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:
Oct. 05, 2004
Filed:
Nov. 21, 2002
Yung-An Chao, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Donald James Hill, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Michael David Heibel, Irwin, PA (US);
Jeffrey Robert Secker, Monroeville, PA (US);
Westinghouse Electric Company LLC, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Abstract
A method of monitoring reactivity changes in a nuclear reaction when the nuclear reaction is subcritical. The method controls the parameter of the nuclear reaction that affects reactivity of the reaction to slightly alter the reactivity while monitoring an output of a source range detector. The Inverse Count Rate Ratio from the output of the detector is determined periodically during a transient portion of the output. A correction factor is applied to the Inverse Count Rate Ratio data and the data is plotted as a function of time. The correction factor linearizes the Inverse Count Rate Ratio data so that the curve can be predictably extrapolated.