Patents by Inventor Maria E. FALCONE

Maria E. FALCONE 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).

  • System and method for storing fresh and irradiated nuclear fuel
    Patent number: 9543047
    Abstract: A method for storing nuclear fuel includes transferring a fuel assembly from a long term storage vault to a nuclear reactor core, removing the fuel assembly from the nuclear reactor core, determining a heat generation rate of the irradiated fuel assembly, and transferring the irradiated fuel assembly to one of an interim storage vault and a long term storage vault based on the determined heat generation rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: GE-HITACHI NUCLEAR ENERGY AMERICAS LLC
    Inventors: Maria E. Falcone, Scott L. Pfeffer, Elizabeth B. Umhoefer
  • SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR STORING FRESH AND IRRADIATED NUCLEAR FUEL
    Publication number: 20140072087
    Abstract: A method for storing nuclear fuel includes transferring a fuel assembly from a long term storage vault to a nuclear reactor core, removing the fuel assembly from the nuclear reactor core, determining a heat generation rate of the irradiated fuel assembly, and transferring the irradiated fuel assembly to one of an interim storage vault and a long term storage vault based on the determined heat generation rate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2012
    Publication date: March 13, 2014
    Applicant: GE-HITACHI NUCLEAR ENERGY AMERICAS LLC
    Inventors: Maria E. FALCONE, Scott L. PFEFFER, Elizabeth B. UMHOEFER