The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 13, 1991
Filed:
Jul. 02, 1990
Elliot B Kennel, Dayton, OH (US);
Mark S Perry, Dayton, OH (US);
John E Leland, Londonville, OH (US);
Abstract
A pressure vessel for nuclear energy powered thermionic fuel elements is disclosed. An inner cylindrical nuclear fuel heat source is surrounded by cylindrical layers of, in outward order, an emitter, a gap, a collector, an insulator and a cladding layer. A hexagonal pressure vessel surrounds the other parts of the thermionic fuel element and forms liquid metal coolant passages between the inside corners of the hexagon and the cladding. Longitudinally, each thermionic fuel element comprises a middle active zone between two 20% enriched uranium zones to reduce the critical mass of the system for safety. Beryllium zone endcaps act as neutron reflectors and further reduce the critical mass. A plurality of thermionic fuel elements is arrayed into a reactor core with brazed together pressure vessel hexagon sides. In the event of a leak, or other coolant flow failure, the pressure vessel sides act as thermal conduction fins and transfer waste heat to adjacent pressure vessels where coolant flow has not failed.