Nuclear thermal propulsion fuel element packing device

Lake, Russell L.; Inman, James B.; Ridgeway, Roger D.

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A - human necessities
A01 - agriculture
A21 - baking
A22 - butchering
A23 - foods or foodstuffs
A24 - tobacco
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B62 - land vehicles for travelling otherwise than on rails
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D01 - natural or man-made threads or fibres
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Title: Nuclear thermal propulsion fuel element packing device

Abstract

A packing device for filling fuel elements with a powder through a fill aperture in an outer shell of the fuel element, including a stationary base, a clamp assembly including a body defining a bore therein, the bore being configured to slidably receive a fuel element therein, wherein the clamp assembly is movable along a vertical axis with respect to the stationary base, a cam assembly including a cam and a drive motor configured to rotate the cam, wherein rotation of the cam alternatingly raises the clamp assembly up along the vertical axis and subsequently drops the clamping assembly, and a powder reservoir assembly including a powder reservoir and a fill needle in fluid communication with the powder reservoir.

Inventors:: Lake, Russell L.; Inman, James B.; Ridgeway, Roger D.

Issue Date:: 2021-09-21

Research Org.:: BWXT Nuclear Energy, Inc., Lynchburg, VA (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE; National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

OSTI Identifier:: 1840477

Patent Number(s):: 11127508

Application Number:: 16/594,530

Assignee:: BWXT Nuclear Energy, Inc. (Lynchburg, VA)

Patent Classifications (CPCs):: G - PHYSICS G21 - NUCLEAR PHYSICS G21C - NUCLEAR REACTORS

Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02E - REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

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G - PHYSICS G21 - NUCLEAR PHYSICS G21C - NUCLEAR REACTORS
G21C21/00 - Apparatus or processes specially adapted to the manufacture of reactors or parts thereof
G21C21/02 - Manufacture of fuel elements or breeder elements contained in non-active casings
G21C21/04 - by vibrational compaction or tamping {of fuel in the jacket}

Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02E - REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
Y02E30/30 - Nuclear fission reactors

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DOE Contract Number:: 80MSFC17C0006

Resource Type:: Patent

Resource Relation:: Patent File Date: 10/07/2019

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Citation Formats


                    Lake, Russell L., Inman, James B., and Ridgeway, Roger D. Nuclear thermal propulsion fuel element packing device.  United States: N. p., 2021. 
        Web.

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                    Lake, Russell L., Inman, James B., & Ridgeway, Roger D. Nuclear thermal propulsion fuel element packing device.  United States.

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                    Lake, Russell L., Inman, James B., and Ridgeway, Roger D. Tue .  
        "Nuclear thermal propulsion fuel element packing device".  United States.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1840477.

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@article{osti_1840477,

  title        = {Nuclear thermal propulsion fuel element packing device},

  author       = {Lake, Russell L. and Inman, James B. and Ridgeway, Roger D.},

  abstractNote = {A packing device for filling fuel elements with a powder through a fill aperture in an outer shell of the fuel element, including a stationary base, a clamp assembly including a body defining a bore therein, the bore being configured to slidably receive a fuel element therein, wherein the clamp assembly is movable along a vertical axis with respect to the stationary base, a cam assembly including a cam and a drive motor configured to rotate the cam, wherein rotation of the cam alternatingly raises the clamp assembly up along the vertical axis and subsequently drops the clamping assembly, and a powder reservoir assembly including a powder reservoir and a fill needle in fluid communication with the powder reservoir.},

  doi          = {},

  journal      = {},
number       = ,

  volume       = ,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {2021},

  month        = {9}

}

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Works referenced in this record:

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patent, May 1966

Bromley, Derek
US Patent Document 3,253,738
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Spherical nuclear fuel loading system
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Nuclear fuel rod loading apparatus
patent, November 1980

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Automatic fuel assembly loader
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Nuclear Reactor Refueling Methods and Apparatuses
patent-application, September 2018

Walton, Lewis A.; Ales, Matthew W.
US Patent Application 15/970316; 20180277270
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Apparatus for blending constituents of varying densities
patent, February 1991

Artman, Thomas A.; Allcock, Carroll E.; Garner, Garry
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Control cluster including demountable fuel for a nuclear fuel assembly
patent, February 1993

