21578results about "Nuclear energy generation" patented technology

A control rod drive mechanism (CRDM) for use in a nuclear reactor, the CRDM comprising: a connecting rod connected with at least one control rod; a lead screw; a drive mechanism configured to linearly translate the lead screw; an electromagnet coil assembly; and a latching assembly that latches the connecting rod to the lead screw responsive to energizing the electromagnet coil assembly and unlatches the connecting rod from the lead screw responsive to deenergizing the electromagnet coil assembly. The latching assembly is secured with and linearly translates with the lead screw, while the electromagnet coil assembly does not move with the lead screw. The electromagnet coil assembly is at least coextensive with a linear translation stroke over which the drive mechanism is configured to linearly translate the lead screw.

Spiral coils generate very powerful electromagnetic fields by operating with two different but simultaneous resonant behaviors. Quarter-wave resonance is established by adjusting the frequency (and wavelength) of a radiofrequency (RF) voltage source until the length of the spiral conductor is equal to ¼ of the wavelength of the alternating voltage. This generates an electromagnetic standing wave with at least one peak node and at least one null node. Inductive-capacitive (L / C) resonance is established by optimizing the thickness and width of the wire ribbon used to make the spiral coil. When inductance and capacitance are balanced, the current response will synchronize with the voltage input, creating in-phase behavior, minimal total impedance, and maximal power output. If two such coils are placed near each other, they will create an extremely powerful electromagnetic field between them, which can promote chemical and plasma reactions involving charged particles such as ions or plasma particles, possibly including nuclear fusion reactions.

In a method of producing isotopes in a light water power reactor, one or more targets within the reactor may be irradiated under a neutron flux to produce one or more isotopes. The targets may be assembled into one or more fuel bundles that are to be loaded in a core of the reactor at a given outage. Power operations in the reactor irradiate the fuel bundles so as to generate desired isotopes, such as one or more radioisotopes at a desired specific activity or stable isotopes at a desired concentration.

Apparatus suitable for transporting and storing nuclear fuel rods comprising a basket having storage cells formed from a honeycomb gridwork of metal plates in a rectilinear configuration, the plates welded to each other at their intersections so that all contiguous corners of the storage cells formed by the gridwork are completely connected so as to allow conduction heat transfer, the metal plates having neutron absorber material positioned in areas which form walls of the storage cells. Method of making an apparatus suitable for transporting and storing nuclear fuel rods comprising a) providing metal plates having slots and having neutron absorber material positioned on sides of the metal plates, b) arranging the plates so that the slots intersect to form a honeycomb gridwork of storage cells having contiguous corners and having the neutron absorbing material on sides of the storage cells, and c) welding the plates to each other at their intersections so that all contiguous corners of the storage cells formed by the gridwork are completely connected so as to allow conduction heat transfer and to provide a rigid structure.

A compound plasma configuration can be formed from a device having pins, and an annular electrode surrounding the pins. A cylindrical conductor is electrically connected to, and coaxial with, the annular electrode, and a helical conductor coaxial with the cylindrical conductor. The helical conductor is composed of wires, each wire electrically connected to each pin. The annular electrode and the pins are disposed in the same direction away from the interior of the conducting cylinder.

A control rod drive mechanism (CRDM) comprises a lead screw, a motor threadedly coupled with the lead screw to linearly drive the lead screw in an insertion direction or an opposite withdrawal direction, a latch assembly secured with the lead screw and configured to (i) latch to a connecting rod and to (ii) unlatch from the connecting rod, the connecting rod being free to move in the insertion direction when unlatched, and a release mechanism configured to selectively unlatch the latch assembly from the connecting rod.

Described herein are integrated systems for generating neutrons to perform a variety of tasks including: on-line analysis of bulk material and industrial process control (as shown in FIG. 1), security interrogation (as shown in FIG. 2), soil and environmental analysis, and medical diagnostic treatment. These systems are based on novel gas-target neutron generation which embodies the beneficial characteristics of replenishable fusible gas targets for very long lifetime, stability and continuous operation, combined with the advantageous features common to conventional accelerator neutron tubes including: on / off operation, hermetically sealed operation, and safe storage and transport. Innovative electron management techniques provide gas-target neutron production efficiencies that are comparable or surpass existing sources. The high-pressure high-resistance gaseous discharge is presented as a favorable gas-target neutron generator embodiment, combining ion source regions, accelerator regions, gas-target regions and electron management components within a single simple cost-effective device that is adaptable to various geometric configurations that provide specific neutron emission profiles for greater analysis capacity.

