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:
Feb. 23, 1999
Filed:
Mar. 11, 1996
Jeffrey L Thompson, San Jose, CA (US);
General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US);
Abstract
The bypass opening of the tie plate of a fuel assembly of a nuclear reactor is provided with a flow restricting or check valve such that flow during normal operation upwardly through the tie plate and bypass opening is maintained. In the event of a loss of coolant accident, and degradation of a core spray sparger system, backflow leakage through the tie plate is minimized or eliminated by the valves, enabling the core spray sparger system to flood the core about the fuel assemblies and provide spillover coolant into the open top ends of the fuel assemblies. Additionally, because the fuel assemblies change in length over time, a uniform coolant flow distribution into the fuel assemblies upon loss of coolant accident is achieved by providing metering holes through the channels whereby each channel receives substantially the same flow of coolant from the flooded core.