Patents by Inventor Thomas M. Camden
Thomas M. Camden 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: 8428215Abstract: A dimensional reactivity management system that takes into account the axial burnup shape data of a nuclear fuel assembly to determine the acceptability of placement of the assembly relative to other assemblies in a storage container.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2007Date of Patent: April 23, 2013Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Company LLCInventors: Barry F. Cooney, Thomas M. Camden, Jr.
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Publication number: 20110216869Abstract: A dimensional reactivity management system that takes into account the axial burnup shape data of a nuclear fuel assembly to determine the acceptability of placement of the assembly relative to other assemblies in a storage container.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 20, 2007Publication date: September 8, 2011Inventors: Barry F. Cooney, Thomas M. Camden, JR.
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Patent number: 6338149Abstract: A change monitoring system for a computer system includes programs for creating and managing a plurality of templates representative of the computer system. A repository stores the templates. A communications network communicates with plural platforms of the computer system. Programs associate the templates with corresponding ones of the platforms and plural software products of the computer system. Other programs monitor the computer system for changes to the platforms or the software products with respect to the templates.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 1998Date of Patent: January 8, 2002Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Company LLCInventors: Lawrence T. Ciccone, Jr., Thomas M. Camden, Jr., Duane E. Altman, Charles F. Fuller, Harold J. Kopp, Gwen Thee
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Patent number: 5793636Abstract: An integrated data management system for compiling information concerning a plurality of nuclear power plant components includes a distributed database for maintaining the information over a lifetime of each of the nuclear power plant components, data entry terminals for entering the information in the distributed database, and data retrieval terminals for retrieving the information from the distributed database. The database is distributed by a wide-area network interconnecting the data entry and data retrieval terminals with distributed workstations which access the information.Type: GrantFiled: April 28, 1995Date of Patent: August 11, 1998Assignee: Westinghouse Electric CorporationInventors: Barry F. Cooney, Thomas M. Camden, James P. Duke, David J. Stefko
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Patent number: 5594764Abstract: An automated system for determining positions of a plurality of nuclear fuel assemblies organized in an array within a housing of a nuclear power plant includes a radiation hardened, underwater camera for inputting images of the nuclear fuel assemblies with respect to each other or with respect to a baffle wall of a nuclear reactor core, a digital signal processor for generating a second digitized image including a plurality of pixel elements of the nuclear fuel assemblies from the first image, and a workstation for determining the positions of the nuclear fuel assemblies with respect to the baffle wall from counts of the pixel elements.Type: GrantFiled: June 6, 1995Date of Patent: January 14, 1997Assignee: Westinghouse Electric CorporationInventors: Barry F. Cooney, Thomas M. Camden, James P. Duke, David J. Stefko
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Patent number: 4836977Abstract: A cluster of standardized reduced length burnable absorber rods include a plurality of middle rod sections having a multiplicity of different axial lengths and containing burnable absorber material in sealed chambers therein, a plurality of upper end spacer sections having a multiplicity of different axial lengths and each defining an empty space, and a plurality of lower end spacer sections having a multiplicity of different axial lengths and each defining an empty space. Each of the rods is formed of one middle rod section tandemly arranged between and rigidly interconnecting one upper end spacer section and one lower end spacer section. The three rigidly interconnected sections which form each rod being selected so as to provide the same standard combined axial length for each of the rods in the cluster thereof although the axial lengths of the middle rod sections can vary from rod to rod and thereby the axial location of the burnable absorber material along the rod can also vary from rod to rod.Type: GrantFiled: August 25, 1987Date of Patent: June 6, 1989Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.Inventors: Barry F. Cooney, Thomas M. Camden, Jr.
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Patent number: 4728487Abstract: A cluster of standardized reduced length burnable absorber rods include a plurality of middle rod sections having a multiplicity of different axial lengths and containing burnable absorber material in sealed chambers therein, a plurality of upper end spacer sections having a multiplicity of different axial lengths and each defining an empty space, and a plurality of lower end spacer sections having a multiplicity of different axial lengths and each defining an empty space. Each of the rods is formed of one middle rod section tandemly arranged between and interconnecting one upper end spacer section and one lower end spacer section. The three interconnected sections which form each rod being selected so as to provide the same standard combined axial length for each of the rods in the cluster thereof although the axial lengths of the middle rod sections can vary from rod to rod and thereby the axial location of the burnable absorber material along the rod can also vary from rod to rod.Type: GrantFiled: April 1, 1985Date of Patent: March 1, 1988Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.Inventors: Barry F. Cooney, Thomas M. Camden, Jr.
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Patent number: 4637915Abstract: A nuclear fuel assembly, particularly advantageous for use in a pressurized water reactor, wherein each alternate fuel rod in the assembly is positioned with its fission gas plenum zone at the top of the assembly and the intervening alternate fuel rods are positioned with their fission gas plenum zones at the bottom of the assembly. All of the fuel rods are preferably axially coextensive. An axial blanket region may be formed by providing the fuel zone of each fuel rod with a small zone of natural or depleted uranium at a part of the fuel zone furthest from the fission gas plenum zone. A method of effectively lengthening the active length of a nuclear fuel assembly is also described.Type: GrantFiled: May 11, 1984Date of Patent: January 20, 1987Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.Inventors: Thomas M. Camden, Jr., Thomas R. Freeman
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Patent number: 4631166Abstract: A nuclear fuel assembly for high utilization of the nuclear fuel is disclosed. Alternate fuel rod assemblies are axially shifted relative to each other to create zones of high hydrogen-to-uranium ratios at the ends of the core for high utilization of the fuel at the core ends. Each fuel rod assembly comprises separate upper and lower fuel rods. The axial shift provides intermeshing of the separation between axially aligned fuel rods at the core center. Seed blankets are located at the ends of the core and lower enriched sections are located at the core center during beginning of core life. After a specified amount of fuel depletion from reactor operation, the upper and lower rods are interchanged and an opposite axial shift is employed. The high utilization fuel assembly provides for burnup gradient utilization, axial blanket utilization, plutonium production and burnup, axial power flattening, and less use of enriched uranium.Type: GrantFiled: May 11, 1984Date of Patent: December 23, 1986Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.Inventor: Thomas M. Camden, Jr.
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Patent number: 4495136Abstract: A blanket assembly for a nuclear reactor core perimeter region having at least two regions within the assembly of different H/U ratios and rod enrichments.Type: GrantFiled: May 11, 1982Date of Patent: January 22, 1985Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.Inventors: Thomas M. Camden, Jr., William L. Orr
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Patent number: 4493814Abstract: An improved fuel rod for nuclear reactor fuel assemblies, said fuel rod having a region of relatively low density fuel pellets, causing the neutron-induced fission reaction to be more uniformly distributed along the rod.Type: GrantFiled: May 11, 1982Date of Patent: January 15, 1985Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.Inventors: Charles L. Beard, Jr., Thomas M. Camden