Nuclear Energy Patents

Nuclear energy patents span reactor design; passive safety systems; fuel technology; and advanced materials — with major activity from established nuclear OEMs; national laboratories; and a growing advanced nuclear startup ecosystem: MAJOR NUCLEAR ENERGY PATENT HOLDERS: WESTINGHOUSE (BROOKFIELD RENEWABLE; CAMECO ACQUISITION): 5,000+ nuclear patents; specific AP1000 (specific passive safety system: specific passive core cooling — no pumps + no AC power for 72-hour design-basis accident survival using specific natural circulation + specific gravity-driven water + specific compressed gas; specific passive containment cooling: specific air convection + specific water film for specific post-accident heat removal; specific modular construction with specific 127 modules reducing specific on-site labor; specific zirconium-IFBA fuel rod specific integral burnable absorber); GENERAL ELECTRIC HITACHI NUCLEAR (GEH): 5,000+; specific BWRX-300 (specific 300 MWe natural circulation BWR SMR with specific simplified passive safety; specific isolation condenser; specific gravity drain tank); specific ESBWR passive safety; ROLLS-ROYCE: 500+ SMR patents (UK program; specific 470 MWe integrated PWR SMR modular factory-built); NUSCALE POWER (FLUOR SUBSIDIARY): 300+; specific integrated PWR SMR (specific 77 MWe integral light-water reactor: specific specific reactor coolant pump — eliminated — natural circulation primary loop; specific specific compact pressurized vessel housing specific specific core + specific specific steam generators in single specific specific module; specific specific passive safety: specific specific gravity-drain + specific specific natural circulation for specific specific zero-operator-action safe shutdown; specific specific NRC first SMR design approval 2022 first in US history); TERRAPOWER (BILL GATES): 300+; specific Natrium (specific sodium fast reactor SFR: specific specific molten sodium Na coolant + specific specific metallic U-Zr fuel for specific specific 345 MWe; specific specific molten salt thermal storage integration 500 MWh for specific specific flexible dispatchable output); X-ENERGY: 200+; specific Xe-100 (specific pebble bed HTGR: specific specific TRISO fuel — specific specific tristructural isotropic coated fuel particle: specific specific UO2 kernel + specific specific buffer + specific specific IPyC + specific specific SiC + specific specific OPyC layers for specific specific fission product retention at specific specific 1600°C accident temperature; specific specific helium coolant + specific specific passive safety from specific specific SiC coating integral retention; specific specific 80 MWe scalable to 320 MWe quad-pack).

Reactor safety systems; advanced nuclear fuels; and radiation-resistant materials represent the most technically differentiated IP areas in nuclear energy — where specific design innovations; material compositions; and manufacturing processes create genuine patentable claims: REACTOR SAFETY SYSTEM PATENTS: PASSIVE SAFETY SYSTEM INNOVATIONS (HIGHLY PATENT-ELIGIBLE): WESTINGHOUSE: specific passive core cooling (specific specific gravity-drain accumulator tank + specific specific core makeup tank (CMT) for specific specific natural circulation injection without specific specific AC power or specific specific operator action); specific passive containment cooling (specific specific outer steel containment + specific specific air baffles + specific specific water delivery from specific specific gravity tank for specific specific 72-hour heat removal at specific specific design-basis accident); NUSCALE: specific specific integral pressurized water reactor (iPWR) with specific specific reactor vessel + specific specific steam generators in single vessel with specific specific no primary coolant pumps using specific specific natural circulation buoyancy driving force in specific specific 0.4 m/s flow in specific specific annular downcomers); ADVANCED NUCLEAR FUEL PATENTS: ACCIDENT-TOLERANT FUEL (ATF): WESTINGHOUSE CHROME-COATED ZIRCONIUM (CrSIC CLADDING): specific specific chromium metal coating physical vapor deposition on specific specific Zr-4 zirconium alloy cladding for specific specific high-temperature oxidation resistance in specific specific steam environment during specific specific design-basis + design-basis extension condition (specific specific post-Fukushima regulatory requirement); GNF (GE-HITACHI): specific specific iron-chromium-aluminum FeCrAl alloy cladding (specific specific improved accident tolerance at specific specific 1200°C vs. specific specific Zr at specific specific 900°C steam oxidation); SPECIFIC PATENTABLE NUCLEAR FUEL INNOVATIONS: specific novel TRISO fuel kernel composition (specific specific UO2+UC kernel + specific specific specific SiC pressure vessel layer thickness + specific specific specific coating deposition CVD process parameters measured by specific specific specific fission gas release rate at specific specific specific test temperature); specific novel fuel rod pellet design (specific specific specific annular pellet geometry for specific specific specific center temperature reduction + specific specific specific fission gas plenum design); NUCLEAR MATERIALS PATENTS: RADIATION-RESISTANT STRUCTURAL MATERIALS: MIT; OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LAB; PNNL: specific oxide-dispersion-strengthened ODS ferritic steel (specific specific Y2O3 nanoparticle dispersion in specific specific 14YWT for specific specific He bubble management + specific specific high-temperature creep strength in specific specific fast reactor environment); specific silicon carbide composite SiC/SiC (specific specific CVI chemical vapor infiltrated SiC fiber + SiC matrix for specific specific cladding with specific specific improved accident tolerance + specific specific neutron transparency for specific specific fast reactor spectral hardening).

