Patents by Inventor Hajime FURUICHI

Hajime FURUICHI 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).

  • Publication number: 20230386687
    Abstract: A fuel assembly according to the present invention includes an end plug disposed on both upper and lower end portions of a fuel rod, and a tie plate that supports at least an upper portion of the end plug. The end plug includes a plurality of support protrusions on a surface of the end plug, and a closed-loop spring having a portion that is inserted through an opening portion formed in the end plug and is stored in a single space formed in the end plug, and a remaining portion protruding to the outside of the end plug. The end plug is supported by the plurality of support protrusions and the closed-loop spring in a state in which the plurality of support protrusions and the closed-loop spring are in contact with an inner wall of an insertion hole formed in the tie plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2023
    Publication date: November 30, 2023
    Inventors: Kiyoshi FUJIMOTO, Takuji NAGAYOSHI, Hajime FURUICHI, Takeshi MITSUYASU
  • Publication number: 20220319729
    Abstract: A reactor containment vessel vent system continuously releases steam generated in a reactor containment vessel to the atmosphere even when a power supply is lost. In the reactor containment vessel vent system, the noble gas filter that allows steam to pass through but does not allow radioactive noble gases to pass through among vent gas discharged from the reactor containment vessel is provided at a most downstream portion of the vent line. An immediate upstream portion of the noble gas filter and the reactor containment vessel are connected to each other by the return pipe via the intermediate vessel. When the radioactive noble gases having pressure equal to or higher than predetermined pressure stay in the immediate upstream portion of the noble gas filter, the staying radioactive noble gases flows into the intermediate vessel by the relief valve. Thus, steam permeability is maintained and the system continuously releases the steam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2022
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Inventors: Hajime FURUICHI, Takahisa MATSUZAKI
  • Patent number: 11404178
    Abstract: The invention provides a reactor containment vessel vent system capable of continuously releasing steam generated in a reactor containment vessel to the atmosphere even when a power supply is lost. In the reactor containment vessel vent system (15), the noble gas filter (23) that allows steam to pass through but does not allow radioactive noble gases to pass through among vent gas discharged from the reactor containment vessel (1) is provided at a most downstream portion of the vent line. An immediate upstream portion of the noble gas filter (23) and the reactor containment vessel (1) are connected to each other by the return pipe (24a, 24b) via the intermediate vessel (100). Further, when the radioactive noble gases having pressure equal to or higher than predetermined pressure stays in the immediate upstream portion of the noble gas filter (23), the staying radioactive noble gases flows into the intermediate vessel (100) by the relief valve (25).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hajime Furuichi, Takahisa Matsuzaki
  • Publication number: 20200343012
    Abstract: The invention provides a reactor containment vessel vent system capable of continuously releasing steam generated in a reactor containment vessel to the atmosphere even when a power supply is lost. In the reactor containment vessel vent system (15), the noble gas filter (23) that allows steam to pass through but does not allow radioactive noble gases to pass through among vent gas discharged from the reactor containment vessel (1) is provided at a most downstream portion of the vent line. An immediate upstream portion of the noble gas filter (23) and the reactor containment vessel (1) are connected to each other by the return pipe (24a, 24b) via the intermediate vessel (100). Further, when the radioactive noble gases having pressure equal to or higher than predetermined pressure stays in the immediate upstream portion of the noble gas filter (23), the staying radioactive noble gases flows into the intermediate vessel (100) by the relief valve (25).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2019
    Publication date: October 29, 2020
    Inventors: Hajime FURUICHI, Takahisa MATSUZAKI