Patents Assigned to Global Nuclear Fuel-Americas LLC
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Patent number: 7804929Abstract: A method of calculating and using a constraint for fuel rods is provided. The method may utilize pin nodal exposures and pin nodal powers to obtain the constraint, calculate rod average exposures and rod average powers (kW/ft) in each fuel assembly, and develop maps from the calculated rod average exposures and powers (kW/ft) to operate design, optimization, licensing, and/or monitoring applications.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 2004Date of Patent: September 28, 2010Assignee: Global Nuclear Fuel-Americas, LLCInventors: Atul Karve, James Fawks
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Patent number: 7693249Abstract: The method of improving nuclear reactor performance involves generating an operational solution for a nuclear reactor based on a constraint accounting for a problem with operation of the nuclear reactor. The generated operational solution can then be implemented at the nuclear reactor.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 2003Date of Patent: April 6, 2010Assignee: Global Nuclear Fuel - Americas, LLCInventors: David Joseph Kropaczek, William Earl Russell, II
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Patent number: 7685079Abstract: Methods for evaluating robustness of solutions to constraint problems include: (a) determining one or more inputs for the constraint problem; (b) determining bias, uncertainty, or bias and uncertainty of the one or more inputs; (c) randomly perturbating at least one of the one or more inputs based on the bias, uncertainty, or bias and uncertainty of the one or more inputs to determine one or more modified inputs; (d) generating a solution to the constraint problem based on the one or more modified inputs; (e) storing the solution; (f) repeating (c) through (e) until multiple solutions are stored; and/or (g) determining the robustness of the stored multiple solutions by comparison of the stored multiple solutions to each other. The one or more modified inputs include the randomly perturbated input or inputs and/or the non-perturbated input or inputs.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2006Date of Patent: March 23, 2010Assignee: Global Nuclear Fuel - Americas, LLCInventors: Glen Alan Watford, David Joseph Kropaczek, William Earl Russell, II
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Patent number: 7672418Abstract: Control rod guide tubes for a nuclear reactor having a body with an axial length that defines a lower end portion and an upper end portion and a cavity within a substantial length of the body. Orifices are included at the upper and lower end portions of the body. A control rod chamber is located within the cavity and is configured for receiving a control rod. A plurality of ports is coupled to the cavity and is positioned at a substantial length from the upper end portion of the body. Also included are at least two flow channels within the cavity that extend a substantial portion of the axial length of the body. Each flow channel is fluidly coupled to one or more of the ports for receiving fluid flow from outside the body and an outlet proximate to the upper end portion of the body for providing the received fluid flow.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2006Date of Patent: March 2, 2010Assignee: Global Nuclear Fuel-Americas, LLCInventors: Birol Aktas, Carlton W. Clark, William Earl Russell, II
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Patent number: 7672815Abstract: A method of evaluating constraint functions, the evaluation being based at least in part on a control blade movement criteria.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 2004Date of Patent: March 2, 2010Assignee: Global Nuclear Fuel - Americas, LLCInventors: Mehdi Asgari, David Joseph Kropaczek, Gerald Dean Kvaall, Jr., Roland Otto Jackson, Steven Barry Sutton, Christian Carlos Oyarzun
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Publication number: 20100027733Abstract: A nuclear reactor fuel bundle confinement system including: a fuel bundle with an upper tie plate; a channel enclosing the fuel bundle; a handle for the fuel bundle extending above the fuel bundle; an upper fuel particle barrier positioned over the upper tie plate and above the fuel rods, wherein the fuel particle barrier has a permeable panel at least co-extensive with an open area of the upper tie plate; a slot in the permeable panel through which passes the handle, and a closure device on the fuel particle barrier having a closed position which covers the slot and an open position that leaves the slot open; a lower fuel particle barrier positioned over the lower tie plate and below the fuel rods, wherein the lower portion of the fuel bundle assembly is grasped by the lower fuel particle barrier.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 31, 2008Publication date: February 4, 2010Applicant: GLOBAL NUCLEAR FUEL - AMERICAS, LLCInventors: Paul Everett Cantonwine, Andrew K. Langston, Charles B. Patterson, Jr., Johnny R. Skipper, Alexander Michael Hay, Carlton Wayne Clark, David Grey Smith
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Patent number: 7650265Abstract: Various geometric constructs are configured for use in modeling a system, for example a fissile system, using an analysis method, such as Monte Carlo, to model such systems based upon the interstitial regions formed by these geometric constructs. The various geometric constructs are configured to provide for modeling of, for example, complex arrays and lattices and allows for embedding of these constructs and virtual filling of arrays of these modeled units.Type: GrantFiled: October 7, 2003Date of Patent: January 19, 2010Assignee: Global Nuclear Fuel - Americas, LLCInventors: John Taylor, William Peters, Lon Paulson
