Ge-Hitachi Nuclear Energy Americas LLC

Brett Jameson Dooies

Eric Paul Loewen

Brian Scott Triplett

Nicholas Francis O'Neill

Seth Ryan Paul Strege

Scott L Pfeffer

Jordan E Hagaman

Dana Christine Miranda

Haley Michelle Cowen

John F Berger

Nicholas Francis O'neill

Nicholas Francis Oneill

Brian S Triplett

Eric P Loewene

Nicholas F O'Neill

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.

Systems and methods for reducing surface deposition and contamination

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.

Fuel bundle for a liquid metal cooled nuclear reactor

An entrainment-reducing assembly may include a container configured to hold a liquid. A venting arrangement may extend into an upper portion of the container and be configured to direct condensable and non-condensable gases into the container. A suction structure may extend into a lower portion of the container and be configured to carry out an extraction of excess liquid from the container caused by condensed gases. A deflector may be disposed between the suction structure and the venting arrangement within the container. As a result, an entrainment of uncondensed gases during the extraction of the liquid by the suction structure may be reduced or prevented, thereby protecting the pump from cavitation and failure.

Entrainment-reducing assembly, system including the assembly, and method of reducing entrainment of gases with the assembly

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.

Fiber optic temperature sensing system and method utilizing brillouin scattering for large, well-ventilated spaces

A passive fire response system is configured to suppress a metallic fire. The system includes a reservoir containing an ionic liquid, at least one outlet in communication with the reservoir, a valve arranged between the reservoir and the outlet, a sensor configured to sense at least one of a hydrogen concentration and a temperature and/or heat, and a controller configured to open the valve and release the ionic liquid if an output from the sensor indicates that the at least one of the hydrogen concentration and the temperature equals or exceeds at least one of a threshold hydrogen concentration and a threshold temperature.

Passive fire response system and method of manufacturing

Fiber optic temperature sensing system and method utilizing Brillouin scattering for large, well-ventilated spaces

A cooling system for spent nuclear fuel may include a device configured to generate electricity using energy emitted from the spent nuclear fuel. The cooling system may be configured to use the electricity when cooling the spent nuclear fuel. A cask for storage, transport, or storage and transport of spent nuclear fuel may include the cooling system and a container configured to hold the spent nuclear fuel. A method for cooling spent nuclear fuel may include generating electricity using energy emitted from the spent nuclear fuel, and using the electricity in a cooling system for the spent nuclear fuel when cooling the spent nuclear fuel.

Cooling systems for spent nuclear fuel, casks including the cooling systems, and methods for cooling spent nuclear fuel

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.

Methods of cleaning a submerged surface using a fluid jet discharging a liquid/gas combination

A method for suppressing a pyrophoric metal fire may include arranging a suppression system above a containment structure. The suppression system includes a first extinguishing agent. The containment structure is configured to contain and isolate a pyrophoric metal from ambient air. The suppression system is configured to activate upon a leak and ignition of the pyrophoric metal so as to release the first extinguishing agent to suppress the pyrophoric metal fire.

Methods and systems for suppressing pyrophoric metal fires

A chimney structure according to a non-limiting example embodiment may include a guide structure defining an opening, and a plurality of chimney partitions including 1 to N chimney partitions concentrically arranged and spaced apart from each other on the guide structure. The 1 to N chimney partitions may each define a curved opening over the opening the guide structure. N may be an integer greater than 1.

Chimney structure with internal partitions having a common center, a reactor including the chimney structure, and a method of manufacturing the same

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.

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.

Method of fabricating liquid-metal coolants for nuclear reactors

A method for processing a coolant includes filtering a coolant using a first filtration system to generate a first filtered material, and filtering the filtered coolant using a second filtration system to generate a second filtered material. The second filtration system is different from the first filtration system. The first filtered material is transferred to a first waste treatment container and converted to a first waste product for permanent disposal, and the second waste product is transferred to a second waste treatment container and converted to a second waste product for permanent disposal.

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Wilmington, NC, United States of America

Brett Jameson Dooies