Patents by Inventor William J. Oosterkamp

William J. Oosterkamp 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).

  • Patent number: 5345481
    Abstract: A boiling-water reactor plant employs a baffle that parallels the interior surface of a thermally-conductive containment wall, defining an intermediate condensate channel. When the plant turbine becomes isolated from the boiling-water reactor, the reactor is shut down and steam is released from the reactor pressure vessel to the containment. Steam rises through an opening at the top of the baffle, allowing some of the steam to condense on the interior surface of the containment. Condensate then flows into the channel, which is dimensioned so that noncondensable gases are dragged into the channel along with the condensate. This minimizes thermal insulation due to the noncondensables and enhances the transfer of heat from the containment. Furthermore, the noncondensable gases are dragged at a sufficient velocity to induce turbulence. The resulting mixing of condensate flow layers further improves heat transfer to the containment wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 1992
    Date of Patent: September 6, 1994
    Assignee: General Elecric Company
    Inventor: William J. Oosterkamp