Patents by Inventor Timothy Creston BERTCH

Timothy Creston BERTCH 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).

  • Methods and apparatus for suppressing tritium permeation during tritium production
    Patent number: 9202601
    Abstract: A tritium production element for use in a conventional power reactor, and methods of use and making, are provided, wherein the element experiences reduced tritium permeation during irradiation by incorporating a silicon carbide barrier that encapsulates one or more burnable absorber pellets. The tritium production element includes a tubular cladding that encloses a plurality of burnable absorber pellets, such that individual pellets or groups of pellets are disposed within a silicon carbide barrier layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: General Atomics
    Inventor: Timothy Creston Bertch
  • Systems and methods for efficiently preparing plutonium-238 with high isotopic purity
    Patent number: 9196389
    Abstract: A method for preparing plutonium-238 (Pu-238) includes using a nuclear reactor in irradiating a liquid containing a neptunium-237 (Np-237) based compound with neutrons to convert a portion of the Np-237 based compound to a Np-238 based compound; retaining the liquid containing the resulting mixture for a sufficient amount of time for the Np-238 based compound to at least partially convert to a Pu-238 based compound; and separating the Pu-238 based compound from the neptunium based compounds using fractional distillation or a chemical separation method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: General Atomics
    Inventors: Timothy Creston Bertch, Lloyd Chauncey Brown
  • SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR EFFICIENTLY PREPARING PLUTONIUM-238 WITH HIGH ISOTOPIC PURITY
    Publication number: 20140133616
    Abstract: A method for preparing plutonium-238 (Pu-238) using reactor may include irradiating a liquid containing a neptunium-237 (Np-237) based compounds with neutrons to convert a portion of the Np-237 based compound to a Np-238 based compound; retaining the liquid containing the resulting mixture for a sufficient amount of time for the Np-238 based compound to at least partially convert to a plutonium-238 (Pu-238) based compound. The method further may include separating the Pu-238 based compound from the neptunium based compounds using distillation or chemical method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2012
    Publication date: May 15, 2014
    Applicant: GENERAL ATOMICS
    Inventors: Timothy Creston BERTCH, Lloyd Chauncey BROWN
  • METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR SUPPRESSING TRITIUM PERMEATION DURING TRITIUM PRODUCTION
    Publication number: 20120294403
    Abstract: A tritium production element for use in a conventional power reactor, and methods of use and making, are provided, wherein the element experiences reduced tritium permeation during irradiation by incorporating a silicon carbide barrier that encapsulates one or more burnable absorber pellets. The tritium production element includes a tubular cladding that encloses a plurality of burnable absorber pellets, such that individual pellets or groups of pellets are disposed within a silicon carbide barrier layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2012
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Applicant: General Atomics
    Inventor: Timothy Creston BERTCH