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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 6888910 | Methods and apparatuses for removing thermal energy from a nuclear reactor Method and apparatuses are provided for removing thermal energy from a nuclear reactor, which are fault tolerant. The apparatus includes at least one heat pipe configured to absorb thermal energy produced by the nuclear reactor. In addition, the apparatus includes a... | 05/03/2005 |
| 6768781 | Methods and apparatuses for removing thermal energy from a nuclear reactor Methods and apparatuses are provided for removing thermal energy from a nuclear reactor, which are fault tolerant. The apparatus includes at least one heat pipe configured to absorb thermal energy produced by the nuclear reactor. In addition, the apparatus includes ... | 07/27/2004 |
| 6674828 | Safe lift and process for transporting canisters of spent nuclear fuel A system and method for moving a canister of spent nuclear fuel from a first location, which may be within a nuclear power generation facility to a second location such as a storage cask that is used for short-term or long-term storage of spent nuclear fu... | 01/06/2004 |
| 5694442 | System for passively dissipating heat from the interior of a nuclear reactor containment structure A system (10) for dissipating heat from the interior space (50) of a containment structure (3, 6) for a nuclear reactor (2), for an indefinite time period, comprises a first heat exchanger (15, 15') outside said containment structure (3, 6) which is subme... | 12/02/1997 |
| 5684848 | Nuclear reactor heat pipe A nuclear reactor including a heat pipe for transferring heat from the reactor pressure vessel to a steam supply vessel is described. More particularly, in one embodiment, the heat pipe includes an evaporator section positioned in the reactor vessel, a co... | 11/04/1997 |
| 5442668 | Passive pressure tube light water cooled and moderated reactor A nuclear reactor has a containment vessel and a voided calandria space having a plurality of fuel channels therein. A chamber surrounding the calandria space is receptive of a light water moderator and a solid reflector in the chamber surrounds the calan... | 08/15/1995 |
| 5408510 | Thermionic nuclear reactor with flux shielded components A hydrogenous moderated thermionic nuclear reactor operating in the thermal neutron energy region. Thermionic fuel elements are formed from multiple concentric cylinders. The center cylinder is a combination heat pipe and thermionic converter collector. T... | 04/18/1995 |
| 5319688 | Pneumatic safety equipment to prevent the overheating of nuclear reactors A pneumatic safety system for a nuclear reactor includes a containment vessel containing He3 at high pressure communicating with a nuclear core by way of a conduit system which includes hollow pipes situated adjacent rods of fissionable materia... | 06/07/1994 |
| 5219516 | Thermionic generator module with heat pipes A thermionic electric converter module integrated with heating and cooling heat pipes. Two heat pipes are arranged concentrically, with the annular emitter heat pipe on the outside of the module to isothermally distribute heat from a source located in any... | 06/15/1993 |
| 5195575 | Passive three-phase heat tube for the protection of apparatus from exceeding maximum or minimum safe working temperatures Safety equipment is disclosed comprising a three-phase heat pipe for the protection of apparatus from exceeding maximum or minimum safe working temperatures. The heat pipe has a working fluid selected so that it will not function below the desired tempera... | 03/23/1993 |
| 5158742 | Reactor steam isolation cooling system A reactor steam isolation cooling system includes a containment building surrounding a reactor pressure vessel having a reactor core for generating reactor steam. An isolation pool is disposed outside the containment building and is vented to the atmosphe... | 10/27/1992 |
| 5096659 | Reactor containment vessel A reactor containment vessel comprises typically a reactor pressure vessel housed in a dry well of the reactor containment vessel, a vent passage through which steam in the dry well is introduced into coolant accommodated in a pressure suppression chamber... | 03/17/1992 |
| 5078958 | Underground cooling enhancement for nuclear waste repository The present invention relates to the retrievable storage of high-level nuclear spent fuel (waste). Such waste, which generates heat as it decays, is packed in sealed containers (2) which are placed in a repository site comprising a tunnel or drift (5) in ... | 01/07/1992 |
