Patents by Inventor Allan F. Henry

Allan F. Henry 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).

  • Apparatus and method for closed-loop control of reactor power
    Patent number: 4710341
    Abstract: Closed-loop controller for altering the power level of nuclear reactors in a safe manner and without overshoot. Apparatus is provided for moving a control element such as a control rod or for adjusting the concentration of a soluble neutron absorber (chemical shim) for altering the nuclear reactor power level. A computer computes at short time intervals the two functions [.rho.(t)-.vertline..rho..sub.c .vertline./.lambda..sub.e '(t)]/.vertline..rho..sub.c .vertline. and .tau.(t)ln(P.sub.F /P(t)). The direction of motion of the control element is altered when these two functions become equal thereby resulting in the attainment of a new power level without overshoot. In a preferred embodiment, these two functions are computed at intervals of approximately one second.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 1986
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1987
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: John A. Bernard, Allan F. Henry, David D. Lanning, Kwan S. Kwok