How Nuclear Power Plants Reuse Fuel Between Multiple Reactors
This patent describes a method for nuclear power plants with several reactors to efficiently reuse partially used fuel by moving it between different reactor cores across multiple operating cycles.
Original patent title: “Inter-module fuel shuffling”
This patent describes a method for nuclear power plants with several reactors to efficiently reuse partially used fuel by moving it between different reactor cores across multiple operating cycles. Granted to Nuscale Power in 2020 with 11 claims and 2 forward citations, and it is expected to expire in 2037.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent describes a method for operating a power plant that has multiple nuclear reactor cores. In a first operating period, called a "fuel cycle," the method involves loading a first reactor core with both fresh fuel and some partially used fuel (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1). Simultaneously, a second reactor core is loaded with its own fresh fuel and partially used fuel (Claim 1). After this first cycle is complete, in a second fuel cycle, the method specifies moving the partially used fuel from the first reactor core into the second reactor core, alongside new fresh fuel for the second core (Claim 1, Claim 2). This "shuffling" strategy allows the plant to get more energy out of the fuel by using it in different reactors for different periods. For example, a fuel assembly might start in Reactor 1, then be moved to Reactor 2, and later to Reactor 3, before being fully spent, as described in further claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more → like Claim 3 and Claim 8.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Fuel management methods for power plants with only a single reactor core.
- Loading fresh fuel into a reactor core without also loading partially spent fuel from another core.
- Methods that do not involve physically moving fuel assemblies between different reactor cores across fuel cycles.
- Fuel shuffling strategies that do not include the specific sequence of loading fresh and partially spent fuel as described in the claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →.
- The use of specific fuel types like uranium-oxide (UO2) or mixed uranium-plutonium oxide (MOX) fuel, unless those specific fuel types are explicitly used in the claimed shuffling method.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
Key facts
What made this novel
The noveltynoveltyThe requirement that an invention be different from anything publicly known before its priority date.Read more → lies in the specific, multi-stage strategy of inter-module fuel shuffling, where partially spent fuel from one reactor core is precisely relocated to another core in a subsequent fuel cycle. This maximizes the energy extracted from the fuel across an entire multi-reactor plant, rather than just within a single reactor.
The Patent Drawing
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
NuScale Power's Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)
Future multi-module nuclear power plants
Advanced reactor designs focused on fuel efficiency
Why it matters
The bigger picture
Optimizing how nuclear fuel is used is crucial for both economic efficiency and reducing nuclear waste. This method aims to extract more energy from each fuel assembly by strategically moving it between different reactors in a multi-module plant. This could lead to longer operational periods for fuel, lower fuel costs, and less spent fuel requiring long-term storage, which is a significant challenge for the nuclear industry.
Filed
February 28, 2017
Granted
October 27, 2020
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
NuScale Power LLC, the assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →, is actively developing Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) which are designed to be deployed in multi-module plants. This patent's method directly applies to optimizing fuel use within such a multi-reactor facility. Other companies developing SMRs or advanced reactor designs, such as TerraPower or GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, might also explore similar fuel management strategies.
Market impact
This method could significantly impact the economics of multi-module nuclear power plants by extending the useful life of nuclear fuel. By enabling more complete burnup of fuel, it could reduce the amount of high-level nuclear waste generated, potentially lowering long-term storage costs and environmental impact. This would make nuclear power more competitive and sustainable, especially for new SMR deployments.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent describes a method for operating a power plant that has multiple nuclear reactor cores. In a first operating period, called a "fuel cycle," the method involves loading a first reactor core with both fresh fuel and some partially used fuel (Claim 1). Simultaneously, a second reactor core is loaded with its own fresh fuel and partially used fuel (Claim 1). After this first cycle is complete, in a second fuel cycle, the method specifies moving the partially used fuel from the first reactor core into the second reactor core, alongside new fresh fuel for the second core (Claim 1, Claim 2). This "shuffling" strategy allows the plant to get more energy out of the fuel by using it in different reactors for different periods. For example, a fuel assembly might start in Reactor 1, then be moved to Reactor 2, and later to Reactor 3, before being fully spent, as described in further claims like Claim 3 and Claim 8.
The clever bit
The novelty lies in the specific, multi-stage strategy of inter-module fuel shuffling, where partially spent fuel from one reactor core is precisely relocated to another core in a subsequent fuel cycle. This maximizes the energy extracted from the fuel across an entire multi-reactor plant, rather than just within a single reactor.
What it does not cover
- Fuel management methods for power plants with only a single reactor core.
- Loading fresh fuel into a reactor core without also loading partially spent fuel from another core.
- Methods that do not involve physically moving fuel assemblies between different reactor cores across fuel cycles.
- Fuel shuffling strategies that do not include the specific sequence of loading fresh and partially spent fuel as described in the claims.
- The use of specific fuel types like uranium-oxide (UO2) or mixed uranium-plutonium oxide (MOX) fuel, unless those specific fuel types are explicitly used in the claimed shuffling method.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
Patent enters public domain
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Early stage
Citation count
10/40
Early citations
Claim breadth
7/20
Moderate scope
Recency
10/20
Granted 5–10 years ago
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$45K – $144K
Midpoint $90K · 10.6 yr remaining · industry ×1.5
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Claim text not yet imported for this patent
The original legal language
Original claims
11 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
KITTO, A., Jr., J. N. R., & INGERSOLL, D. (2020). How Nuclear Power Plants Reuse Fuel Between Multiple Reactors (U.S. Patent No. 10,818,403). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10818403/inter-module-fuel-shuffling
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How Nuclear Power Plants Reuse Fuel Between Multiple Reactors cover?
This patent describes a method for nuclear power plants with several reactors to efficiently reuse partially used fuel by moving it between different reactor cores across multiple operating cycles.
Who owns patent US 10818403?
Nuscale Power owns this patent, granted in 2020.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on February 28, 2037, when the invention enters the public domain.
What is patent US 10818403 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 2 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
Optimizing how nuclear fuel is used is crucial for both economic efficiency and reducing nuclear waste. This method aims to extract more energy from each fuel assembly by strategically moving it between different reactors in a multi-module plant. This could lead to longer operational periods for fuel, lower fuel costs, and less spent fuel requiring long-term storage, which is a significant challenge for the nuclear industry.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Fuel management methods for power plants with only a single reactor core.
Patent monitoring