Patents by Inventor David E. Holcomb
David E. Holcomb 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: 10332643Abstract: A method of stripping tritium from flowing stream of molten salt includes providing a tritium-separating membrane structure having a porous support, a nanoporous structural metal-ion diffusion barrier layer, and a gas-tight, nonporous palladium-bearing separative layer, directing the flowing stream of molten salt into contact with the palladium-bearing layer so that tritium contained within the molten salt is transported through the tritium-separating membrane structure, and contacting a sweep gas with the porous support for collecting the tritium.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2016Date of Patent: June 25, 2019Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLCInventors: David E. Holcomb, Dane F. Wilson
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Patent number: 10017842Abstract: An essentially Fe-free alloy consists essentially of, in terms of weight percent: 4 to 11 Co, 6.5 to 7.5 Cr, 0 to 0.15 Al, 0.5 to 0.85 Mn, 11 to 20 Mo, 1 to 3.5 Ta, 0.05 to 9 W, 0.03 to 0.08 C, 0 to 0.001 B, 0.0005 to 0.005 N, balance Ni, the alloy being characterized by, at 850° C., a yield strength of at least 25 Ksi, a tensile strength of at least 45 Ksi, a creep rupture life at 12 Ksi of at least 10 hours, and a corrosion rate, expressed in weight loss [g/(cm2sec)]10?11 during a 1000 hour immersion in liquid FLiNaK at 850° C., in the range of 5 to 20.Type: GrantFiled: August 5, 2013Date of Patent: July 10, 2018Assignee: UT-BATTELLE, LLCInventors: David E. Holcomb, Govindarajan Muralidharan, Dane F. Wilson
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Publication number: 20170213609Abstract: A method of stripping tritium from flowing stream of molten salt includes providing a tritium-separating membrane structure having a porous support, a nanoporous structural metal-ion diffusion barrier layer, and a gas-tight, nonporous palladium-bearing separative layer, directing the flowing stream of molten salt into contact with the palladium-bearing layer so that tritium contained within the molten salt is transported through the tritium-separating membrane structure, and contacting a sweep gas with the porous support for collecting the tritium.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 19, 2016Publication date: July 27, 2017Inventors: David E. Holcomb, Dane F. Wilson
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Patent number: 9564251Abstract: A method of stripping tritium from flowing stream of molten salt includes providing a tritium-separating membrane structure having a porous support, a nanoporous structural metal-ion diffusion barrier layer, and a gas-tight, nonporous palladium-bearing separative layer, directing the flowing stream of molten salt into contact with the palladium-bearing layer so that tritium contained within the molten salt is transported through the tritium-separating membrane structure, and contacting a sweep gas with the porous support for collecting the tritium.Type: GrantFiled: July 17, 2014Date of Patent: February 7, 2017Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLCInventors: David E. Holcomb, Dane F. Wilson
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Patent number: 9540714Abstract: An essentially cobalt-free alloy consists essentially of, in terms of weight percent: 6.3 to 7.2 Cr, 0.5 to 2 Al, 0 to 5 Fe, 0.7 to 0.8 Mn, 9 to 12.5 Mo, 0 to 6 Ta, 0.75 to 3.5 Ti, 0.01 to 0.25 Nb, 0.2 to 0.6 W, 0.02 to 0.04 C, 0 to 0.001 B, 0.0001 to 0.002 N, balance Ni. The alloy is characterized by a ?? microstructural component in the range of 3 to 17.6 weight percent of the total composition. The alloy is further characterized by, at 850° C., a yield strength of at least 60 Ksi, a tensile strength of at least 70 Ksi, a creep rupture life at 12 Ksi of at least 700 hours, and a corrosion rate, expressed in weight loss [g/(cm2sec)]10?11 during a 1000 hour immersion in liquid FLiNaK at 850° C., in the range of 5.5 to 17.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2013Date of Patent: January 10, 2017Assignee: UT-BATTELLE, LLCInventors: David E. Holcomb, Govindarajan Muralidharan, Dane F. Wilson
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Patent number: 9435011Abstract: An essentially Fe- and Co-free alloy is composed essentially of, in terms of weight percent: 6.0 to 7.5 Cr, 0 to 0.15 Al, 0.5 to 0.85 Mn, 11 to 19.5 Mo, 0.03 to 4.5 Ta, 0.01 to 9 W, 0.03 to 0.08 C, 0 to 1 Re, 0 to 1 Ru, 0 to 0.001 B, 0.0005 to 0.005 N, balance Ni, the alloy being characterized by, at 850° C., a yield strength of at least 25 Ksi, a tensile strength of at least 38 Ksi, a creep rupture life at 12 Ksi of at least 25 hours, and a corrosion rate, expressed in weight loss [g/(cm2 sec)]10?11 during a 1000 hour immersion in liquid FLiNaK at 850° C., in the range of 3 to 10.Type: GrantFiled: August 8, 2013Date of Patent: September 6, 2016Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLCInventors: David E. Holcomb, Govindarajan Muralidharan, Dane F. Wilson
