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4477958 Multishell inertial confinement fusion target
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New Patents
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Coupler for absorber rods being suspended during operation of nuclear reactors including a plurality of actuating elements being movable for individually and jointly releasing the coupler, the movement of each of the actuating elements for releasing the coupler being independently controllable.
4477411 NUCLEAR REACTOR ELEMENTS
FUEL
Edward D Hindle, St Annes, United Kingdom assigned to United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority
@©©© ©@©@ (9@@@ ©©©© An array of rods is assembled to form a fuel element for a pressurized water reactor, the rods comprising zirconium alloy sheathed nuclear fuel pellets and containing helium. The helium gas pressure is selected for each rod so that it differs substantially from the helium gas pressure in its closest neighbors. In a preferred arrangement the rods are arranged in a square lattice and the helium gas pressure alternates between a relatively high value and a relatively low value so that each rod has as its closest neighbors up to four rods containing helium gas at the other pressure value.
4477804 ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT FOR PROVIDING AN ABNORMAL TRANSIENT DISPLAY SYSTEM FOR NUCLEAR REACTOR OPERATION Robert C Roberts assigned to The Babcock & Wilcox Company
A system for monitoring a limited number of operating conditions in a nuclear reactor and for graphically displaying same on a display device is disclosed. The system parameters selected are those which typically change as a result of a reactor trip. As long as these system parameters remain within a post-trip window on the graphic display, the power plant is ~perating normally. If, however, any of the foregoing system parameters falls outside this window, this is an immediate indication to the power plant operator to institute the necessary procedures to remedy same. A sequential controller (26) is provided to continuously sequentially sample the foregoing operating parameters and to transmit data regarding same to the display device.
4477958 MULTISHELL INERTIAL CONFINEMENT FUSION TARGET James Holland, Vecchio Robert M Del assigned to The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
A method of fabricating multishell fuel targets for inertial confinement fusion usage. Sacrificial hemispherical molds encapsulate a concentric fuel pellet which is positioned by fiber nets stretched tautly across each hemispherical mold section. The fiber ends of the net protrude outwardly beyond the mold surfaces. The joint between the sacrificial hemispheres is smoothed. A ceramic or glass cover is then deposited about the finished mold surfaces to produce an inner
VII
New Patents spherical surface having continuously smooth surface configuration. The sacrificial mold is removed by gaseous reaction accomplished through the porous ceramic cover prior to enclosing of the outer sphere by addition of an outer coating. The multishell target comprises the inner fuel pellet concentrically arranged within a surrounding coated cover or shell by fiber nets imbedded within the cover material.
4478784 PASSIVE HEAT TRANSFER MEANS FOR NUCLEAR REACTORS James Burelbach assigned to The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy An improved passive cooling arrangement is disclosed for maintaining adjacent or related components of a nuclear reactor within specified temperature differences. Specifically, heat pipes are operatively interposed between the components, with the vaporizing section of the heat
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pipe proximate the hot component operable to cool it and the primary condensing section of the heat pipe proximate the other and cooler component operable to heat it. Each heat pipe further has a secondary condensing section that is located outwardly beyond the reactor confinement and in a secondary heat sink, such as air ambient the containment, that is cooler than the other reactor component, Means such as shrouding normally isolated the secondary condensing section from effective heat transfer with the heat sink, but a sensor responds to overheat conditions of the reactor to open the shrouding, which thereby increases the cooling capacity of the heat pipe. By having many such heat pipes, an emergency passive cooling system is defined that is operative without electrical power.
For information about P A T S E A R C H ~
Pergamon InfoLine Inc. 1340 Old Chain Bridge Road McLean, Virginia 22101 USA Telephone (703) 442-0900 Telex: 90-1811
Pergamon InfoLine Limited 12 Vandy Street London EC2A 2DE England Telephone (01) 377-4650 Telex: 8814614
Pergamon Press Canada Ltd 150 Consumers Road, Suite 104 Willowdale, Ontario Canada M2J 1P9 Telephone (416) 497-8337
New Patents
\"
~:. ~;
Coupler for absorber rods being suspended during operation of nuclear reactors including a plurality of actuating elements being movable for individually and jointly releasing the coupler, the movement of each of the actuating elements for releasing the coupler being independently controllable.