| 5076999 | Passive decay heat removal system for water-cooled nuclear reactors A passive decay-heat removal system for a water-cooled nuclear reactor employs a closed heat transfer loop having heat-exchanging coils inside an open-topped, insulated box located inside the reactor vessel, below its normal water level, in communication ... | 12/31/1991 |
| 5053190 | Water cooled nuclear reactor and pressurizer assembly A water cooled nuclear reactor comprises a reactor core, a primary water coolant circuit and a pressurizer arranged as an integral unit in a pressure vessel. The pressure vessel is divided into an upper chamber and a lower chamber by a casing, the reactor... | 10/01/1991 |
| 4948554 | Natural circulating passive cooling system for nuclear reactor containment structure A passive cooling system for the contaminant structure of a nuclear reactor plant providing protection against overpressure within the containment attributable to inadvertent leakage or rupture of the system components. The cooling system utilizes natural... | 08/14/1990 |
| 4909316 | Dual-tube heat pipe type heat exchanger Herein disclosed is a dual-tube heat pipe type heat exchanger comprising a heat pipe confined with a working fluid for transferring a heat as a latent heat by repeating evaporations and condensations. The heat pipe includes an outer tube which is disposed... | 03/20/1990 |
| 4865802 | Accumulator A liquid accumulator (28) for use in a substantially zero gravity environment which utilizes the surface tension of a liquid to form a meniscus which acts as a gas-liquid interface providing a barrier to the passage or entrainment of a gas into the liquid... | 09/12/1989 |
| 4851183 | Underground nuclear power station using self-regulating heat-pipe controlled reactors A nuclear reactor for generating electricity is disposed underground at the bottom of a vertical hole that can be drilled using conventional drilling technology. The primary coolant of the reactor core is the working fluid in a plurality of thermodynamica... | 07/25/1989 |
| 4800952 | Thaw flow control for liquid heat transport systems In a liquid metal heat transport system including a source of thaw heat for use in a space reactor power system, the thaw flow throttle or control comprises a fluid passage having forward and reverse flow sections and a partition having a plurality of ble... | 01/31/1989 |
| 4759901 | Nuclear reactor installation arranged in the cavity of a pressure vessel A nuclear reactor installation located in the cavity of a pressure vessel comprises a nuclear reactor with a core traversed from top to bottom by a cooling gas, a plurality of main loops consisting of heat exchangers and blowers, together with auxiliary l... | 07/26/1988 |
| 4755350 | Thermionic reactor module with thermal storage reservoir A thermionic energy conversion system assembly is described which comprises a fissionable nuclear fuel which surrounds a cylindrical arrangement of thermionic emitter electrodes which surround corresponding collector electrodes, which in turn surround a c... | 07/05/1988 |
| 4750551 | Apparatus for and method of heat transfer Apparatus for the isothermal transfer of heat from a heat source to a heat absorber, the heat source and the heat absorber being enclosed within a container. A heat transfer working medium (e.g., a volatile liquid) is enclosed within the container and is ... | 06/14/1988 |
| 4696783 | Electromagnetic control bar drive device, with reduced heat losses The electromagnetic device is suitable for use in actuating a pressurized water reactor control bar. It comprises a shaft and a fluid-tight casing in which are movable longitudinally a first and a second sets of grippers for gripping the shaft, staggered ... | 09/29/1987 |
| 4617985 | Heat pipe stabilized specimen container A heat pipe stablized specimen container for irradiation of specimens at substantially constant temperature within a liquid metal cooled fast reactor comprises a heat pipe containing a vaporizable substance such as sodium. The container is of double-walle... | 10/21/1986 |
| 4590993 | Heat transfer device for the transport of large conduction flux without net mass transfer A device for the transport of large conduction heat flux between two locations of differing temperature includes a pair of fluid reservoirs for positioning at the respective locations connected by at least one duct, and preferably a plurality of ducts, ha... | 05/27/1986 |
