Donald Clifford Wadekamper

53012186, Apr 5, 1994

Oct 22, 1992

7/964995

Ira N. Taylor - Livermore CA
Donald C. Wadekamper - Pleasanton CA

General Electric Company - San Jose CA

G21C 300

376417

A multi-layer, rolled metal foil is laser tackwelded to form a tube which can be inserted in the intermediate space between the fuel body and cladding of a metal alloy fissionable fuel element. The rolled foil has at least three foil layers at the point of tack welding. The laser welding penetration is adjusted so that the foil weld is maintained at a thickness of at least two foil layers, but does not penetrate all of the layers. The weld is designed to fail in response to fuel or blanket alloy swelling during irradiation. After weld failure, the overlapping layers slip and the multi-layer foil unrolls as the fuel swells, providing a continuous, unbroken barrier between the fuel or blanket alloy and cladding which masks defects in the barrier due to weld failure.

59329300, Aug 3, 1999

Jun 28, 1994

8/268085

Donald Clifford Wadekamper - Pleasanton CA
Ira Nelson Taylor - Livermore CA

General Electric Company - Wilmington NC

G21C 2100
G21C 1900

264 05

A process for fabricating weapons-grade plutonium into mixed-oxide fuel for use in a nuclear reactor. The plutonium is converted into plutonia powder at a site remote from the fuel fabrication facility and then the plutonia powder is pressed and fired into high-density plutonia pellets for transport to the fuel fabrication facility. The high-density plutonia pellets serve as a diversion-resistant and environmentally sound method of shipping the plutonia for use as a feed material. Comminution methods are employed to reduce the plutonia pellets to a fine powder for blending with urania feed to produce mixed oxide acceptable for reactor operation.

56414358, Jun 24, 1997

Sep 22, 1995

8/532395

Donald C. Wadekamper - Pleasanton CA

General Electric Company - Schenectady NY

C09K 1104

252643

The present invention relates, in general, to a method of producing mixed oxide nuclear fuel and, in particular, to a method of reducing the amount of residual gas absorbed on fuel pellets after sintering.

53772466, Dec 27, 1994

Oct 28, 1992

7/967642

Ira N. Taylor - Livermore CA
Donald C. Wadekamper - Pleasanton CA

General Electric Company - San Jose CA

G21C 300

376416

A barrier tube of non-circular cross section is arranged in the space between the stainless steel cladding and metal fuel slugs of a liquid metal reactor. The non-circular shape of this barrier design promotes improved thermal bonding in both the cladding/barrier and barrier/fuel interface regions. The non-circular barrier results in three areas with liquid metal thermal bond gaps having an angle which approaches that for a metal fuel pin without a barrier. Thus, the degree of circumferential unbonding will be less than that which results in localized fuel melting during radiation.

56072961, Mar 4, 1997

May 4, 1995

8/434680

Donald C. Wadekamper - Pleasanton CA

General Electric Company - Schenectady NY

F27D 116

432 3

The refractory section of a sintering furnace for sintering mixed oxide nuclear fuel pellets is disposed between a pair of glove boxes. Extensions from the opposite ends in communication with the sintering channel project through glove ports in the glove boxes, facilitating movement of boats containing the pellets through the sintering channel. Flexible material connects between the opposite ends of the refractory section and the glove boxes to isolate the extensions, glove boxes and sintering channel from the surrounding environment. The refractory section may be replaced by disconnecting the extension from boat pushing apparatus, displacing the furnace away from one glove box, gathering the flexible material and sealing it at three longitudinal locations and severing the seal at the intermediate location whereby both the glove box and the sintering furnace are maintained isolated. The opposite end of the refractory section is similarly disconnected from the glove box whereby a new sintering furnace can be disposed and coupled to the glove boxes while maintaining the sintering channel and glove boxes isolated.