Patent application number | Description | Published |
20120159876 | SEISMIC AND IMPACT MITIGATION DEVICES AND SYSTEMS - Systems mitigate structural damage by selectively engaging energy-absorbing structures only during impact events, including aircraft impacts. Systems include lateral dampening devices and/or seismic bearings between a structure and its foundation. Lateral dampening devices include a restorative member and/or reactive member configured to rigidly join the structure and the foundation and dampen reactive movement after the structure moves toward the foundation during an impact event. Seismic bearings include a top plate connected to the structure, a bottom plate connected to the foundation, and a resistive core between the top plate that dampens relative movement between the structure and the foundation. Seismic bearings may include a capture assembly that rigidly joins and dampens reactive movement between the structure and the foundation during an impact event. The structure may further include a ledge into which the top plate seats and dampens reactive movement between the structure and the foundation during an impact event. | 06-28-2012 |
20130272468 | IN-SITU AND EXTERNAL NUCLEAR REACTOR SEVERE ACCIDENT TEMPERATURE AND WATER LEVEL PROBES - A system for monitoring a state of a reactor core in a nuclear reactor may include an internal monitoring device located inside the reactor core, the internal monitoring device including one or more internal sensor arrays configured to take measurements of conditions of the reactor core at different vertical regions within the reactor core to generate internal measurement data; an external monitoring device located in the reactor structure outside the reactor core, the external monitoring device including one or more external sensor arrays configured to take measurements of conditions of the reactor core at positions outside the reactor core corresponding the plurality of different vertical regions within the reactor core to generate external measurement data, and a transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit the external measurement data; and a receiver station configured to determine a state of the reactor core based on the external and internal measurement data. | 10-17-2013 |
20130272469 | DEVICE AND METHOD FOR REACTOR AND CONTAINMENT MONITORING - A device for monitoring a reactor during normal and off-normal operating conditions may include a case formed of a rigid material, the case including a shielding layer configured to insulate an internal portion of the device from external heat and radiation; a coupling unit configured to adhere the case to a surface location of a reactor; a sensing unit configured to generate environmental measurements by measuring environmental conditions in the vicinity of the reactor; a data processing unit configured to generate measurement data by processing the environmental measurements; a transmitter configured to transmit the measurement data externally from the device; and a power unit configured to power the device independently of an external power source. | 10-17-2013 |
20130287163 | FUEL BUNDLE FOR A LIQUID METAL COOLED NUCLEAR REACTOR - In one embodiment, the fuel bundle for a liquid metal cooled reactor includes a channel, a nose assembly secured to a lower end of the channel, and a plurality of fuel rods disposed within the channel. At least one of the fuel rods has at least one guard ring surround the fuel rod and spacing the fuel rod from adjacent fuel rods. | 10-31-2013 |
20130308742 | FUEL BUNDLE FOR A LIQUID METAL COOLED NUCLEAR REACTOR - In one embodiment, a fuel bundle for a liquid metal cooled reactor includes a channel, a nose assembly secured to a lower end of the channel, a plurality of fuel rods disposed within the channel, and an internal mixer disposed within the channel above the plurality of fuel rods. The internal mixer includes peripheral flow control members and interior flow control members. The peripheral flow control members are located near walls of the channel, and the interior flow control members are located towards a longitudinal center of the housing. At least one of the peripheral flow control members is configured to direct liquid metal flowing through the channel towards an interior of the channel, and at least one of the interior flow control members is configured to direct liquid metal flowing through the channel away from the interior of the channel. | 11-21-2013 |
20130341555 | METHOD OF FABRICATING LIQUID-METAL COOLANTS FOR NUCLEAR REACTORS - A method of fabricating a liquid-metal coolant includes adding nanoparticles to the liquid-metal coolant to change neutronic properties of the liquid-metal coolant. The nanoparticles have neutronic properties different from that of the liquid-metal coolant. | 12-26-2013 |
20140005462 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROCESSING AND STORING POST-ACCIDENT COOLANT | 01-02-2014 |
20140069468 | METHODS OF CLEANING A SUBMERGED SURFACE USING A FLUID JET DISCHARGING A LIQUID/GAS COMBINATION - A method of cleaning a submerged surface covered by a liquid medium includes injecting a cleaning liquid with a submerged fluid jet through the liquid medium at the submerged surface. The method may also include introducing at least one of a non-reactive gas and a reactive gas with the cleaning liquid through the submerged fluid jet. | 03-13-2014 |
20140073829 | METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR STABILIZING FUEL CONTAINING REACTIVE SODIUM METAL - A method of stabilizing a fuel containing a reactive sodium metal may include puncturing a cladding of a fuel pin enclosing the fuel containing the reactive sodium metal to form an injection passage and an extraction passage. A reaction gas may be injected into the fuel pin through the injection passage to react with the reactive sodium metal to form a stable sodium compound. A ratio of a product gas and a remaining quantity of the reaction gas exiting the fuel pin through the extraction passage is subsequently measured, wherein the product gas is a reaction product of the reaction gas and the reactive sodium metal within the fuel pin. Once the measured ratio indicates that a reaction between the reaction gas and the reactive sodium metal is complete, the injection passage and the extraction passage are sealed so as to confine the stable sodium compound within the fuel pin. | 03-13-2014 |
