Systems and methods for retaining and removing irradiation targets in a nuclear reactor
Abstract
A retainer is placed on a conduit to control movement of objects within the conduit in access-restricted areas. Retainers can prevent or allow movement in the conduit in a discriminatory fashion. A fork with variable-spacing between prongs can be a retainer and be extended or collapsed with respect to the conduit to change the size of the conduit. Different objects of different sizes may thus react to the fork differently, some passing and some being blocked. Retainers can be installed in inaccessible areas and allow selective movement in remote portions of conduit where users cannot directly interface, including below nuclear reactors. Position detectors can monitor the movement of objects through the conduit remotely as well, permitting engagement of a desired level of restriction and object movement. Retainers are useable in a variety of nuclear power plants and with irradiation target delivery, harvesting, driving, and other remote handling or robotic systems.
- Inventors:
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy Americas, LLC, Wilmington, NC (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1230018
- Patent Number(s):
- 9208909
- Application Number:
- 13/710,090
- Assignee:
- GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy Americas, LLC
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
G - PHYSICS G21 - NUCLEAR PHYSICS G21C - NUCLEAR REACTORS
G - PHYSICS G21 - NUCLEAR PHYSICS G21G - CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ELEMENTS
- DOE Contract Number:
- FC52-09NA29626
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: 2012 Dec 10
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
Citation Formats
Runkle, Gary A., Matsumoto, Jack T., Dayal, Yogeshwar, and Heinold, Mark R. Systems and methods for retaining and removing irradiation targets in a nuclear reactor. United States: N. p., 2015.
Web.
Runkle, Gary A., Matsumoto, Jack T., Dayal, Yogeshwar, & Heinold, Mark R. Systems and methods for retaining and removing irradiation targets in a nuclear reactor. United States.
Runkle, Gary A., Matsumoto, Jack T., Dayal, Yogeshwar, and Heinold, Mark R. Tue .
"Systems and methods for retaining and removing irradiation targets in a nuclear reactor". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1230018.
@article{osti_1230018,
title = {Systems and methods for retaining and removing irradiation targets in a nuclear reactor},
author = {Runkle, Gary A. and Matsumoto, Jack T. and Dayal, Yogeshwar and Heinold, Mark R.},
abstractNote = {A retainer is placed on a conduit to control movement of objects within the conduit in access-restricted areas. Retainers can prevent or allow movement in the conduit in a discriminatory fashion. A fork with variable-spacing between prongs can be a retainer and be extended or collapsed with respect to the conduit to change the size of the conduit. Different objects of different sizes may thus react to the fork differently, some passing and some being blocked. Retainers can be installed in inaccessible areas and allow selective movement in remote portions of conduit where users cannot directly interface, including below nuclear reactors. Position detectors can monitor the movement of objects through the conduit remotely as well, permitting engagement of a desired level of restriction and object movement. Retainers are useable in a variety of nuclear power plants and with irradiation target delivery, harvesting, driving, and other remote handling or robotic systems.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {2015},
month = {12}
}
Save to My Library
You must Sign In or Create an Account in order to save documents to your library.
Works referenced in this record:
Preparation of a primary target for the production of fission products in a nuclear reactor
patent, February 1976
- Arino, Hirofumi; Cosolito, Frank J.; George, Kenneth D.
- US Patent Document 3,940,318
Method and apparatus for a nuclear reactor for increasing reliability to scram control elements
patent, May 1976
- Bevilacqua, Frank
- US Patent Document 3,959,071
Irradiation surveillance specimen assembly
patent, April 1980
- Mitchem, Jerry W.; Kalen, David D.; Klahn, Francis C.
- US Patent Document 4,196,047
Valve construction for sand and slurry service
patent, October 1982
- Vanderburg, Ralph William; Corneillie, Jerome E.
- US Patent Document 4,354,663
Reactor for production of U-233
patent, July 1983
- Lang, Linton W.; Stetson, Robert L.
- US Patent Document 4,393,510
System for and method of producing and retaining tritium
patent, May 1987
- Kim, Jong-Hyeong; Loewenstein, Walter B.
- US Patent Document 4,663,111
Method and apparatus for the production and extraction of molybdenum-99
patent, June 1999
- Ponomarev-Stepnoy, Nikolai N.; Pavshook, Vladimir A.; Bebikh, Grigoriy F.
- US Patent Document 5,910,971
Method and apparatus for producing radioisotopes
patent, January 2004
- O'Leary, Patrick; Mays, Claude W.
- US Patent Document 6,678,344
Irradiation Target Retention Assemblies for Isotope Delivery System
patent-application, March 2011
- Allen, Melissa; Gilman, Nicholas R.; Hatton, Heather
- US Patent Application 12/547210; 20110051874