Patents by Inventor William E. Taft

William E. Taft 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: 5375151
    Abstract: A reactor water cleanup system includes a reactor pressure vessel containing a reactor core submerged in reactor water. First and second parallel cleanup trains are provided for extracting portions of the reactor water from the pressure vessel, cleaning the extracted water, and returning the cleaned water to the pressure vessel. Each of the cleanup trains includes a heat exchanger for cooling the reactor water, and a cleaner for cleaning the cooled reactor water. A return line is disposed between the cleaner and the pressure vessel for channeling the cleaned water thereto in a first mode of operation. A portion of the cooled water is bypassed around the cleaner during a second mode of operation and returned through the pressure vessel for shutdown cooling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1991
    Date of Patent: December 20, 1994
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Douglas M. Gluntz, William E. Taft
  • Patent number: 3933581
    Abstract: A means for rapidly shutting down or scramming a nuclear reactor, such as a liquid metal-cooled fast breeder reactor, and serves as a backup to the primary shutdown system. The control rod drive consists basically of an in-core assembly, a drive shaft and seal assembly, and a control drive mechanism. The control rod is driven into the core region of the reactor by gravity and hydraulic pressure forces supplied by the reactor coolant, thus assuring that common mode failures will not interfere with or prohibit scramming the reactor when necessary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1974
    Date of Patent: January 20, 1976
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Energy Research and Development Administration
    Inventors: Ernest R. McKeehan, Bruce M. Shawver, Donald J. Schiro, William E. Taft