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Patent number: 7636652Abstract: The apparatus for creating and editing a nuclear reactor core template includes a graphical user interface and a processor controlling the graphical user interface to allow a user to selectively populate a loading map with fuel bundles residing in at least one fuel pool.Type: GrantFiled: October 6, 2003Date of Patent: December 22, 2009Assignee: Global Nuclear Fuel - Americas, LLCInventors: David Joseph Kropaczek, Steven Barry Sutton, Christian Carlos Oyarzun, Carey Reid Merritt, John Dean Fuller, William Earl Russell, II, Margaret Estelle Harding
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Patent number: 7620139Abstract: In the method, performance of a nuclear reactor may be improved by implementing an operational solution for the nuclear reactor using at least one control rod criteria in order to increase scram effectiveness during at least a portion of an operating cycle for the nuclear reactor.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2005Date of Patent: November 17, 2009Assignee: Global Nuclear Fuel - Americas, LLCInventors: Francis Bolger, Jose Casillas
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Patent number: 7616727Abstract: A method of fuel bundle consideration in a reactor. The method includes creating or editing bundle groups including fuel bundles.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2008Date of Patent: November 10, 2009Assignee: Global Nuclear Fuel - Americas, LLCInventors: Steven B. Sutton, David J. Kropaczek, Christian C. Oyarzun, Mehdi Asgari
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Patent number: 7613272Abstract: A method of fuel bundle consideration in a reactor. The method includes creating or editing bundle groups including fuel bundles.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2008Date of Patent: November 3, 2009Assignee: Global Nuclear Fuel-Americas, LLCInventors: Steven B. Sutton, David J. Kropaczek, Christian C. Oyarzun, Mehdi Asgari
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Patent number: 7577230Abstract: Fuel supports for a nuclear reactor and methods of modifying fluid flow in a reactor using a fuel support. The fuel supports include a plurality of lumens and a plurality of fuel support apertures with each fuel support aperture being dimensioned for receiving a lower tie plate of a fuel assembly. Each lumen is fluidly coupled to a different fuel support aperture. At least one lumen is configured for attenuating a fluid flow differently than the fluid flow in at least one other of the lumen.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2006Date of Patent: August 18, 2009Assignee: Global Nuclear Fuel-Americas, LLCInventors: Birol Aktas, Robert James, Carlton W. Clark, William Earl Russell, II
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Patent number: 7574337Abstract: A method for determining a fresh fuel bundle design for a core of a nuclear reactor may include defining a plurality of inputs including user-defined target conditions for evaluating one or more reference fresh fuel bundle designs for each of N bundle groups, and generating a response surface based on making single rod-type changes in each (i,j) rod location of each bundle of a given reference bundle design being evaluated for each of the N bundle groups. A search algorithm may be iterated to evaluate a given combination of multiple rod-type changes made simultaneously across each of the N bundle groups using the generated response surface to determine an accepted fuel bundle design for each of the N bundle groups that satisfies the user-defined target conditions.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 2004Date of Patent: August 11, 2009Assignee: Global Nuclear Fuel - Americas, LLCInventors: David Joseph Kropaczek, Mehdi Asgari, Matthew Anderson Jessee
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Patent number: 7561654Abstract: In a fuel assembly for a nuclear reactor, a plurality of nuclear fuel rods and at least one fuel rod spacer assembly supporting the fuel rods in an organized array. The fuel rod spacer assembly includes a guide at a leading edge of the fuel rod spacer assembly. The guide is angled towards the fuel rod for directing debris to open passages in the fuel rod spacer assembly.Type: GrantFiled: June 16, 2006Date of Patent: July 14, 2009Assignee: Global Nuclear Fuel - Americas, LLCInventors: Mason Dennis Makovicka, Michael Thomas Kiernan
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Publication number: 20090139969Abstract: A process of using laser welding in the assembly of boiling water reactor fuel debris filters is disclosed. The laser welding process minimizes the distortion of the debris filter cast lower tie plate by applying minimal heat during the welding. Fixtures hold the cast lower tie plate through four degrees of motion under a constant controlled laser source during welding. The welding process also reduces the potential for stress corrosion cracking resulting from crevices in partial penetration welds that might occur in a laser welding process.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 29, 2007Publication date: June 4, 2009Applicant: Global Nuclear Fuel - Americas LLCInventors: David Grey Smith, Richard C. Longren, Gerald A. Luciano, Stephen J. Studer
