Did You Know...
...that a workman who left the soap mixing machine on too long was responsible for making Ivory Soap? He was so embarrassed by his mistake that he threw the mess in a stream. Imagine his dismay when the evidence of his error floated to the surface! Result: Ivory soap, the soap that floats.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7596198 | Over temperature and over power delta temperature operating margin recovery method and reactor system employing the same A method is provided for recovering operating margin in a nuclear reactor. The reactor includes a steam generator, a Reactor Coolant System (RCS) having a hot leg with a temperature, Thot, and a cold leg with a temperature, Tcold, a Reactor Tri... | 09/29/2009 |
| 7302028 | Instrumented capsule for nuclear fuel irradiation tests in research reactors An instrumented capsule for nuclear fuel irradiation tests in research reactors includes an outer shell; a rod tip assembly assembled to a lower end plate of the shell, thus absorbing impact; fuel rod assemblies supported in the shell by means of support tubes and h... | 11/27/2007 |
| 7266481 | Method, arrangement and computer program for determining standardized rod types for nuclear reactors A method, arrangement and computer program is described for determining a set of standardized rod types for use in a nuclear reactor core. The method may include defining a set of rod type-related limits, and determining, based on the limits, an initial population o... | 09/04/2007 |
| 7253740 | Method and apparatus for monitoring for failure temperatures of a structure An apparatus for monitoring a temperature of a structure, comprising: one or more electrically conductive loops adapted to be affixed to the structure, each including first and second elongate connection strips each made of a first metal composition having a first m... | 08/07/2007 |
| 7222058 | Method of modeling and sizing a heat exchanger A method of modeling a heat exchanger is disclosed and comprises assigning input temperatures, assumed output temperatures, and a set of flow rates, inputting the parameters into a set of equations arranged to calculate a heat transfer coefficient, inputting paramet... | 05/22/2007 |
| 7177966 | Microcomputer minimizing influence of bus contention An edge detecting circuit detects an input level change (edge) of a synchronous signal provided from a synchronous signal input terminal. A data latch unit latches digital data provided from an external data input terminal. An address generating circuit provides an ... | 02/13/2007 |
| 7150559 | Hot melt adhesive detection methods and systems A hot melt adhesive sensing system and methods including detecting (410) multiple areas of a target, for example a hot adhesive material, by sensing changes in temperature with a corresponding number of thermal sensors, summing (420) an output of the t... | 12/19/2006 |
| 7139351 | Method of and control system for controlling a nuclear reactor outlet temperature The invention relates to a control system for controlling an average temperature of a coolant at a reactor core outlet. The control system method detects an average temperature of the coolant at the reactor core outlet, compares the actual average temperature of the... | 11/21/2006 |
| 7111491 | Portable differential pressure generator A dual range dynamic pressure differential generator for use at low pressures using a differential over a variable valve for a first stage pressure differential and the differential over a flow accelerator for a second stage pressure differential. The differential o... | 09/26/2006 |
| 6993407 | Method and system for analyzing semiconductor fabrication A method and a system for analyzing a semiconductor manufacturing process includes a semiconductor manufacturing process that can generate sets of input and output data. Principal components are generated from the set of input data, and a set of principal component ... | 01/31/2006 |
| 6966652 | Method and apparatus for cooling control The present invention provides a method and an apparatus for adjusting a cooling period according to a current condition of a system. The system includes an electronic device and a cooling device. The system has a predetermined temperature value Tp and a first tempe... | 11/22/2005 |
| 6957693 | Heat exchanger thermal indicator Thermal indictors of this invention are constructed for use with a heat exchanger generally comprising hot and cold side passages for accommodating a desired heat transfer therebetween. The thermal indicator is disposed at least partially within the heat exchanger a... | 10/25/2005 |
| 6879653 | Method and device for measuring the diameter of a peripheral rod in a fuel assembly of a nuclear reactor The diameter of a segment of a peripheral rod in a fuel assembly is measured between two successive spacer grids. A measuring tool is positioned at a level situated between the two successive spacer grids, the tool comprising two measuring fingers that are free to m... | 04/12/2005 |
