Patents by Inventor Douglas W. Pruitt

Douglas W. Pruitt 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).

  • Protection of reactor cores from unstable density wave oscillators
    Patent number: 8576975
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of operating a Boiling Water Reactor, having the steps of analyzing LPRM signals for oscilliatory behavior indicative of neutron-flux-coupled density wave oscillations, determining if oscilliatory behavior is present in the signals; initiating a reactor protective corrective action if the oscilliatory behavior is determined, and in addition, initiating corrective actions if neutron uncoupled oscillations are possible. Detecting the later is performed through analytically determined exclusion zone on the power flow map or by on-line stability calculations for several high power channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Areva NP Inc.
    Inventors: Yousef M. Farawila, Douglas W. Pruitt
  • PROTECTION OF REACTOR CORES FROM UNSTABLE DENSITY WAVE OSCILLATIONS
    Publication number: 20120140864
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of operating a Boiling Water Reactor, having the steps of analyzing LPRM signals for oscilliatory behavior indicative of neutron-flux-coupled density wave oscillations, determining if oscilliatory behavior is present in the signals; initiating a reactor protective corrective action if the oscilliatory behavior is determined, and in addition, initiating corrective actions if neutron uncoupled oscillations are possible. Detecting the later is performed through analytically determined exclusion zone on the power flow map or by on-line stability calculations for several high power channels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2012
    Publication date: June 7, 2012
    Inventors: Yousef M. FARAWILA, Douglas W. PRUITT
  • Protection of reactor cores from unstable density wave oscillations
    Patent number: 8135106
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of operating a Boiling Water Reactor, having the steps of analyzing LPRM signals for oscilliatory behavior indicative of neutron-flux-coupled density wave oscillations, determining if oscilliatory behavior is present in the signals; initiating a reactor protective corrective action if the oscilliatory behavior is determined, and in addition, initiating corrective actions if neutron uncoupled oscillations are possible. Detecting the later is performed through analytically determined exclusion zone on the power flow map or by on-line stability calculations for several high power channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Areva NP Inc.
    Inventors: Yousef M. Farawila, Douglas W. Pruitt