{
  "patent_number": "US 12073952",
  "country": "US",
  "title": "Using Gas Pressure to Safely Control Liquid Fuel Nuclear Reactors",
  "original_title": "Fail-safe reactivity compensation method for a nuclear reactor",
  "summary": "This patent describes a method to control a nuclear reaction in liquid-fueled reactors by using gas pressure to adjust the amount of fuel solution in special pipes, ensuring the reactor always returns to a safe state if something goes wrong.",
  "what_it_does": "This method controls the nuclear reaction in a solution nuclear reactor by manipulating the level of the liquid fuel. It involves placing one or more 'standpipes' in specific low-reactivity areas of the reactor vessel, as described in claim 1(b). Each standpipe has an opening below the main solution level. A gas system, connected to these standpipes (claim 1(c)), uses gases like nitrogen or helium to control the fluid level within them (claim 1(d)). By changing the gas pressure, the amount of fuel solution inside the standpipes can be raised or lowered, which in turn adjusts the overall reactivity of the reactor. This system is designed to be 'fail-safe,' meaning any failure automatically restores the solution level to a safe condition, as stated in claim 5.",
  "what_it_does_not_cover": [
    "Does not cover reactivity control methods that use mechanical movement of components, such as traditional control rods, within the reactor core (claim 3).",
    "Does not cover nuclear reactors that use solid fuel elements instead of a liquid fuel solution (claim 1).",
    "Does not cover methods where standpipes are placed in high-reactivity areas of the nuclear reactor vessel (claim 1(b)).",
    "Does not cover reactivity control methods that rely on chemical additives or temperature changes to adjust the reaction rate.",
    "Does not cover systems where the fail-safe mechanism does not involve the equalization of solution levels inside and outside the standpipes (claim 6)."
  ],
  "filed": "2021-06-16",
  "granted": "2024-08-27",
  "expires": "2041-06-16",
  "status": "active",
  "holder": "BWXT Technical Services Group",
  "holder_url": "https://patentbrief.org/company/bwxt-technical-services-group",
  "inventors": [
    {
      "name": "Peter L. Angelo",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/peter-l-angelo"
    },
    {
      "name": "Scott B. Aase",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/scott-b-aase"
    },
    {
      "name": "Erik T. Nygaard",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/erik-t-nygaard"
    }
  ],
  "times_cited": 0,
  "tags": [
    "energy",
    "nuclear_energy",
    "mechanical"
  ],
  "abstract": "The present invention relates generally to the field of compensation methods for nuclear reactors and, in particular to a method for fail-safe reactivity compensation in solution-type nuclear reactors. In one embodiment, the fail-safe reactivity compensation method of the present invention augments other control methods for a nuclear reactor. In still another embodiment, the fail-safe reactivity compensation method of the present invention permits one to control a nuclear reaction in a nuclear reactor through a method that does not rely on moving components into or out of a reactor core, nor does the method of the present invention rely on the constant repositioning of control rods within a nuclear reactor in order to maintain a critical state.",
  "url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12073952/fail-safe-reactivity-compensation-method-for-a-nuclear-reactor",
  "markdown_url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12073952/fail-safe-reactivity-compensation-method-for-a-nuclear-reactor/md",
  "google_patents_url": "https://patents.google.com/patent/US12073952",
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