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Patent number: 9377245Abstract: A method of in-situ reconditioning a heat exchanger includes the steps of: providing an in-service heat exchanger comprising a precipitate-strengthened alloy wherein at least one mechanical property of the heat exchanger is degraded by coarsening of the precipitate, the in-service heat exchanger containing a molten salt working heat exchange fluid; deactivating the heat exchanger from service in-situ; in a solution-annealing step, in-situ heating the heat exchanger and molten salt working heat exchange fluid contained therein to a temperature and for a time period sufficient to dissolve the coarsened precipitate; in a quenching step, flowing the molten salt working heat-exchange fluid through the heat exchanger in-situ to cool the alloy and retain a supersaturated solid solution while preventing formation of large precipitates; and in an aging step, further varying the temperature of the flowing molten salt working heat-exchange fluid to re-precipitate the dissolved precipitate.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2013Date of Patent: June 28, 2016Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLCInventors: David E. Holcomb, Govindarajan Muralidharan
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Patent number: 9291537Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, devices and methods for stress-rupture testing selected materials within a high-temperature liquid salt environment. Exemplary testing systems include a load train for holding a test specimen within a heated inert gas vessel. A thermal break included in the load train can thermally insulate a load cell positioned along the load train within the inert gas vessel. The test specimen can include a cylindrical gage portion having an internal void filled with a molten salt during stress-rupture testing. The gage portion can have an inner surface area to volume ratio of greater than 20 to maximize the corrosive effect of the molten salt on the specimen material during testing. Also disclosed are methods of making a salt ingot for placement within the test specimen.Type: GrantFiled: May 14, 2014Date of Patent: March 22, 2016Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLCInventors: Weiju Ren, David E. Holcomb, Govindarajan Muralidharan, Dane F. Wilson
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Publication number: 20160019993Abstract: A method of stripping tritium from flowing stream of molten salt includes providing a tritium-separating membrane structure having a porous support, a nanoporous structural metal-ion diffusion barrier layer, and a gas-tight, nonporous palladium-bearing separative layer, directing the flowing stream of molten salt into contact with the palladium-bearing layer so that tritium contained within the molten salt is transported through the tritium-separating membrane structure, and contacting a sweep gas with the porous support for collecting the tritium.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 17, 2014Publication date: January 21, 2016Inventors: David E. Holcomb, Dane F. Wilson
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Publication number: 20150330883Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, devices and methods for stress-rupture testing selected materials within a high-temperature liquid salt environment. Exemplary testing systems include a load train for holding a test specimen within a heated inert gas vessel. A thermal break included in the load train can thermally insulate a load cell positioned along the load train within the inert gas vessel. The test specimen can include a cylindrical gage portion having an internal void filled with a molten salt during stress-rupture testing. The gage portion can have an inner surface area to volume ratio of greater than 20 to maximize the corrosive effect of the molten salt on the specimen material during testing. Also disclosed are methods of making a salt ingot for placement within the test specimen.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 14, 2014Publication date: November 19, 2015Applicant: UT-Battelle, LLCInventors: Weiju Ren, David E. Holcomb, Govindarajan Muralidharan, Dane F. Wilson