20150318063 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR REDUCING SURFACE DEPOSITION AND CONTAMINATION - Mobile apparatuses move within contaminated fluid to create fluid flows against structures that remove and prevent contaminant deposition on structure surfaces immersed in the fluid. Unsettling flows in water may exceed approximately 2 m/s for radionuclide particles and solutes found in nuclear power plants. Mobile apparatuses include pressurized liquid from a pump or pressurized source that can be chemically and thermally treated to maximize deposition removal. When spraying the pressurized liquid to create the deposition-removing flow, mobile apparatuses may be self-propelled within the fluid about an entire surface to be cleaned. Mobile apparatuses include filters keyed to remove the contaminants moved into the coolant by the flow, and by taking in ambient fluid, enable such filtering of the ambient fluid along with a larger flow volume and propulsion. Propulsion and the pressurized liquid in turn enhance intake of ambient fluid. | 11-05-2015 |
20160027537 | FIBER OPTIC TEMPERATURE SENSING SYSTEM AND METHOD UTILIZING BRILLOUIN SCATTERING FOR LARGE, WELL-VENTILATED SPACES - A temperature change detection apparatus for monitoring temperature change in various portions of a large space includes a trip logic unit configured to execute a trip operation based on receipt of a trip signal at the trip logic unit; a plurality of temperature sensors each including a sensing portion composed of optical fiber cable and each being configured to generate light information indicating an amount of Brillouin scattering that occurs within the sensing portion; a plurality of monitoring units configured such that each monitoring unit determines a temperature value corresponding to each temperature sensor connected to the monitoring unit based on an amount of Brillouin scattering indicated by the light information generated by each of the connected temperature sensors, an each monitoring unit generates a trip signal when a determined temperature value exceeds a running average by more than a threshold amount. | 01-28-2016 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20150141267 | INTEGRATED DEVICE WITH EXTERNAL LIGHT SOURCE FOR PROBING DETECTING AND ANALYZING MOLECULES - Apparatus and methods for analyzing single molecule and performing nucleic acid sequencing. An integrated device includes multiple pixels with sample wells configured to receive a sample, which, when excited, emits radiation; at least one element for directing the emission radiation in a particular direction; and a light path along which the emission radiation travels from the sample well toward a sensor. The apparatus also includes an instrument that interfaces with the integrated device. Each sensor may detect emission radiation from a sample in a respective sample well. The instrument includes an excitation light source for exciting the sample in each sample well. | 05-21-2015 |
20150141268 | ACTIVE-SOURCE-PIXEL, INTEGRATED DEVICE FOR RAPID ANALYSIS OF BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL SPECIMENS - An active-source-pixel, integrated device capable of performing biomolecule detection and/or analysis, such as single-molecule nucleic acid sequencing, is described. An active pixel of the integrated device includes a sample well into which a sample to be analyzed may diffuse, an excitation source for providing excitation energy to the sample well, and a sensor configured to detect emission from the sample. The sensor may comprise two or more segments that produce a set of signals that are analyzed to differentiate between and identify tags that are attached to, or associated with, the sample. Tag differentiation may be spectral and/or temporal based. Identification of the tags may be used to detect, analyze, and/or sequence the biomolecule. | 05-21-2015 |
20150177150 | OPTICAL SYSTEM AND ASSAY CHIP FOR PROBING, DETECTING AND ANALYZING MOLECULES - Apparatus and methods for analyzing single molecule and performing nucleic acid sequencing. An apparatus can include an assay chip that includes multiple pixels with sample wells configured to receive a sample, which, when excited, emits emission energy; at least one element for directing the emission energy in a particular direction; and a light path along which the emission energy travels from the sample well toward a sensor. The apparatus also includes an instrument that interfaces with the assay chip. The instrument includes an excitation light source for exciting the sample in each sample well; a plurality of sensors corresponding the sample wells. Each sensor may detect emission energy from a sample in a respective sample well. The instrument includes at least one optical element that directs the emission energy from each sample well towards a respective sensor of the plurality of sensors. | 06-25-2015 |
20160041095 | OPTICAL SYSTEM AND ASSAY CHIP FOR PROBING, DETECTING AND ANALYZING MOLECULE - Apparatus and methods for analyzing single molecule and performing nucleic acid sequencing. An apparatus can include an assay chip that includes multiple pixels with sample wells configured to receive a sample, which, when excited, emits emission energy; at least one element for directing the emission energy in a particular direction; and a light path along which the emission energy travels from the sample well toward a sensor. The apparatus also includes an instrument that interfaces with the assay chip. The instrument includes an excitation light source for exciting the sample in each sample well; a plurality of sensors corresponding the sample wells. Each sensor may detect emission energy from a sample in a respective sample well. The instrument includes at least one optical element that directs the emission energy from each sample well towards a respective sensor of the plurality of sensors. | 02-11-2016 |
20160084761 | INTEGRATED DEVICE WITH EXTERNAL LIGHT SOURCE FOR PROBING DETECTING AND ANALYZING MOLECULES - System and methods for analyzing single molecules and performing nucleic acid sequencing. An integrated device includes multiple pixels with sample wells configured to receive a sample, which when excited, emits radiation. The integrated device includes at least one waveguide configured to propagate excitation energy to the sample wells from a region of the integrated device configured to couple with an excitation energy source. A pixel may also include at least one element for directing the emission energy towards a sensor within the pixel. The system also includes an instrument that interfaces with the integrated device. The instrument may include an excitation energy source for providing excitation energy to the integrated device by coupling to an excitation energy coupling region of the integrated device. One of multiple markers distinguishable by temporal parameters of the emission energy may label the sample and configuration of the sensor within a pixel may allow for detection of a temporal parameter associated with the marker labeling the sample. | 03-24-2016 |