Patents by Inventor SHINICHI HIGUICHI

SHINICHI HIGUICHI 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).

  • SiC matrix fuel cladding tube with spark plasma sintered end plugs
    Patent number: 10062458
    Abstract: A method of providing an end-capped tubular ceramic composite for containing nuclear fuel (34) in a nuclear reactor involves the steps of providing a tubular ceramic composite (40), providing at least one end plug (14, 46, 48), applying (42) the at least one end plug material to the ends of the tubular ceramic composite, applying electrodes to the end plug and tubular ceramic composite and applying current in a plasma sintering means (10, 50) to provide a hermetically sealed tube (52). The invention also provides a sealed tube made by this method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Company LLC
    Inventors: Peng Xu, Edward J. Lahoda, Lars Hallstadius, Joon Hyung Choi, Shinichi Higuichi, Fumihisa Kano
  • SIC MATRIX FUEL CLADDING TUBE WITH SPARK PLASMA SINTERED END PLUGS
    Publication number: 20160358673
    Abstract: A method of providing an end-capped tubular ceramic composite for containing nuclear fuel (34) in a nuclear reactor involves the steps of providing a tubular ceramic composite (40), providing at least one end plug (14, 46, 48), applying (42) the at least one end plug material to the ends of the tubular ceramic composite, applying electrodes to the end plug and tubular ceramic composite and applying current in a plasma sintering means (10, 50) to provide a hermetically sealed tube (52). The invention also provides a sealed tube made by this method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2016
    Publication date: December 8, 2016
    Applicants: WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC COMPANY LLC, KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: PENG XU, EDWARD J. LAHODA, LARS HALLSTADIUS, JOON HYUNG CHOI, SHINICHI HIGUICHI, FUMIHISA KANO