Patents by Inventor Alvin Radkowsky
Alvin Radkowsky 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).
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Patent number: 6026136Abstract: Seed-blanket type nuclear reactor cores are employed to burn thorium fuel with conventional reactor fuels, including nonproliferative enriched uranium, and weapons or reactor grade plutonium. In a first embodiment, the core is completely nonproliferative in that neither the reactor fuel, nor the generated waste material, can be used to manufacture nuclear weapons. In a second embodiment of the invention, the core is employed to burn large amounts of weapons grade plutonium with the thorium, and provides a convenient mechanism by which stockpiled weapons grade plutonium can be destroyed and converted into electrical energy. The cores of both embodiments are comprised of a plurality of seed-blanket unit fuel assemblies which have centrally located seed regions that are surrounded by annular blanket regions. The seed regions contain the uranium or plutonium fuel rods, while the blanket regions contain thorium fuel rods.Type: GrantFiled: March 22, 1999Date of Patent: February 15, 2000Assignee: Radkowsky Thorium Power Corp.Inventor: Alvin Radkowsky
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Patent number: 5949837Abstract: Seed-blanket type nuclear reactor cores (10,100) are employed to burn thorium fuel with conventional reactor fuels, including nonproliferative enriched uranium, and weapons or reactor grade plutonium. In a first embodiment, the core (10) is completely nonproliferative in that neither the reactor fuel, nor the generated waste material, can be used to manufacture nuclear weapons. In a second embodiment of the invention, the core (100) is employed to burn large amounts of weapons grade plutonium with the thorium, and provides a convenient mechanism by which stockpiled weapons grade plutonium can be destroyed and converted into electrical energy. The cores of both embodiments are comprised of a plurality of seed-blanket units (12, 102) which have centrally located seed regions (18,104) that are surrounded by annular blanket regions (20,106). The seed regions contain the uranium or plutonium fuel rods (22,110), while the blanket regions contain thorium fuel rods (26,118).Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 1998Date of Patent: September 7, 1999Assignee: Radkowskty Thorium Power Corp.Inventor: Alvin Radkowsky
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Patent number: 5864593Abstract: Seed-blanket type nuclear reactor cores (10,100) are employed to burn thorium fuel with conventional reactor fuels, including nonproliferative enriched uranium, and weapons or reactor grade plutonium. In a first embodiment, the core (10) is completely nonproliferative in that neither the reactor fuel, nor the generated waste material, can be used to manufacture nuclear weapons. In a second embodiment of the invention, the core (100) is employed to burn large amounts of weapons grade plutonium with the thorium, and provides a convenient mechanism by which stockpiled weapons grade plutonium can be destroyed and converted into electrical energy. The cores of both embodiments are comprised of a plurality of seed-blanket units (12, 102) which have centrally located seed regions (18,104) that are surrounded by annular blanket regions (20,106). The seed regions contain the uranium or plutonium fuel rods (22,110), while the blanket regions contain thorium fuel rods (26,118).Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 1998Date of Patent: January 26, 1999Assignee: Radkowsky Thorium Power CorporationInventor: Alvin Radkowsky
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Patent number: 5737375Abstract: Seed-blanket type nuclear reactor cores (10,100) are employed to burn thorium fuel with conventional reactor fuels, including nonproliferative enriched uranium, and weapons or reactor grade plutonium. In a first embodiment, the core (10) is completely nonproliferative in that neither the reactor fuel, nor the generated waste material, can be used to manufacture nuclear weapons. In a second embodiment of the invention, the core (100) is employed to burn large amounts of weapons grade plutonium with the thorium, and provides a convenient mechanism by which stockpiled weapons grade plutonium can be destroyed and converted into electrical energy. The cores of both embodiments are comprised of a plurality of seed-blanket units (12, 102) which have centrally located seed regions (18,104) that are surrounded by annular blanket regions (20,106). The seed regions contain the uranium or plutonium fuel rods (22,110), while the blanket regions contain thorium fuel rods (26,118).Type: GrantFiled: August 17, 1995Date of Patent: April 7, 1998Assignee: Radkowsky Thorium Power CorporationInventor: Alvin Radkowsky