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Publication number: 20150063519Abstract: This invention relates to the field of coolant flow in a fluoride salt cooled high temperature reactor. In particular, the invention relates to the discovery of use of nitrogen-16 and/or fluoride-20 decay signature to measure coolant flow. The method of the invention comprises detecting gamma radiation emanating from nitrogen-16 activity and/or fluorine-20 activity within the reactor coolant at a first position along the reactor coolant loop; detecting the gamma radiation emanating from the nitrogen-16 activity and/or fluorine-20 activity within the reactor coolant at a second position along the reactor coolant loop downstream of said first position. The gamma radiation detected from the first position and second position are then cross-correlated, thereby determining the transit time of corresponding gamma activity perturbations viewed at the two detector locations.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 28, 2013Publication date: March 5, 2015Inventor: David E. Holcomb
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Publication number: 20150044088Abstract: An essentially Fe- and Co-free alloy is composed essentially of, in terms of weight percent: 6.0 to 7.5 Cr, 0 to 0.15 Al, 0.5 to 0.85 Mn, 11 to 19.5 Mo, 0.03 to 4.5 Ta, 0.01 to 9 W, 0.03 to 0.08 C, 0 to 1 Re, 0 to 1 Ru, 0 to 0.001 B, 0.0005 to 0.005 N, balance Ni, the alloy being characterized by, at 850° C., a yield strength of at least 25 Ksi, a tensile strength of at least 38 Ksi, a creep rupture life at 12 Ksi of at least 25 hours, and a corrosion rate, expressed in weight loss [g/(cm2 sec)]10?11 during a 1000 hour immersion in liquid FLiNaK at 850° C., in the range of 3 to 10.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 8, 2013Publication date: February 12, 2015Inventors: David E. Holcomb, Govindarajan Muralidharan, Dane F. Wilson
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Publication number: 20150037199Abstract: An essentially Fe-free alloy consists essentially of, in terms of weight percent: 4 to 11 Co, 6.5 to 7.5 Cr, 0 to 0.15 Al, 0.5 to 0.85 Mn, 11 to 20 Mo, 1 to 3.5 Ta, 0.05 to 9 W, 0.03 to 0.08 C, 0 to 0.001 B, 0.0005 to 0.005 N, balance Ni, the alloy being characterized by, at 850° C., a yield strength of at least 25 Ksi, a tensile strength of at least 45 Ksi, a creep rupture life at 12 Ksi of at least 10 hours, and a corrosion rate, expressed in weight loss [g(cm2sec)]10?11 during a 1000 hour immersion in liquid FLiNaK at 850° C., in the range of 5 to 20.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 5, 2013Publication date: February 5, 2015Inventors: David E. Holcomb, Govindarajan Muralidharan, Dane F. Wilson
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Publication number: 20140271338Abstract: An essentially cobalt-free alloy consists essentially of, in terms of weight percent: 6.3 to 7.2 Cr, 0.5 to 2 Al, 0 to 5 Fe, 0.7 to 0.8 Mn, 9 to 12.5 Mo, 0 to 6 Ta, 0.75 to 3.5 Ti, 0.01 to 0.25 Nb, 0.2 to 0.6 W, 0.02 to 0.04 C, 0 to 0.001 B, 0.0001 to 0.002 N, balance Ni. The alloy is characterized by a ?? microstructural component in the range of 3 to 17.6 weight percent of the total composition. The alloy is further characterized by, at 850° C., a yield strength of at least 60 Ksi, a tensile strength of at least 70 Ksi, a creep rupture life at 12 Ksi of at least 700 hours, and a corrosion rate, expressed in weight loss [g/(cm2sec)]10?11 during a 1000 hour immersion in liquid FLiNaK at 850° C., in the range of 5.5 to 17.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 15, 2013Publication date: September 18, 2014Inventors: David E. Holcomb, Govindarajan Muralidharan, Dane F. Wilson
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Publication number: 20140261901Abstract: A method of in-situ reconditioning a heat exchanger includes the steps of: providing an in-service heat exchanger comprising a precipitate-strengthened alloy wherein at least one mechanical property of the heat exchanger is degraded by coarsening of the precipitate, the in-service heat exchanger containing a molten salt working heat exchange fluid; deactivating the heat exchanger from service in-situ; in a solution-annealing step, in-situ heating the heat exchanger and molten salt working heat exchange fluid contained therein to a temperature and for a time period sufficient to dissolve the coarsened precipitate; in a quenching step, flowing the molten salt working heat-exchange fluid through the heat exchanger in-situ to cool the alloy and retain a supersaturated solid solution while preventing formation of large precipitates; and in an aging step, further varying the temperature of the flowing molten salt working heat-exchange fluid to re-precipitate the dissolved precipitate.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 15, 2013Publication date: September 18, 2014Applicant: UT-BATTELLE, LLCInventors: David E. Holcomb, Govindarajan Muralidharan