| 6865244 | Device and method for cooling a reactor pressure vessel of a boiling water reactor plant In order to allow a reliable and passive external cooling of a reactor pressure vessel of a boiling water reactor, outside the reactor pressure vessel a differential-pressure measurement pipe is provided and has a first and a second pipe leg which are connected to o... | 03/08/2005 |
| 6856662 | Remote examination of reactor nozzle J-groove welds A combined laser and infra red sensing camera is located beneath the reactor head in the vicinity of the closure head tube welds by manipulating known robotic device handling the laser which is used to heat a line along the surface thereby generating a thermal wave ... | 02/15/2005 |
| 6721383 | Maximum extended load line limit analysis for a boiling water nuclear reactor A computerized method for expanding the operating domain of a boiling water nuclear reactor that permits safe operation of the reactor at core flows lower than normal operating parameters is provided. The operating domain is characterized by a map of the reactor the... | 04/13/2004 |
| 6504888 | Apparatus and methods of flow measurement for a boiling water reactor internal pump A reactor pressure vessel (RPV) for a nuclear reactor that permits measurement of the flow through each reactor internal pump (RIP) is described. The reactor pressure vessel also includes at least one reactor internal pump that includes an impeller and a ... | 01/07/2003 |
| 6493412 | Method of calibrating exit thermocouples in a nuclear reactor The exit thermocouples of a pressurized water reactor (PWR) are calibrated by recording the thermocouple temperature measurements periodically during power ascension of the reactor together with a predicted power at the corresponding locations at the same... | 12/10/2002 |
| 6435839 | Jet pump sensing line clamp assembly and methods A clamp assembly for a jet pump sensing line adjacent a jet pump within a nuclear reactor pressure vessel. The jet pump sensing line includes a support block. The clamp assembly includes a clamp body, a clamp member coupled to the clamp body, and a slide ... | 08/20/2002 |
| 6252923 | In-situ self-powered monitoring of stored spent nuclear fuel Detectors are used to monitor the status of spent nuclear fuel storage containers non-invasively while they remain in storage casks. The detectors measure neutron flux and γ-ray flux and may also measure temperature variations of the spent nuclear fuel. ... | 06/26/2001 |
| 6249004 | Inorganic crystal based composite material high dose dosimeter and method of using same The present invention is a composite material containing a mix of dosimeter material powder and a polymer powder wherein the polymer is transparent to the photons of wavelengths absorbed by the dosimeter material powder. The present method includes a meth... | 06/19/2001 |
| 6219398 | Heated junction thermocouple cable arrangement An improved heated junction thermocouple cable arrangement for use with a nuclear reactor heated junction thermocouple having sensors with an unheated thermocouple, a heated thermocouple, and a heater coil, shares power conductors between multiple heater ... | 04/17/2001 |
| 6216728 | Tunable anticipatory output response valve control A valve control apparatus for generating an anticipatory output response for controlling a fluid flow in a fluid flow line includes a valve provided inside the fluid flow line, at least one sensor for providing at least one input signal, said at least one... | 04/17/2001 |
| 6163588 | Core plate and reactor internal pump differential pressure lines for a boiling water reactor A modular differential pressure measuring system for a boiling water nuclear reactor pressure vessel is described. The modular pressure differential system includes a plurality of pressure lines having a plurality of pressure line sections. The system als... | 12/19/2000 |
| 6061413 | Nuclear steam supply temperature measurement system and method A temperature measurement system includes, for each of two nuclear steam supply system (NSSS) loops, four temperature sensors each of which provides a value of the temperature of reactor coolant flowing in the NSSS hot leg of the loop; a mechanism for det... | 05/09/2000 |
| 6061412 | Nuclear reaction protection system A safety grade protection system for monitoring parameters indicative of the status of a core of a nuclear reactor, and reducing the criticality of the nuclear reaction when the onset of unsafe conditions are detected. The invention directly detects, in r... | 05/09/2000 |
| 5960050 | Method of fission heat flux determination from experimental data A method is provided for determining the fission heat flux of a prime specimen inserted into a specimen of a test reactor. A pair of thermocouple test specimens are positioned at the same level in the holder and a determination is made of various experime... | 09/28/1999 |
