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:
Sep. 22, 1992
Filed:
May. 31, 1990
Applicant:
Inventors:
Steven P Congdon, Los Gatos, CA (US);
Russell M Fawcett, San Jose, CA (US);
Assignee:
General Electric Company, , NY (US);
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G21C / ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
376267 ; 376348 ; 376917 ;
Abstract
Fresh fuel bundles are inserted into core locations with small coolant flow orifices, while mid-life fuel bundles are inserted into core locatiosn with large coolant flow locations. Thus, fissile fuel production is promoted at the expense of fissioning early in a bundle lifetime, increasing the effective quantity of fuel available for energy production. Moreover, fissioning is promoted at the expense of conversion later in the bundle lifetime to enhance reactivity of the remaining fissile material and to minimize the further production of fissile fuel. The net result is longer fuel lifetimes and reduced radioactive waste.