Patents by Inventor Alan W. Fanning

Alan W. Fanning 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: 5530308
    Abstract: An electrical stator coil for an electromagnetic pump includes a continuous conductor strip having first and second terminals at opposite ends thereof and an intermediate section disposed therebetween. The strip is configured in first and second coil halves, with the first coil half including a plurality of windings extending from the first terminal to the intermediate section, and the second coil half including a plurality of windings extending from the second terminal to the intermediate section. The first and second coil halves are disposed coaxially, and the first and second terminals are disposed radially inwardly therefrom with the intermediate section being disposed radially outwardly therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 25, 1996
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Alan W. Fanning, Leslie R. Dahl
  • Patent number: 5525852
    Abstract: A stator core for an electromagnetic pump includes a plurality of circumferentially adjoining groups of flat laminations disposed about a common centerline axis and collectively defining a central bore and a discontinuous outer perimeter, with adjacent groups diverging radially outwardly to form V-shaped gaps. An annular band surrounds the groups and is predeterminedly tensioned to clamp together the laminations, and has a predetermined flexibility in a radial direction to form substantially straight bridge sections between the adjacent groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 11, 1996
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Alan W. Fanning, Aaron A. Gonzales, Mahadeo R. Patel, Eugene E. Olich
  • Patent number: 5440600
    Abstract: A stator core for an electromagnetic pump includes a plurality of circumferentially abutting tapered laminations extending radially outwardly from a centerline axis to collectively define a radially inner bore and a radially outer circumference. Each of the laminations includes radially inner and outer edges and has a thickness increasing from the inner edge toward the outer edge to provide a substantially continuous path adjacent the circumference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 8, 1995
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Alan W. Fanning
  • Patent number: 5420470
    Abstract: A stator frame for an electromagnetic pump includes a casing joined to a hub by a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart struts. At least one electrically insulated power crossover lead extends through the hub, through a crossover one of the struts, and through the casing for carrying electrical current therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 30, 1995
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Alan W. Fanning, Eugene E. Olich
  • Patent number: 5382860
    Abstract: A stator core for supporting an electrical coil includes a plurality of groups of circumferentially abutting flat laminations which collectively form a bore and perimeter. A plurality of wedges are interposed between the groups, with each wedge having an inner edge and a thicker outer edge. The wedge outer edges abut adjacent ones of the groups to provide a continuous path around the perimeter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 17, 1995
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Alan W. Fanning, Eugene E. Olich, Leslie R. Dahl
  • Patent number: 5332939
    Abstract: An electrical stator of an electromagnetic pump includes first and second spaced apart coils each having input and output terminals for carrying electrical current. An elongate electrical connector extends between the first and second coils and has first and second opposite ends. The connector ends include respective slots receiving therein respective ones of the coil terminals to define respective first and second joints. Each of the joints includes a braze filler fixedly joining the connector ends to the respective coil terminals for carrying electrical current therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 26, 1994
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Alan W. Fanning, Eugene E. Olich
  • Patent number: 5300845
    Abstract: A stator core for an electromagnetic pump includes a plurality of circumferentially adjoining groups of flat laminations disposed about a common centerline axis and collectively defining a central bore and a discontinuous outer perimeter, with adjacent groups diverging radially outwardly to form V-shaped gaps. An annular band surrounds the groups and is predeterminedly tensioned to clamp together the laminations, and has a predetermined flexibility in a radial direction to form substantially straight bridge sections between the adjacent groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 5, 1994
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Alan W. Fanning, Aaron A. Gonzales, Mahadeo R. Patel, Eugene E. Olich
  • Patent number: 5263068
    Abstract: Stator coils for linear flow electromagnetic induction pumps for pumping liquid metal circulating through a hydraulic system are provided with advantageous deployments of coil power terminals and leads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1993
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Leslie R. Dahl, Alan W. Fanning
  • Patent number: 5195231
    Abstract: A method for winding stator coils and fabricating laminated iron stator rings, then assembling same into an annular stator column for use in a linear flow electromagnetic induction pump for pumping electrically conductive liquid metal and circulation of same through the coolant circuit of a nuclear fission reactor plant or other liquid metal systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 23, 1993
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Alan W. Fanning, Leslie R. Dahl, Mahadeo R. Patel, Eugene E. Olich
  • Patent number: 5021211
    Abstract: A liquid metal cooled nuclear reactor having a passive cooling system for removing residual heat resulting from fuel decay during reactor shutdown. The passive cooling system comprises a plurality of cooling medium flow circuits which cooperate to remove and carry heat away from the fuel core upon loss of the normal cooling flow circuit to areas external thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 1989
    Date of Patent: June 4, 1991
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Anstein Hunsbedt, Alan W. Fanning
  • Patent number: 5019327
    Abstract: A fuel assembly transfer basket for a pool type, liquid metal cooled nuclear reactor having a side access loading and unloading port for receiving and relinquishing fuel assemblies during transfer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 1990
    Date of Patent: May 28, 1991
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Alan W. Fanning, Nicholas L. Ramsour
  • Patent number: 4770847
    Abstract: A process is disclosed for providing different irradiation growth rates between a first nuclear element cladding tube of an anisotropic metal and a second cladding tube of the same metal. The process comprises tailoring the tube fabrication of each to produce cladding tubes having a crystalline structure in a desired energy state. The desired energy state is brought about by regulating the size of the final cold-work reduction and the time and temperature of heat treatment following the final reduction. The process is utilized to produce substantially equivalent irradiation growth between fuel rods and water rods. The preferred anisotropic metals are alloys of zirconium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1982
    Date of Patent: September 13, 1988
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Elias Plaza-Meyer, Alan W. Fanning
  • Patent number: 4314884
    Abstract: A fuel assembly for a nuclear reactor including a plurality of fuel rods held in spaced, parallel position between upper and lower tie plates and retained in lateral position by intermediate spacers and having a water tube in lieu of a fuel element in one or more of the rod positions, the water tubes having an outside diameter greater than that of the fuel rods and the spacer springs in the spacer cells of the water tubes being modified to accommodate the larger diameter of the water tubes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 1979
    Date of Patent: February 9, 1982
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Alan W. Fanning, William G. Jameson, Jr., Victor E. Hazel