| 5835546 | System for seating at least one gasket in a pressure vessel penetration where a column penetrates telescopically A system for seating at least one gasket member used to seal a pressure vessel penetration where a column penetrates therethrough includes a tubular member, a column which penetrates through the tubular member in a telescoping manner and is normally movab... | 11/10/1998 |
| 5809100 | Apparatus for detecting changes in preload on a tie rod installed as part of a core shroud repair in a boiling water reactor In a boiling water reactor having a core shroud disposed within a reactor vessel and a plurality of tie rods installed between vertically spaced sites on the core shroud as part of a core shroud repair, a method of measuring tie rod preload after installa... | 09/15/1998 |
| 5761086 | Apparatus and method for monitoring pressure-temperature margins A real-time parameter margin monitoring system, for a pressurized vessel of an operating nuclear power plant, includes a data acquisition subsystem for acquiring a plurality of real-time parameters associated with the pressurized vessel; a first subsystem... | 06/02/1998 |
| 5754609 | Condensation vessel for the measurement of steam pressure, filling level and steam flow rate and method for operating a condensation vessel A condensation vessel for the measurement of steam pressure includes a steam zone, a steam line which opens in the steam zone at an entrance, a condensate zone which is directly adjacent the steam zone and geodetically below the entrance, and a discharge ... | 05/19/1998 |
| 5712886 | Device for detecting and monitoring perforation of the bottom head of the vessel of a nuclear reactor The detection device includes at least one thermocouple (10) arranged aligned with the bottom head of the vessel of the nuclear reactor, having a first branch (9) made of a first metallic material and at least one second branch (11) made of a second metal... | 01/27/1998 |
| 5684846 | Nuclear reactor plant having containment isolation A nuclear reactor plant has a nuclear reactor vessel in a containment vessel. Air ducts, sump discharge lines, service water lines and other non-process non-critical lines extending through the wall of the containment vessel can be isolated passively (i.e... | 11/04/1997 |
| 5682410 | Method for determining core flow rate and water temperature/density in boiling water reactor A method for determining the core flow rate from pump differential pressure method equations and a heat balance equation for determining the temperature and density of the reactor water in the downcomer and lower plenum region. The measured reactor water ... | 10/28/1997 |
| 5652775 | Method and device for detecting and monitoring perforation of the vessel bottom head of a nuclear reactor The reactor vessel is placed inside a reactor pit having a vertical axis and including a bottom (5) arranged below and aligned with the vessel bottom head. In the event of meltdown of the reactor core as a result of accidental operation of the nuclear rea... | 07/29/1997 |
| 5631937 | Method and apparatus for protecting a PWR from departure from nucleate boiling and hot leg boiling A pressurized water reactor (PWR) is protected from departure from nucleate boiling and from hot leg boiling by generating a segmented delta temperature trip function having a first line segment which closely follows the departure from nucleate boiling co... | 05/20/1997 |
| 5619546 | Resistance temperature detector nozzle mechanical clamp A fluid tight mechanical clamp for creating a compressed graphite seal between a resistance temperature detector nozzle and a NSSS piping hot or cold leg pipe is provided which includes a split graphite seal ring, a peripheral seal back-up ring, a split l... | 04/08/1997 |
| 5615239 | Core differential pressure and liquid control line apparatus in a nuclear reactor A core differential pressure and liquid control line apparatus for a nuclear reactor is described. The apparatus includes a first portion configured to be positioned within and extend through an opening in the pressure vessel wall. At least the first tube... | 03/25/1997 |
| 5610957 | Reactor core coolant flow rate control system for a BWR type nuclear power plant A reactor core coolant flow rate control system for a BWR type nuclear power plant in which electric power is generated by a turbine-driven generator driven by a steam turbine rotating under the work of a main steam generated from a cooling water recircul... | 03/11/1997 |
| 5577088 | Method and device for ultrasonic examination of faces of the internal surface of the wall of cladding The tubular cladding (1) comprises an internal surface of substantially prismatic shape, having successive faces. An ultrasonic examination head (3) makes it possible to emit ultrasound waves in the form of pulses from the outside of the cladding (1), so ... | 11/19/1996 |
