Jason Ingraham

from Oak Island, NC

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Optimized Fuel Assembly Channels And Methods Of Creating The Same
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US Patent:

20120020447, Jan 26, 2012
Filed:

Jul 25, 2010
Appl. No.:

12/843037
Inventors:

Jason B. INGRAHAM - Wilmington NC, US
Paul E. Cantonwine - Wilmington NC, US
Michael W. Thomas - Wilmington NC, US
William C. Cline - Wilmington NC, US
International Classification:

G21C 3/07
G21C 3/00
US Classification:

376412, 376409
Abstract:

Fuel assemblies include an outer channel having a physical configuration optimized for a position of the fuel assembly within a core of a nuclear reactor. The position of the fuel assembly with respect to an employed control blade in the nuclear reactor determines if the outer channel may be thickened, reinforced, and/or fabricated of Zircaloy-4 or similar distortion-resistant material, so as to reduce or prevent distortion of the channel against the control blade, or thinned so as to increase water volume and enhance reactivity in the assembly. Reactor cores having configured fuel assemblies include fuel assemblies having different outer channels. Methods include determining operational characteristics of the fuel assembly, including likelihood of being placed directly adjacent to an employed control blade, and physically selecting or modifying the outer channel of the fuel assembly based thereon.

Optimized Fuel Assembly Channels And Methods Of Creating The Same
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US Patent:

20160203879, Jul 14, 2016
Filed:

Mar 14, 2016
Appl. No.:

15/069302
Inventors:

Jason B. INGRAHAM - Wilmington NC, US
Paul E. CANTONWINE - Wilmington NC, US
Michael W. THOMAS - Wilmington NC, US
William C. CLINE - Wilmington NC, US
International Classification:

G21C 3/06
G21C 1/08
G21C 21/02
G21C 3/04
Abstract:

Fuel assemblies include an outer channel having a physical configuration optimized for a position of the fuel assembly within a core of a nuclear reactor. The position of the fuel assembly with respect to an employed control blade in the nuclear reactor determines if the outer channel may be thickened, reinforced, and/or fabricated of Zircaloy-4 or similar distortion-resistant material, so as to reduce or prevent distortion of the channel against the control blade, or thinned so as to increase water volume and enhance reactivity in the assembly. Reactor cores having configured fuel assemblies include fuel assemblies having different outer channels. Methods include determining operational characteristics of the fuel assembly, including likelihood of being placed directly adjacent to an employed control blade, and physically selecting or modifying the outer channel of the fuel assembly based thereon.