Patents by Inventor Jeffrey L. Bradfute

Jeffrey L. Bradfute 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: 9984779
    Abstract: An advanced initial core fuel configuration is for improving the fuel management efficiency and thus economics for a nuclear reactor. The advanced initial core fuel configuration includes a plurality of fuel assemblies having different average enrichments of uranium 235 and arranging the fuel assemblies in an initial core configuration structured to emulate a known equilibrium reload cycle core at least in terms of spatial reactivity distribution. The resulting average enrichment within the initial core ranges from below about 1.0 percent weight of uranium 235 to about 5.0 percent weight of uranium 235. An advanced lattice design is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Company LLC
    Inventors: David L. Stucker, Robert J. Fetterman, Jeffrey L. Bradfute
  • Patent number: 9293228
    Abstract: An advanced initial core fuel configuration is for improving the fuel management efficiency and thus economics for a nuclear reactor. A method of implementing such an initial core involves providing a plurality of fuel assemblies having different average enrichments of uranium 235 and arranging the fuel assemblies in an initial core configuration structured to emulate a known equilibrium reload cycle core at least in terms of spatial reactivity distribution. The resulting average enrichment within the initial core ranges from below about 1.0 percent weight of uranium 235 to about 5.0 percent weight of uranium 235. An advanced lattice design is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Company LLC
    Inventors: David L. Stucker, Robert J. Fetterman, Jeffrey L. Bradfute
  • Publication number: 20120294406
    Abstract: An advanced initial core fuel configuration is for improving the fuel management efficiency and thus economics for a nuclear reactor. A method of implementing such an initial core involves providing a plurality of fuel assemblies having different average enrichments of uranium 235 and arranging the fuel assemblies in an initial core configuration structured to emulate a known equilibrium reload cycle core at least in terms of spatial reactivity distribution. The resulting average enrichment within the initial core ranges from below about 1.0 percent weight of uranium 235 to about 5.0 percent weight of uranium 235. An advanced lattice design is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2012
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Applicant: WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC COMPANY LLC
    Inventors: David L. Stucker, Robert J. Fetteman, Jeffrey L. Bradfute