion in a predetermined pattern to form a first particle layer, by controlling the position of each particle in the first particle layer; depositing the matrix material on the first particle layer to form a first matrix layer; depositing particles on the first matrix layer in a predetermined pattern to form a second particle layer by controlling positions of each particle in the second particle layer; depositing the matrix material on the second particle layer to form a second matrix layer; and forming a cap portion of the fuel pebble by depositing the matrix material. The particles in the first particle layer and the second particle layer include nuclear fuel particles.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 9, 2017Publication date: September 28, 2017Inventors: Martin van STADEN, Peter Pappano
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Publication number: 20160247583Abstract: A method of manufacturing nuclear fuel elements may include: forming a graphite base portion of the fuel element; depositing a first layer of graphite spheres on the base portion; depositing a first layer of fuel, burnable poison and/or breeder particles on the first layer of graphite spheres; forming a second layer of graphite spheres on the first layer of particles; depositing a second layer of fuel, burnable poison and/or breeder particles on the second layer of graphite spheres; and forming a graphite cap portion of the fuel element, wherein, adjacent fuel, burnable poison and/or breeder particles of the first layer are spaced apart by substantially the same distance, and adjacent fuel, burnable poison and/or breeder particles of the second layer are spaced apart by substantially the same distance. The fuel element may be a spherical fuel pebble. The fuel particles may be tri-structural-isotropic (TRISO) particles without an overcoat.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 16, 2016Publication date: August 25, 2016Inventors: Peter PAPPANO, Martin van Staden
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Publication number: 20160247582Abstract: A method of manufacturing nuclear fuel elements may include: forming a graphite base portion of the fuel element; depositing a first layer of fuel, burnable poison and/or breeder particles on the base portion; forming a first graphite layer on the base portion; depositing a second layer of fuel, burnable poison and/or breeder particles on the first graphite layer; forming a second graphite layer on the first graphite layer; and forming a graphite cap portion of the fuel element on the second graphite layer, wherein, adjacent fuel, burnable poison and/or breeder particles of the first layer are spaced apart by substantially the same distance, and adjacent fuel, burnable poison and/or breeder particles of the second layer are spaced apart by substantially the same distance. The fuel element may be a spherical fuel pebble for pebble bed reactors. The fuel particles may be tri-structural-isotropic (TRISO) particles that do not have an overcoat.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 16, 2016Publication date: August 25, 2016Inventor: Martin van Staden