A system and method for containing plasma and forming a Field Reversed Configuration (FRC) magnetic topology are described in which plasma ions are contained magnetically in stable, non-adiabatic orbits in the FRC. Further, the electrons are contained electrostatically in a deep energy well, created by tuning an externally applied magnetic field. The simultaneous electrostatic confinement of electrons and magnetic confinement of ions avoids anomalous transport and facilitates classical containment of both electrons and ions. In this configuration, ions and electrons may have adequate density and temperature so that upon collisions they are fused together by nuclear force, thus releasing fusion energy. Moreover, the fusion fuel plasmas that can be used with the present confinement system and method are not limited to neutronic fuels only, but also advantageously include advanced fuels.

A rod assembly for a fuel bundle of a nuclear reactor may include an upper end piece, lower end piece and a plurality of rod segments attached between the upper and lower end pieces and to each other so as to form an axial length of the rod assembly. The rod assembly may include an adaptor subassembly provided at given connection points for connecting adjacent rod segments or a given rod segment with one of the upper and lower end pieces. The connection points along the axial length of the rod assembly may be located where the rod assembly contacts a spacer in the fuel bundle. One (or more) of the rod segments may include an irradiation target therein for producing a desired isotope when a fuel bundle containing one (or more) rod assemblies is irradiated in a core of the reactor.

A method and a system for obtaining a proper resonance of the RF electrodes when using a preset or predetermined stable frequency oscillator in a cyclotron accelerator without using mechanical tuning devices. In order to maintain a high RF electrode voltage during operation the RF electrode system resonance is monitored and the frequency of the stable frequency generator is controlled by a feedback system continuously monitoring the matching of the oscillator output frequency and the resonance of the RF electrode system. Necessary small adjustments of the stable oscillator frequency to maintain a maximum matching to the resonance frequency of the RF electrode system are obtained by means of the feedback system to the stable oscillator. The feedback system relies on measured values obtained by a load phase sensor monitoring the output of the final RF power amplifier. A cyclotron control system in turn obtains the set and corrected oscillator frequency value and fine tunes further the magnetic field created in the accelerator device according to the frequency information obtained.

A sensor device and method of employment is provided. More specifically, a sensor device adapted to detect, identify and / or measure a chemical and / or physical characteristic upon placement of the device into an environment, especially a liquid medium for which monitoring is sought is provided.

Described is a radiation dosimeter including multiple sensor devices (including one or more passive integrating electronic radiation sensor, a MEMS accelerometers, a wireless transmitters and, optionally, a GPS, a thermistor, or other chemical, biological or EMF sensors) and a computer program for the simultaneous detection and wireless transmission of ionizing radiation, motion and global position for use in occupational and environmental dosimetry. The described dosimeter utilizes new processes and algorithms to create a self-contained, passive, integrating dosimeter. Furthermore, disclosed embodiments provide the use of MEMS and nanotechnology manufacturing techniques to encapsulate individual ionizing radiation sensor elements within a radiation attenuating material that provides a “filtration bubble” around the sensor element, the use of multiple attenuating materials (filters) around multiple sensor elements, and the use of a software algorithm to discriminate between different types of ionizing radiation and different radiation energy.

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 fuel in test and experimental reactors that are non proliferative. The alloys form inert metal matrixes to hold fine particles of dispersed thorium containing fuel. The formulations also are useful for the production of medical and commercial isotopes in the high energy, fast and epithermal neutron spectra.

The present invention provides a coating inorganic fiber toughened MAX phase ceramic composite material and a preparation method thereof. The composite material adopts a MAX phase ceramic material as a matrix and adopts coating inorganic fibers as a toughening phase, wherein the coating inorganic fiber content is 0.5-90% (by volume), and the coating inorganic fibers are completely dispersed in the matrix and are inorganic fibers with the surface coated with the coating. Compared with the composite material in the prior art, the composite material of the present invention has the following characteristics that: the interface reaction between the inorganic fibers and the MAX phase ceramic can be effectively inhibited, the thermal expansion coefficient and elasticity modulus matching degree between the inorganic fibers and the MAX phase ceramic can be effective regulated, the effective improvement of the fracture toughness and the high temperature resistance of the MAX phase ceramic composite material can be achieved, the problems of high brittleness and insufficient use reliability of the MAX phase ceramic can be fundamentally solved, and the coating inorganic fiber toughened MAX phase ceramic composite material has potential application prospects in the high technology fields of civil use, aviation, aerospace, nuclear industry and the like, and is especially for the fission and fusion reactor nuclear power plant inner wall structure material.