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Patent number: 4968476Abstract: A light water cooled and moderated nuclear reactor for breeding fissile material on a uranium-plutonium cycle and also a method of operating a light water cooled and moderated reactor having a prebreeder section fueled from plutonium extracted from fuel discharged by a uranium burner or converter burner core. Subsequently, the prebreeder section, together with a breeder section, operated as coupled cores or modules, becomes self-sustaining and able to breed fissile plutonium fuels at a relatively high rate of gain.Type: GrantFiled: May 14, 1982Date of Patent: November 6, 1990Assignee: Touro CollegeInventor: Alvin Radkowsky
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Patent number: 4678619Abstract: In a water-cooled nuclear reactor for producing energy and having seed and blanket zones, which reactor is cooled by pressurized water and contains fissile material of plutonium and uranium, the reactor is provided, in its seed zones and blanket zones, with a plutonium composition such as obtained from light water power plant reactors after a normal service life and recycle, and with fuel elements whose geometry in the seed and blanket zones, with respect to the coolant water, is selected to produce an epithermal neutron spectrum.Type: GrantFiled: May 7, 1979Date of Patent: July 7, 1987Assignee: Kernforschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbHInventor: Alvin Radkowsky
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Patent number: 4273613Abstract: A method of operating a heavy-water moderated nuclear reactor is described enabling a significant portion of the total core power to be derived from burning natural thorium rather than uranium. In the novel method, interior rod positions of the fuel rod clusters are refueled with thorium-containing rod segments to irradiate the thorium until its multiplication factor is built up to about that of natural uranium, and then the irradiated thorium-containing rod segments are removed from the interior rod positions of the cluster and are utilized to refuel exterior rod positions of the cluster. Also described is a nuclear reactor construction wherein the fuel cluster segments have a mechanical fastener arrangement permitting the quick attachment and detachment of the rod segments within the cluster, thereby facilitating the above refueling procedure.Type: GrantFiled: September 26, 1978Date of Patent: June 16, 1981Assignee: Ramot University Authority for Applied ResearchInventor: Alvin Radkowsky
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Patent number: 4123328Abstract: Increases in reactivity can be obtained in thermal and epithermal reactors by utilization of heavy elements in selected locations in the reactors. These increases can result in economic gains, for example, in reduction in the amounts of heavy water needed in heavy water moderated reactors and in reduction of the enrichment needed in light water reactors. A number of examples are provided of advantageous use of the heavy elements in specific reactor embodiments.Type: GrantFiled: September 15, 1976Date of Patent: October 31, 1978Assignee: Institute of Nuclear Energy Research, Atomic Energy CouncilInventors: Alvin Radkowsky, Ji-Peng Chien, Chao-Yie Yang, Horng-Ming Hsieh
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Patent number: 3998692Abstract: A light-water-cooled nuclear reactor capable of breeding U.sup.233 for use in a light-water breeder reactor includes physically separated regions containing U.sup.235 fissile material and U.sup.238 fertile material and Th.sup.232 fertile material and Pu.sup.239 fissile material, if available. Preferably the U.sup.235 fissile material and U.sup.238 fertile material are contained in longitudinally movable seed regions and the Pu.sup.239 fissile material and Th.sup.232 fertile material are contained in blanket regions surrounding the seed regions.Type: GrantFiled: December 8, 1975Date of Patent: December 21, 1976Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Energy Research and Development AdministrationInventors: Charles S. Bohanan, David H. Jones, Harry F. Raab, Jr., Alvin Radkowsky
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Patent number: 3960655Abstract: A light-water-cooled nuclear reactor capable of breeding U.sup.233 for use in a light-water breeder reactor includes physically separated regions containing U.sup.235 fissile material and U.sup.238 fertile material and Th.sup.232 fertile material and Pu.sup.239 fissile material, if available. Preferably the U.sup.235 fissile material and U.sup.238 fertile material are contained in longitudinally movable seed regions and the Pu.sup.239 fissile material and Th.sup.232 fertile material are contained in blanket regions surrounding the seed regions.Type: GrantFiled: July 9, 1974Date of Patent: June 1, 1976Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Energy Research and Development AdministrationInventors: Charles S. Bohanan, David H. Jones, Harry F. Raab, Jr., Alvin Radkowsky