Induced nuclear reactions: processes, systems, and elements inventions 06/08

20080152066 - Protection systems for and methods of operating nuclear boiling water reactors: A protection system for a BWR may include a power-dependent high reactor pressure setpoint. The high reactor pressure setpoint that corresponds to at least one value of percent power in an operating domain of the reactor may be less than the high reactor pressure setpoint that corresponds to 100% power.... Agent: Harness, Dickey & Pierce, P.L.C

20080152067 - Granulation accelerating device and nuclear reactor housing: A nuclear reactor housing includes a vertically held pressurized water reactor and a cavity formed below the pressurized water reactor. A granulating member is positioned between the pressurized water reactor and the cavity and that accelerates granulation of debris falling from the pressurized water reactor into the cavity.... Agent: Westerman, Hattori, Daniels & Adrian, LLP

20080152068 - Control rod guide tube and method for providing coolant to a nuclear reactor fuel assembly: Control rod guide tubes for a nuclear reactor having a body with an axial length that defines a lower end portion and an upper end portion and a cavity within a substantial length of the body. Orifices are included at the upper and lower end portions of the body. A... Agent: Harness, Dickey & Pierce, P.L.C

20080152069 - Fuel support and method for modifying coolant flow in a nuclear reactor: Fuel supports for a nuclear reactor and methods of modifying fluid flow in a reactor using a fuel support. The fuel supports include a plurality of lumens and a plurality of fuel support apertures with each fuel support aperture being dimensioned for receiving a lower tie plate of a fuel... Agent: Harness, Dickey & Pierce, P.L.C

20080152070 - Assembly and method for mounting a fuel assembly having a predefined orientation within a nuclear reactor: Assemblies and methods for mounting a fuel assembly in a nuclear reactor include a fuel assembly includes fuel rods within the fuel assembly and a lower tie plate with a fuel assembly mating fixture. A fuel support includes a fuel support mating fixture that is constructed to selectively engage the... Agent: Harness, Dickey & Pierce, P.L.C

20080144761 - Method and apparatus for repairing a jet pump diffuser adapter to tailpipe weld: A clamp assembly connects a diffuser adapter or lower ring to a diffuser tail pipe of a jet pump diffuser in a boiling water nuclear reactor. The clamp assembly includes at least two clamp segments shaped generally corresponding to an exterior circumference of the diffuser, a swivel link affixed at... Agent: Nixon & Vanderhye P.c.

20080144762 - Non proliferating thorium nuclear fuel inert metal matrix alloys for fast spectrum and thermal spectrum thorium converter reactors: A set of alloy formulations is disclosed to use with thorium based nuclear fuels in a fast spectrum reactor; with thorium based nuclear fuels in existing thermal spectrum power reactors; for medical isotope production in the epithermal, the fast, the fission spectrum and the thermal spectra; and to use as... Agent: Stainbrook & Stainbrook, LLP

20080144763 - Method for perturbating a nuclear reactor core fuel bundle design to generate a group of designs: A method has been developed to select fuel rod enrichments for a fuel bundle of a nuclear reactor, the method including: creating an ordered list of fuel rod types in an initial fuel bundle design; perturbing at least a subset of the fuel rod types in the initial fuel bundle... Agent: Nixon & Vanderhye P.c.

20080137791 - Device for the endogenous production of radioisotopes, particularly for pet: Device for the endogenous production of radioisotopes, particularly for PET, characterized by comprising: a vacuum chamber (1), the inner surface of which at least partially treated to resistion implantation and inertised with respect to the nuclear reaction products,—a pair of electrodes (4, 5) placed inside said vacuum chamber (1),—a capacitor... Agent: Hoffman Wasson & Gitler, P.c Crystal Center 2, Suite 522

20080137792 - Method for improving energy output of a nuclear reactor, method for determining natural uranium blanket layer for a fuel bundle, and a fuel bundle having a variable blanket layer: In a method for improving the energy generating output of a nuclear reactor containing one or more fuel rods in one or more fuel rod bundles while satisfying a maximum subcritical banked withdrawal position (MSBWP) reactivity limit, enrichments of individual fuel rods in an axial cross-section of a lattice being... Agent: Harness, Dickey & Pierce, P.L.C

20080137793 - Vertical spring wedge: A vertical spring wedge restores a tight fitup against an adjacent structure, such as between an inlet mixer and an adjacent restrainer bracket in a boiling water nuclear reactor jet pump. The vertical spring wedge includes a U-shaped bracket including a pair of guiding portions and a pair of bracket... Agent: Nixon & Vanderhye P.c.