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Patent number: 8218396Abstract: A level measurement system suitable for use in a high temperature and pressure environment to measure the level of coolant fluid within the environment, the system including a volume of coolant fluid located in a coolant region of the high temperature and pressure environment and having a level therein; an ultrasonic waveguide blade that is positioned within the desired coolant region of the high temperature and pressure environment; a magnetostrictive electrical assembly located within the high temperature and pressure environment and configured to operate in the environment and cooperate with the waveguide blade to launch and receive ultrasonic waves; and an external signal processing system located outside of the high temperature and pressure environment and configured for communicating with the electrical assembly located within the high temperature and pressure environment.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 2010Date of Patent: July 10, 2012Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLCInventors: David E. Holcomb, Roger A. Kisner
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Publication number: 20110228640Abstract: A level measurement system suitable for use in a high temperature and pressure environment to measure the level of coolant fluid within the environment, the system including a volume of coolant fluid located in a coolant region of the high temperature and pressure environment and having a level therein; an ultrasonic waveguide blade that is positioned within the desired coolant region of the high temperature and pressure environment; a magnetostrictive electrical assembly located within the high temperature and pressure environment and configured to operate in the environment and cooperate with the waveguide blade to launch and receive ultrasonic waves; and an external signal processing system located outside of the high temperature and pressure environment and configured for communicating with the electrical assembly located within the high temperature and pressure environment.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 16, 2010Publication date: September 22, 2011Inventors: David E. Holcomb, Roger A. Kisner
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Patent number: 6060315Abstract: The present invention is a method for creating a localized disruption within a boundary of a cell or structure by exposing a boundary of a cell or structure to a set of energetically charged particles while regulating the energy of the charged particles so that the charged particles have an amount of kinetic energy sufficient to create a localized disruption within an area of the boundary of the cell or structure, then upon creation of the localized disruption, the amount of kinetic energy decreases to an amount insufficient to create further damage within the cell or structure beyond the boundary. The present invention is also a method for facilitating the introduction of a material into a cell or structure using the same methodology then further exciting the area of the boundary of the cell or structure where the localized disruption was created so to create a localized temporary opening within the boundary then further introducing the material through the temporary opening into the cell or structure.Type: GrantFiled: September 14, 1998Date of Patent: May 9, 2000Assignee: Lockheed Martin Energy Research CorporationInventors: David E. Holcomb, Timothy E. McKnight
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Patent number: 6038028Abstract: An optical measurement apparatus is provided for measuring the thickness of a moving sheet material (18). The apparatus has a pair of optical measurement systems (21, 31) attached to opposing surfaces (14, 16) of a rigid support structure (10). A pair of high-power laser diodes (20,30) and a pair of photodetector arrays (22,32) are attached to the opposing surfaces. Light emitted from the laser diodes is reflected off of the sheet material surfaces (17, 19) and received by the respective photodetector arrays. An associated method for implementing the apparatus is also provided.Type: GrantFiled: August 26, 1998Date of Patent: March 14, 2000Assignee: Lockheed Martin Energy Research Corp.Inventors: Eric B. Grann, David E. Holcomb
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Patent number: 6027699Abstract: Systems and methods are described for rapidly forming precision metallic and intermetallic alloy net shape parts directly from liquid metal droplets. A directed droplet deposition apparatus includes a crucible with an orifice for producing a jet of material, a jet destabilizer, a charging structure, a deflector system, and an impact zone. The systems and methods provide advantages in that fully dense, microstructurally controlled parts can be fabricated at moderate cost.Type: GrantFiled: July 28, 1997Date of Patent: February 22, 2000Assignee: Lockheed Martin Energy Research Corp.Inventors: David E. Holcomb, Srinath Viswanathan, Craig A. Blue, John B. Wilgen