4477411 NUCLEAR REACTOR ELEMENTS
FUEL
Edward D Hindle, St Annes, United Kingdom assigned to United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority
@©©© ©@©@ (9@@@ ©©©© An array of rods is assembled to form a fuel element for a pressurized water reactor, the rods comprising zirconium alloy sheathed nuclear fuel pellets and containing helium. The helium gas pressure is selected for each rod so that it differs substantially from the helium gas pressure in its closest neighbors. In a preferred arrangement the rods are arranged in a square lattice and the helium gas pressure alternates between a relatively high value and a relatively low value so that each rod has as its closest neighbors up to four rods containing helium gas at the other pressure value.
4477804 ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT FOR PROVIDING AN ABNORMAL TRANSIENT DISPLAY SYSTEM FOR NUCLEAR REACTOR OPERATION Robert C Roberts assigned to The Babcock & Wilcox Company
A system for monitoring a limited number of operating conditions in a nuclear reactor and for graphically displaying same on a display device is disclosed. The system parameters selected are those which typically change as a result of a reactor trip. As long as these system parameters remain within a post-trip window on the graphic display, the power plant is ~perating normally. If, however, any of the foregoing system parameters falls outside this window, this is an immediate indication to the power plant operator to institute the necessary procedures to remedy same. A sequential controller (26) is provided to continuously sequentially sample the foregoing operating parameters and to transmit data regarding same to the display device.
4477958 MULTISHELL INERTIAL CONFINEMENT FUSION TARGET James Holland, Vecchio Robert M Del assigned to The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
A method of fabricating multishell fuel targets for inertial confinement fusion usage. Sacrificial hemispherical molds encapsulate a concentric fuel pellet which is positioned by fiber nets stretched tautly across each hemispherical mold section. The fiber ends of the net protrude outwardly beyond the mold surfaces. The joint between the sacrificial hemispheres is smoothed. A ceramic or glass cover is then deposited about the finished mold surfaces to produce an inner
VII
New Patents spherical surface having continuously smooth surface configuration. The sacrificial mold is removed by gaseous reaction accomplished through the porous ceramic cover prior to enclosing of the outer sphere by addition of an outer coating. The multishell target comprises the inner fuel pellet concentrically arranged within a surrounding coated cover or shell by fiber nets imbedded within the cover material.
4478784 PASSIVE HEAT TRANSFER MEANS FOR NUCLEAR REACTORS James Burelbach assigned to The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy An improved passive cooling arrangement is disclosed for maintaining adjacent or related components of a nuclear reactor within specified temperature differences. Specifically, heat pipes are operatively interposed between the components, with the vaporizing section of the heat
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,4
e6
=2
~2
"
6O
pipe proximate the hot component operable to cool it and the primary condensing section of the heat pipe proximate the other and cooler component operable to heat it. Each heat pipe further has a secondary condensing section that is located outwardly beyond the reactor confinement and in a secondary heat sink, such as air ambient the containment, that is cooler than the other reactor component, Means such as shrouding normally isolated the secondary condensing section from effective heat transfer with the heat sink, but a sensor responds to overheat conditions of the reactor to open the shrouding, which thereby increases the cooling capacity of the heat pipe. By having many such heat pipes, an emergency passive cooling system is defined that is operative without electrical power.
For information about P A T S E A R C H ~
Pergamon InfoLine Inc. 1340 Old Chain Bridge Road McLean, Virginia 22101 USA Telephone (703) 442-0900 Telex: 90-1811
Pergamon InfoLine Limited 12 Vandy Street London EC2A 2DE England Telephone (01) 377-4650 Telex: 8814614
Pergamon Press Canada Ltd 150 Consumers Road, Suite 104 Willowdale, Ontario Canada M2J 1P9 Telephone (416) 497-8337