20080137794 - Systems and methods for loading and transferring spent nuclear fuel: Disclosed are systems and methods for loading and transferring spent nuclear fuel. In one embodiment, among others, the system comprises a transfer cask that contains spent nuclear fuel and shields radioactivity of the spent nuclear fuel, and an immersion tank that receives transfer casks within. The immersion tank has fluid... Agent: Thomas, Kayden, Horstemeyer & Risley, LLP

20080137795 - Method and apparatus for removing corrosion products from a nuclear reactor: A vacuum assembly for cleaning foreign matter from a nuclear reactor vessel, vessel components, and reactor coolant during reactor outage. The assembly includes a vacuum head for being inserted into the vessel and a first pump fluidly communicating with the vacuum head for directing water under pressure in the area... Agent: Trego, Hines & Ladenheim, Pllc

20080137796 - Method for reducing carbon steel corrosion in high temperature, high pressure water: A method for reducing corrosion of carbon steel components, such as in a water-cooled nuclear reactor, having an oxide film layer formed on a surface thereof is provided. The method includes injecting a solution of a compound containing zinc into a supply of feedwater introduced into the nuclear reactor. The... Agent: General Electric Company Global Research

20080137797 - Electricity and steam generation from a helium-cooled nuclear reactor: Disclosed herein is a method comprising heating helium in a core of a nuclear reactor; extracting heat from the helium; superheating water to steam using the heat extracted from the helium; expanding the helium in a turbine; wherein the turbine is in operative communication with an electrical generator; and generating... Agent: General Electric Company Global Research

20080137798 - Tube-in-tube threaded dashpot end plug: A nuclear fuel assembly having a tube-in-tube control rod guide tube design that incorporates an end plug that extends axially upward to an elevation above the lower most grid where it is sealed at its tipper end to the lower end of the control rod guide tube. The guide tube... Agent: Westinghouse Electric Company, Llc

20080137799 - Nuclear fuel assembly: A nuclear fuel assembly having an instrumentation tube having an insert that centers the in-core instrumentation while permitting bugling or welding of the instrumentation tube wall to a grid strap to obtain a rigid connection there between at any elevation along the instrumentation tube.... Agent: Westinghouse Electric Company, Llc

20080130817 - Method and apparatus for measurement of terminal solid solubility temperature in alloys capable of forming hydrides: An apparatus and method for measuring terminal solid solubility in materials capable of forming hydrides, such as reactor pressure tubes. An inspection device is positioned within the reactor pressure tube under test and a pair of annular seals are radially deployed to seal a section of the pressure tube. Any... Agent: Patterson & Sheridan, L.l.p.

20080130818 - Leak detection method for testing fuel rods of fuel assemblies of a boiling water reactor for leaks: Fuel rods of fuel assemblies of a boiling water reactor are tested for leaks. A plurality of fuel assemblies are each arranged adjacent to one another in a cell of the upper core grid of the boiling water reactor. A hood is placed above the fuel assemblies of a plurality... Agent: Lerner Greenberg Stemer LLP

20080130819 - Renew process implementation for reactor bottom head: A surface conditioning scheduling process is used to mitigate susceptibility to crack initiation or crack growth in a boiling water nuclear reactor using a plurality of working crews. A plurality of working zones are defined in an annulus region of a reactor vessel flange, and a plurality working zones are... Agent: Nixon & Vanderhye P.c.

20080130820 - Fuel supporting attachment and fuel inlet mechanism: A fuel inlet mechanism to introduce a coolant into a fuel assembly configured to be charged in a light water nuclear reactor, includes, a filter catching a foreign substance included in the coolant on an upstream side of the fuel assembly, the filter having a plurality of through holes to... Agent: Foley And Lardner LLP Suite 500