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Patent number: 7532698Abstract: Systems and methods for a method for determining a critical effective k at an off-rated core state of a nuclear power plant includes determining, for the off-rated core state a control rod density, a percent core power, a gadolinium reactivity worth, a doppler reactivity worth, and a xenon reactivity worth responsive to a control rod pattern, a reactor power plan including the off-rated core state, and a reference effective k, calculating a change in an effective k from the reference effective k at the off-rated core state responsive to two or more parameters selected from the group consisting of the control rod density, the percent core power, the gadolinium reactivity worth, the doppler reactivity worth, and the xenon reactivity worth, and generating the critical effective k for the off-rated core state responsive to the change in the effective k from the reference effective k.Type: GrantFiled: November 29, 2006Date of Patent: May 12, 2009Assignee: Global Nuclear Fuel - Americas, LLCInventors: Ugur Mertyurek, David Joseph Kropaczek, Atul A. Karve, Angelo P. Chopelas
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Publication number: 20090092217Abstract: A method to prevent debris falling into a nuclear reactor fuel assembly including a bundle of fuel rods mounted below an upper tie plate and housed in a channel including: inserting a debris shield in the upper tie plate; maintaining the shield in the upper tie plate and above the fuel rods, while the fuel assembly is in an operating nuclear reactor core; flowing coolant through the bundle and the debris shield during operation of the nuclear reactor core, and capturing or deflecting debris falling in the fuel assembly with the debris shield.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 30, 2008Publication date: April 9, 2009Applicant: GLOBAL NUCLEAR FUEL - AMERICAS, LLCInventors: Michael DeFilippis, Gerald A. Luciano, David Smith, Michael Kiernan, Carlton Clark, Andrew K. Langston
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Publication number: 20090080590Abstract: A method to capture, retain and remove debris falling into a nuclear reactor fuel bundle assembly including a bundle of fuel rods mounted below an upper tie plate and housed in a hollow metal channel, the method includes: inserting a debris shield in the upper tie plate; maintaining the shield in the upper tie plate and above the fuel rods, and water rods, while the fuel bundle assembly is in an operating nuclear reactor core; capturing debris falling in the fuel assembly on the debris shield; after capturing the debris, removing the fuel bundle assembly with the inserted debris shield from the nuclear reactor core to a maintenance/fuel inspection pool and thereafter removing the debris shield from the upper tie plate, cleaning and then reinserting the cleaned debris shield back into the upper tie plate, and moving the fuel bundle assembly from the maintenance/fuel inspection pool back into the nuclear reactor core.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 26, 2008Publication date: March 26, 2009Applicant: GLOBAL NUCLEAR FUEL - AMERICAS, LLCInventors: David Smith, Michael DeFilippis, Gerald A. Luciano, Michael Kiernan, Carlton Clark, Andrew K. Langston
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Patent number: 7505547Abstract: Assemblies and methods for mounting a fuel assembly in a nuclear reactor include a fuel assembly includes fuel rods within the fuel assembly and a lower tie plate with a fuel assembly mating fixture. A fuel support includes a fuel support mating fixture that is constructed to selectively engage the fuel assembly mating fixture during installation of the fuel assembly onto the fuel support. The fuel support mating fixture and the fuel assembly mating fixture provides for a predefined orientation of the fuel assembly to the fuel support upon mating.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2006Date of Patent: March 17, 2009Assignee: Global Nuclear Fuel-Americas, LLCInventors: William Earl Russell, II, Robert James, Carlton W. Clark
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Publication number: 20090060114Abstract: A nuclear reactor fuel assembly including: an upper tie plate having apertures to receive and support fuel rods of a fuel bundle; the fuel bundle includes an array of the fuel rods mounted and housed in the walls of a channel, and a load bearing or non-load bearing debris shield may be mounted in the upper tie plate, wherein the debris shield is porous to prevent the passage of debris. The debris shield is mounted in the frame of the upper tie plate. The debris shield can be either a removable unit, or it can be attached as a permanent integrated structure within the upper tie plate. The upper tie plate frame is also porous, e.g., has small vertical openings to allow fluid to pass through the frame and block passage of debris. The openings in the frame increase the effective flow area of passages through the upper tie plate and thereby compensate or offset any flow restrictions due to the debris shield.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 31, 2007Publication date: March 5, 2009Applicant: GLOBAL NUCLEAR FUEL - AMERICAS, LLCInventors: Michael DeFilippis, Gerald A. Luciano, David Smith, Michael Kiernan, Carlton Clark, Andrew K. Langston