Douglas W Stuteville

Title: Douglas W. Stuteville and a Nuclear Reactor Safety Invention.

Introduction

Douglas W. Stuteville is an inventor associated with Granby, Connecticut, and Combustion Engineering, Inc. His recorded patent concerns a pressure-change sensing device designed to help shut down a liquid metal-cooled nuclear reactor during a rapid loss of coolant pressure. Stuteville is credited with 1 patent.

Latest Patents

Stuteville’s listed patent is titled “Self-actuated rate of change of pressure scram device for nuclear.” It describes a sensor chamber with coolant and inert-gas cavities separated by a diaphragm. A flow-limiting orifice connects the coolant cavity to the reactor coolant, while an actuating bellows is linked to a push rod that can trigger the release of a reactor poison bundle.

During gradual pressure changes in normal operation, the diaphragm helps equalize pressure, while the bellows remains stationary because it requires a threshold pressure difference to expand. If coolant pressure drops rapidly, as may occur during a loss of forced flow, the threshold is exceeded. The bellows then moves the push rod and triggers the release mechanism to shut down the reactor. An alternate embodiment connects the actuating bellows to the liquid cavity instead of the gas cavity.

Career Highlights

Stuteville’s documented patent work is associated with Combustion Engineering, Inc. The invention focuses on a self-actuated safety mechanism that responds to the rate of coolant-pressure change, distinguishing rapid pressure drops from slower changes expected during normal reactor operation.

Collaborations

Richard C. Noyes and Shakir U. Zaman are identified as Stuteville’s coworkers. The available information does not specify their roles in developing or patenting this invention.

Conclusion

Douglas W. Stuteville’s recorded invention applies pressure-responsive sensing and mechanical actuation to support rapid reactor shutdown under hazardous coolant-pressure conditions.