Systems and methods suitable for capable of autonomous crack detection in surfaces by analyzing video of the surface. The systems and methods include the capability to produce a video of the surfaces, the capability to analyze individual frames of the video to obtain surface texture feature data for areas of the surfaces depicted in each of the individual frames, the capability to analyze the surface texture feature data to detect surface texture features in the areas of the surfaces depicted in each of the individual frames, the capability of tracking the motion of the detected surface texture features in the individual frames to produce tracking data, and the capability of using the tracking data to filter non-crack surface texture features from the detected surface texture features in the individual frames.

A containment vessel includes a primary containment vessel containing a reactor pressure vessel, an upper secondary containment vessel arranged above the primary containment vessel, and a gas-phase vent pipe linking the primary containment vessel and the upper secondary containment vessel by way of an isolation and connection switching system. The gas-phase vent pipe may be arranged either inside or outside the primary containment vessel and the upper secondary containment vessel. Alternatively, it may be embedded in the wall. An igniter may be arranged in the upper secondary containment vessel. The air in the upper secondary containment vessel may be replaced by nitrogen. A gravity-driven flooding system pool may be arranged in the upper secondary containment vessel and cooling water may be led from the inside of the pool to the inside of the primary containment vessel.

A new transmutation assembly permits an efficient transmutation of a long-lived radioactive material (long-lived FP nuclides such as technetium-99 or iodine-129) which was produced in the nuclear reactor. Wire-type members of a long-lived radioactive material comprised of metals, alloys or compounds including long-lived FP nuclides are surrounded by a moderator material and installed in cladding tubes to form FP pins. The FP pins, and nothing else, are housed in a wrapper tube to form a transmutation assembly. The wire-type members can be replaced by thin ring-type members. The transmutation assemblies can be selectively and at least partly loaded into a core region, a blanket region or a shield region of a reactor core in a fast reactor. From a viewpoint of reducing the influence on the reactor core characteristics, it is optimal to load the transmutation assemblies into the blanket region.

A multi-layered ceramic tube having an inner layer of high purity beta phase stoichiometric silicon carbide, a central composite layer of continuous beta phase stoichiometric silicon carbide fibers, and an outer layer of fine-grained silicon carbide. The ceramic tube is particularly suited for use as cladding for a fuel rod used in a power plant or reactor. The ceramic tube has a desirable combination of high initial crack resistance, stiffness, ultimate strength, and impact and thermal shock resistance.

The present invention is directed to a control system device that forces a machine operator to comply with the regulation by not allowing the machine to operate until the maintenance log has been completed. By disabling the equipment, the control unit prevents an operator from starting or operating the equipment prior to performing the required checks and documenting his / her identification number for verification purposes. Once the log has been entered, the system provides numerous methods for downloading of the data for long-term storage and retrieval. The system also has provisions to alert the managerial staff if the equipment is operated beyond the minimum check period while providing for a means to notify the operator that the required check interval has been reached.

A nuclear-powered plant for systems of up to about 100 MWs with a confinement section where the reaction takes place in a core having a reactive thorium / uranium-233 composition, and where an external neutron source is used as a modulated neutron multiplier for the reactor core output. The core is housed in a containment structure that radiates thermal energy captured in a multiple-paths heat exchanger. The exchanger heat energy output is put to use in a conventional gas-to-water heat exchanger to produce commercial quality steam.

A method and apparatus for formation testing is disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, a formation testing tool includes a longitudinal body with a flowbore; a plurality of extendable centralizing pistons coupled to the body; an extendable sample device coupled to the body; and a centralizing hydraulic circuit configured to cause each of the plurality of centralizing pistons to extend at substantially the same rate. The centralizing hydraulic circuit includes a series of flow control and pressure-determining valves configured to extend the centralizing pistons at substantially the same rate, and to help maintain stability in the hydraulic circuit in response to external pressures. In some embodiments, the extendable sample device is preferably configured to be recessed beneath a surface of the body in a first position and to extend beyond the surface in a second position. The extendable sample device is preferably extended to contact the borehole wall substantially normal to the wall, protecting the sample device from excessive bending moments and other excessive forces.

