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:
Mar. 12, 2013
Filed:
Nov. 26, 2008
David Smith, Leland, NC (US);
Michael Defilippis, Wilmington, NC (US);
Gerald A. Luciano, Wilmington, NC (US);
Michael Kiernan, Wilmington, NC (US);
Carlton Clark, Wilmington, NC (US);
Andrew K. Langston, Wilmington, NC (US);
David Smith, Leland, NC (US);
Michael DeFilippis, Wilmington, NC (US);
Gerald A. Luciano, Wilmington, NC (US);
Michael Kiernan, Wilmington, NC (US);
Carlton Clark, Wilmington, NC (US);
Andrew K. Langston, Wilmington, NC (US);
Global Nuclear Fuel—Americas, LLC, Wilmington, NC (US);
Abstract
A method to capture, retain and remove debris falling into a nuclear reactor fuel bundle assembly including a bundle of fuel rods mounted below an upper tie plate and housed in a hollow metal channel, the method includes: inserting a debris shield in the upper tie plate; maintaining the shield in the upper tie plate and above the fuel rods, and water rods, while the fuel bundle assembly is in an operating nuclear reactor core; capturing debris falling in the fuel assembly on the debris shield; after capturing the debris, removing the fuel bundle assembly with the inserted debris shield from the nuclear reactor core to a maintenance/fuel inspection pool and thereafter removing the debris shield from the upper tie plate, cleaning and then reinserting the cleaned debris shield back into the upper tie plate, and moving the fuel bundle assembly from the maintenance/fuel inspection pool back into the nuclear reactor core.