| 4582125 | Device for storing radioactive material in a building with a heat pipe inserted into the building wall Device for storing radioactive material in a building, including a building wall defining an interior of the building, heat pipes being disposed in the wall and having heat exchange surfaces including a part thereof disposed outside the building for givin... | 04/15/1986 |
| 4565926 | Method and apparatus for determining the content and distribution of a thermal neutron absorbing material in an object The disclosure is directed to an apparatus and method for determining the content and distribution of a thermal neutron absorbing material within an object. Neutrons having an energy higher than thermal neutrons are generated and thermalized. The thermal ... | 01/21/1986 |
| 4560533 | Fast reactor power plant design having heat pipe heat exchanger The invention relates to a pool-type fission reactor power plant design having a reactor vessel containing a primary coolant (such as liquid sodium), and a steam expansion device powered by a pressurized water/steam coolant system. Heat pipe means are dis... | 12/24/1985 |
| 4505876 | Nuclear heated and powered metal excimer laser A laser using heat and thermionic electrical output from a nuclear reactor in which heat generated by the reactor is utilized to vaporize metal lasants. Voltage output from a thermionic converter is used to create an electric discharge in the metal vapors... | 03/19/1985 |
| 4487742 | Fast neutron nuclear reactor with internal capillary structure piping The invention relates to a fast neutron nuclear reactor equipped with residual power removal devices. Each device comprises an evaporator incorporating a bundle of tubes in glove finger-like form immersed in the liquid metal contained in the reactor vesse... | 12/11/1984 |
| 4478784 | Passive heat transfer means for nuclear reactors 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 vaporiz... | 10/23/1984 |
| 4413348 | System for producing process heat A system for producing process heat which employs a high temperature gas cooled nuclear reactor and is adapted to provide process heat at temperatures higher than the reactor core temperature. The system includes a closed secondary loop having a working f... | 11/01/1983 |
| 4394344 | Heat pipes for use in a magnetic field A heat pipe configuration for use in a magnetic field environment of a fusion reactor. Heat pipes for operation in a magnetic field when liquid metal working fluids are used are optimized by flattening of the heat pipes having an unobstructed annulus whic... | 07/19/1983 |
| 4367195 | Temperature homogenization apparatus Apparatus for homogenizing the circumferential temperatures of the vertically axes ferrule of a component passing through the upper slab of a nuclear reactor, wherein it comprises at least one assembly forming a heat pipe describing the entire circumferen... | 01/04/1983 |
| 4343763 | Heat transfer system A heat transfer system for a nuclear reactor. Heat transfer is accomplished within a sealed vapor chamber which is substantially evacuated prior to use. A heat transfer medium, which is liquid at the design operating temperatures, transfers heat from tube... | 08/10/1982 |
| 4050983 | Passive containment system A containment system that provides complete protection entirely by passive means for the loss of coolant accident in a nuclear power plant and wherein all stored energy released in the coolant blowdown is contained and absorbed while the nuclear fuel is p... | 09/27/1977 |
| 4047093 | Direct thermal-electric conversion for geothermal energy recovery Direct conversion systems for in situ conversion of geothermal energy into electricity are described in which thermoelectric generators and/or thermionic convertors directly convert the earth's thermal energy into electrical energy. The choice of a thermo... | 09/06/1977 |
| 4040480 | Storage of radioactive material Containers of radioactive material are placed in a well, so that the subterranean well lining absorbs much of the radiation from the containers. The heat generated by the radioactive material is transferred through the wall of the container through the wa... | 08/09/1977 |
| 3935063 | Emergency heat removal system for a nuclear reactor A heat removal system for nuclear reactors serving as a supplement to an Emergency Core Cooling System (ECCS) during a Loss of Coolant Accident (LOCA) comprises a plurality of heat pipes having one end in heat transfer relationship with either the reactor... | 01/27/1976 |