A present invention provides an internal circulating irradiation capsule available for the production of iodine-125 and a related production method. The irradiation capsule filled with xenon gas has a lower irradiation part, an upper irradiation part, and a neutron control member. The lower irradiation part is inserted into an irradiation hole of a reactor core and irradiated with a large quantity of neutron directly. When neutron is radiated to the xenon gas, iodine-125 is produced from xenon gas. The upper irradiation part protrudes from the irradiation hole, and iodine-125 is transferred to the upper irradiation part by convection and solidified in the upper part. The neutron control member reduces neutron in the upper part to produce iodine-125 of high purity and radioactivity in a large quantity.

A molten salt breeder reactor that has fuel conduit surrounded by a fertile blanket. The fuel salt conduit has an elongated core section that allows for the generation of electrical power on a scale comparable to commercially available nuclear reactors. The geometry of the fuel conduit is such that sub-critical conditions exist near the input and output of the fuel salt conduit and the fertile blanket surrounds the input and output of the fuel salt conduit, thereby minimizing neutron losses.

Provided are an underwater processing apparatus which can effectively prevent water from entering a shield for a workpiece having a surface ruggedness, and in which variation in a gas flow for a processing part is reduced, a processing method and an application thereof to a nuclear reactor, and the under water processing device is composed of a shield means which locally cover the processing part with the gas in order to prevent water from entering the shield member, the shield means having a solid wall formed of a member which is slidable in a part where it make contact with the workpiece, and adapted to make contact with the workpiece and to be moved up and down by a pressing force, and a water jetting means for forming a water curtain around the outer periphery of the solid wall.

A power module assembly includes a reactor core immersed in a coolant and a reactor vessel housing the coolant and the reactor core. An internal dry containment vessel submerged in liquid substantially surrounds the reactor vessel in a gaseous environment. During an over-pressurization event the reactor vessel is configured to release the coolant into the containment vessel and remove a decay heat of the reactor core through condensation of the coolant on an inner surface of the containment vessel.

An apparatus and method for generating cavitation in fluids is disclosed. The apparatus includes a housing for receiving a rotor, which is driven by a motive force. Multiple embodiments of the rotors are disclosed including, but not limited to, centrally feed, centrally drained, face feed, and face drained rotors. In one preferred embodiment, cavitation is enhanced by inducing tensile stress in the fluid by subjecting the fluid centrifugal force or centripital force depending upon the flow of the fluid.

Textured surface for increasing Leidenfrost temperature. The texture comprises of surface features over multiple length scales—from micro to nanoscale—wherein the features at each length scale have a size, aspect ratio, and spacing selected to increase the Leidenfrost temperature. The structure includes an array of microscale structures disposed on the surface, the structure having size, aspect ratio and spacing selected to increase Leidenfrost temperature. The microscale structures may also include nanoscale structures on their surface to create a hierarchical structure. The structures result in an increased Leidenfrost temperature.

The invention is an integrated temporary wireless network system for controlling, collecting, processing, and responding to data generated by a plurality of sensors configured for measuring data associated with operation of, and the environment related to, commercial, industrial and manufacturing operations, processes and equipment located within a fixed geographic area; a plurality of Wireless-Nodes, one coupled to each sensor, configured and adapted for wirelessly transmitting the data, via a Repeater if necessary, to a Base-Station, configured for receiving the data and connected to a primary computer; a CPU coupled with the primary computer and; a memory operatively connected to the CPU, the memory containing a program adapted to be executed by the CPU and the CPU and memory cooperatively adapted to perform data flow control from the plurality of Wireless-Nodes, data storage, and diagnostic analysis of the transmitted sensor data.

The invention belongs to safety equipment for a nuclear power plant, in particular to a passive and active combined special safety system for the nuclear power plant. The system comprises a passive high-pressure core water supply tank, an accumulator, a low-pressure safety injection pump, a refueling water tank, a secondary-side passive residual heat removal heat exchanger, a vapor condensation water tank, a containment spray system, a passive reactor cavity water injection system, related valves and related pipes. When the nuclear power plant has a design basis accident or beyond design basis accident, through a series of passive and active safety facilities used in all steps, the circuit of a reactor and the core can be cooled effectively, so that the nuclear power plant can enter a safe cold shutdown condition smoothly; and thus, the serious accident consequence of the reactor is inhibited or relieved, damage caused by accidents is relieved, and the safety of the nuclear power plant is improved.

A power module assembly includes a reactor vessel containing a reactor core surrounded by a primary coolant. A containment vessel is adapted to be submerged in a containment cooling pool and to prohibit a release of the primary coolant outside of the containment vessel. A secondary cooling system is configured to remove heat generated by the reactor core. The heat is removed by circulating liquid from the containment cooling pool through the primary coolant.