Patents by Inventor Benjamin J. IRELAND

Benjamin J. IRELAND 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: 11742100
    Abstract: A depressurisation valve for a cooling system including a main chamber having a main valve, a pilot line having a secondary valve and a blowdown line; the main valve being located to seal a path of the coolant system of the nuclear reactor. The main chamber is connected to the cooling circuit via the pilot line allowing coolant to enter the main chamber, and the blowdown line allows coolant to escape from the main chamber, the pilot line having a lower fluid resistance than the blowdown line. The pressure of coolant in the main chamber maintains the main valve in a closed position, and under elevated temperature and/or pressure conditions fluid is prevented from entering the main chamber via a closure of the secondary valve on the pilot line and reduce the pressure from the valve, moving it to its open position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE SMR LIMITED
    Inventors: Brenton D Shearer, James C Palmer, Benjamin J Ireland
  • Publication number: 20220406478
    Abstract: A depressurisation valve for a cooling system including a main chamber having a main valve, a pilot line having a secondary valve and a blowdown line; the main valve being located to seal a path of the coolant system of the nuclear reactor. The main chamber is connected to the cooling circuit via the pilot line allowing coolant to enter the main chamber, and the blowdown line allows coolant to escape from the main chamber, the pilot line having a lower fluid resistance than the blowdown line. The pressure of coolant in the main chamber maintains the main valve in a closed position, and under elevated temperature and/or pressure conditions fluid is prevented from entering the main chamber via a closure of the secondary valve on the pilot line and reduce the pressure from the valve, moving it to its open position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2022
    Publication date: December 22, 2022
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE SMR LIMITED
    Inventors: Brenton D SHEARER, James C PALMER, Benjamin J IRELAND
  • Patent number: 11521758
    Abstract: A depressurisation valve for a cooling system comprising: a main chamber having a main valve, a pilot line having a secondary valve and a blowdown line; the main valve being located to seal a path of the coolant system of the nuclear reactor. The main chamber is connected to the cooling circuit via the pilot line allowing coolant to enter the main chamber, and the blowdown line allows coolant to escape from the main chamber, the pilot line having a lower fluid resistance than the blowdown line. The pressure of coolant in the main chamber maintains the main valve in a closed position, and under elevated temperature and/or pressure conditions fluid is prevented from entering the main chamber via a closure of the secondary valve on the pilot line and reduce the pressure from the valve, moving it to its open position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE SMR LIMITED
    Inventors: Brenton D Shearer, James C Palmer, Benjamin J Ireland
  • Patent number: 10726960
    Abstract: A coolant injection system for a nuclear power generation system includes the coolant injection system, and method of operation of the coolant injection system. The nuclear power generation system includes a reactor pressure vessel having a reactor core, a pressuriser in fluid communication with the reactor pressure vessel, and the injection system, which comprises a make-up tank having a tank inlet and a tank outlet. The injection system has an operating condition, and a fault response condition, and is configured to switch between these conditions when coolant level in the pressuriser drops below a threshold level. In the operating condition, the tank outlet is isolated from the reactor pressure vessel such that coolant is retained in the make-up tank, and the tank inlet is in fluid communication with the reactor pressure vessel and the pressuriser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce Power Engineering plc
    Inventor: Benjamin J. Ireland
  • Publication number: 20200194134
    Abstract: A depressurisation valve for a cooling system comprising: a main chamber having a main valve, a pilot line having a secondary valve and a blowdown line; the main valve being located to seal a path of the coolant system of the nuclear reactor. The main chamber is connected to the cooling circuit via the pilot line allowing coolant to enter the main chamber, and the blowdown line allows coolant to escape from the main chamber, the pilot line having a lower fluid resistance than the blowdown line. The pressure of coolant in the main chamber maintains the main valve in a closed position, and under elevated temperature and/or pressure conditions fluid is prevented from entering the main chamber via a closure of the secondary valve on the pilot line and reduce the pressure from the valve, moving it to its open position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2019
    Publication date: June 18, 2020
    Applicants: ROLLS-ROYCE plc, ROLLS-ROYCE POWER ENGINEERING plc
    Inventors: Brenton D SHEARER, James C PALMER, Benjamin J IRELAND
  • Publication number: 20190172596
    Abstract: A coolant injection system for a nuclear power generation system includes the coolant injection system, and method of operation of the coolant injection system. The nuclear power generation system includes a reactor pressure vessel having a reactor core, a pressuriser in fluid communication with the reactor pressure vessel, and the injection system, which comprises a make-up tank having a tank inlet and a tank outlet. The injection system has an operating condition, and a fault response condition, and is configured to switch between these conditions when coolant level in the pressuriser drops below a threshold level. In the operating condition, the tank outlet is isolated from the reactor pressure vessel such that coolant is retained in the make-up tank, and the tank inlet is in fluid communication with the reactor pressure vessel and the pressuriser.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2018
    Publication date: June 6, 2019
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE POWER ENGINEERING PLC
    Inventor: Benjamin J. IRELAND