Denizou, Jean-Pierre
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Method and Apparatus for Vibratory Compaction
patent, July 1966

Ayer, James E.; Soppet, Frederick E.
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Method of Manufacturing Nuclear Fuel Elements and a Container for Implementing Such a Method
patent-application, November 2010

Broli, Jerome; Goyheneche, Jean-Marc; Mazaudier, Fabrice
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Nuclear fuel pellet loading apparatus
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Segment make-up system and method for manufacturing nuclear fuel rods
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Similar Records

Title: Nuclear thermal propulsion fuel element packing device

Abstract

Citation Formats

Nuclear Reactor Valve patent, May 1966

Spherical nuclear fuel loading system patent, January 1985

Support for moving cylindrical elements and method and conveyor using such supports patent-application, June 2005

System for Packing Particulate Material into Long Cylindrical Containers patent, October 1974

Press for Shaping Pellets in a Restricted and Hostile Environment and Method for Assembling the Press patent-application, June 2017

Nuclear fuel rod loading apparatus patent, November 1980

Automatic fuel assembly loader patent, October 1993

Nuclear Reactor Refueling Methods and Apparatuses patent-application, September 2018

Apparatus for blending constituents of varying densities patent, February 1991

Control cluster including demountable fuel for a nuclear fuel assembly patent, February 1993

Method and Apparatus for Vibratory Compaction patent, July 1966

Method of Manufacturing Nuclear Fuel Elements and a Container for Implementing Such a Method patent-application, November 2010

Rotary jar-type powder homogenizer patent, December 1976

Apparatus for mixing powder patent, September 2002

Methods of Forming Structures and Fissile Fuel Materials by Additive Manufacturing and Related Structures patent-application, January 2018

Nuclear fuel pellet loading apparatus patent, June 1979

Segment make-up system and method for manufacturing nuclear fuel rods patent-application, July 2006

Connection Device For A System For Filling Jars For The Production Of Nuclear Fuel patent-application, April 2012

Passive Reactivity Control of Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Reactors patent-application, September 2017

Process for Producing Densified and Elongate Bodies patent, March 1968

Apparatus for automatically adjusting channel box fitting position relative to nuclear fuel assembly patent, December 1984

Pellet stacking machine patent, June 1992

Device For Handling Drums, Equipment For Transferring Powder Material, And Transfer Method patent-application, July 2013

Nuclear Reactor Valve
patent, May 1966

Spherical nuclear fuel loading system
patent, January 1985

Support for moving cylindrical elements and method and conveyor using such supports
patent-application, June 2005

System for Packing Particulate Material into Long Cylindrical Containers
patent, October 1974

Press for Shaping Pellets in a Restricted and Hostile Environment and Method for Assembling the Press
patent-application, June 2017

Nuclear fuel rod loading apparatus
patent, November 1980

Automatic fuel assembly loader
patent, October 1993

Nuclear Reactor Refueling Methods and Apparatuses
patent-application, September 2018

Apparatus for blending constituents of varying densities
patent, February 1991

Control cluster including demountable fuel for a nuclear fuel assembly
patent, February 1993

Method and Apparatus for Vibratory Compaction
patent, July 1966

Method of Manufacturing Nuclear Fuel Elements and a Container for Implementing Such a Method
patent-application, November 2010

Rotary jar-type powder homogenizer
patent, December 1976

Apparatus for mixing powder
patent, September 2002

Methods of Forming Structures and Fissile Fuel Materials by Additive Manufacturing and Related Structures
patent-application, January 2018

Nuclear fuel pellet loading apparatus
patent, June 1979

Segment make-up system and method for manufacturing nuclear fuel rods
patent-application, July 2006

Connection Device For A System For Filling Jars For The Production Of Nuclear Fuel
patent-application, April 2012

Passive Reactivity Control of Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Reactors
patent-application, September 2017

Process for Producing Densified and Elongate Bodies
patent, March 1968

Apparatus for automatically adjusting channel box fitting position relative to nuclear fuel assembly
patent, December 1984

Pellet stacking machine
patent, June 1992

Device For Handling Drums, Equipment For Transferring Powder Material, And Transfer Method
patent-application, July 2013