Nuclear instrumentation; digital control systems; and nuclear waste management are three commercially important IP areas that span the entire nuclear plant lifecycle — from real-time operation to decommissioning: NUCLEAR INSTRUMENTATION AND CONTROL PATENTS: DIGITAL INSTRUMENTATION AND CONTROL (DI&C) SYSTEM PATENTS: ROLLS-ROYCE (FORMERLY VERDANTIX; AMEC FOSTER WHEELER); FRAMATOME; WESTINGHOUSE: specific digital reactor protection system (RPS) (specific specific field-programmable gate array FPGA or specific specific digital safety instrumentation platform with specific specific qualified software architecture meeting specific specific NUREG/CR-6303 + specific specific IEC 61513 nuclear safety standard + specific specific IEEE Std 603 criteria for specific specific design-basis event detection and specific specific automatic SCRAM initiation within specific specific 100 ms); specific core monitoring system (specific specific ex-core detector signal processing + specific specific in-core thermocouple data fusion for specific specific 3D power distribution monitoring + specific specific DNBR calculation in specific specific real-time); ONLINE MONITORING AND DIAGNOSTICS: EMERALD; SCIENTECH: specific specific sensor health monitoring (specific specific pattern recognition from specific specific process parameter history for specific specific sensor drift + specific specific cable degradation detection in specific specific harsh nuclear environment per specific specific NEI 07-12 framework); specific specific vibration monitoring (specific specific accelerometer signal processing + specific specific modal analysis for specific specific reactor coolant pump bearing degradation detection + specific specific core plate vibration monitoring); NUCLEAR WASTE MANAGEMENT PATENTS: ORANO (FORMERLY AREVA); HOLTEC; NAC INTERNATIONAL: specific dry cask storage system (specific specific multi-purpose canister MPC: specific specific stainless steel welded canister within specific specific concrete + steel overpack for specific specific passive conduction + radiation shielding rated for specific specific 40+ year storage without specific specific active cooling; specific specific helium backfill for specific specific thermal conductivity enhancement); specific deep geological repository (DGR) engineering (specific specific Swedish KBS-3 copper canister + bentonite clay buffer for specific specific reference design; specific specific copper corrosion modeling at specific specific specific repository condition); specific used fuel reprocessing PUREX process; NUCLEAR FUEL ENRICHMENT: URENCO (UK/GERMANY/NETHERLANDS); CENTRUS (FORMERLY USEC): specific carbon fiber composite centrifuge rotor (specific specific specific balancing algorithm + specific specific specific bearing design for specific specific specific 50,000 rpm+ operation in specific specific specific gaseous UF6 enrichment stage).

Advanced nuclear startups — operating in a sector shaped by heavy regulation; long development timelines; government funding; and significant existing IP from incumbents — face a unique IP environment that rewards early patent filings; strategic licensing; and collaboration with national laboratories: ADVANCED NUCLEAR STARTUP IP STRATEGY: UNDERSTAND THE NUCLEAR IP LANDSCAPE: REGULATORY MOAT IS DOMINANT: NRC licensing (10 CFR Part 52 design certification; Part 50 construction/operating license; 10 CFR Part 50 Appendix D) takes 5–10+ years = regulatory moat from completed NRC-certified design is MORE valuable than IP alone; patent your design AND pursue NRC certification; EXISTING IP CONCENTRATION: Westinghouse (5,000+); GEH (5,000+); Framatome (5,000+) dominate conventional LWR IP; differentiating in advanced reactor technology (non-light-water) = less crowded IP landscape; NATIONAL LABORATORY IP LICENSING: DOE national labs (ORNL; Argonne; INL; PNNL; Sandia; LLNL) hold significant advanced nuclear IP available for licensing under non-exclusive + exclusive license arrangements via CRADAs and Spinoff; specific DOE GAIN (Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear) program = nuclear startup support including IP access; ARC + OTHER INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIPS: EPRI; Electric Power Research Institute hold significant nuclear IP portfolio; NIA; NEI trade association member companies; WHEN TO PATENT IN NUCLEAR ENERGY: SPECIFIC NOVEL REACTOR DESIGN ELEMENT: specific novel passive safety system mechanism with specific design calculation showing specific specific decay heat removal within specific specific temperature limit; specific novel integral reactor vessel configuration with specific measured specific specific thermal-hydraulic performance improvement; specific novel fuel rod/assembly design with specific measured specific specific power density or specific specific accident performance; SPECIFIC NOVEL FUEL COMPOSITION: specific novel TRISO kernel composition + specific measured specific specific fission product retention at specific specific specific temperature; specific novel accident-tolerant fuel (ATF) alloy composition + specific measured specific specific oxidation resistance at specific specific specific temperature in specific specific specific steam environment; SPECIFIC NOVEL MATERIALS: specific novel radiation-resistant alloy composition + specific measured specific specific radiation-induced void swelling reduction at specific specific specific dose; SPECIFIC NOVEL DI&C SYSTEM: specific novel FPGA safety platform architecture with specific specific IEC 61513 qualified function; § 101: reactor hardware + fuel = highly patent-eligible no § 101 risk; software-based DI&C systems patent-eligible when implemented on specific safety-qualified hardware; TRADE SECRETS: specific design calculation inputs; specific specific thermal-hydraulic model calibration; specific specific materials irradiation test data; KEY FTO CONSIDERATIONS: WESTINGHOUSE: AP1000 passive safety; PWR integral vessel design; NUSCALE: NRC-certified integral PWR SMR passive safety; GEH: BWRX-300 BWR simplified passive; TERRAPOWER: sodium fast reactor metallic fuel + molten salt storage; X-ENERGY: TRISO pebble bed HTGR; OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LAB: TRISO fuel foundational IP; URENCO/CENTRUS: centrifuge enrichment; ORANO: PUREX reprocessing; HOLTEC: dry cask MPC storage.