Paul F Joffre

6819733, Nov 16, 2004

May 15, 2002

10/147215

Richard P. Broders - Granby CT
Stephen C. Hatfield - Hartford CT
Michael L. Martin - Simsbury CT
Paul F. Joffre - Colchester CT
Zeses E. Karoutas - Simsbury CT
Patrick A. Perrotti - Newington CT

Westinghouse Electric Company LLC - Pittsburgh PA

G21C 334

376442, 376439, 376434, 376438

An improved grid for use in a fuel assembly of a nuclear reactor includes a plurality of straps that are interconnected with one another in a lattice fashion to define a plurality of cells, with the straps being configured to include a plurality of relatively more compliant springs and a plurality of relatively less compliant dimples, whereby each cell includes only one pair of springs and one pair of dimples disposed therein. The springs and dimples are contoured to engage a fuel rod or a thimble tube disposed within the cell. Each spring directly confronts one of the dimples to provide confronting pairs of features that engage the fuel rods or thimble tubes, with each cell including two pairs of confronting features. The ligaments of the springs and dimples extend in a direction generally perpendicular to the direction of coolant flow through the reactor in order to minimize pressure drop.

20070206717, Sep 6, 2007

Mar 2, 2006

11/366964

Michael Conner - Elgin SC, US
Zeses Karoutas - Simsbury CT, US
Milorad Dzodzo - Monroeville PA, US
Bin Liu - Pittsburgh PA, US
Paul Joffre - Colchester CT, US
Dmitry Paramonov - Monroeville PA, US
Levie Smith - Columbia SC, US

WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC COMPANY LLC - Monroeville PA

G21C 3/34

376438000

A fuel assembly for a pressurized water reactor that includes a bottom nozzle, a plurality of elongated guide thimbles projecting upwardly from the bottom nozzle, an array of fuel rods, a plurality of support grids axially spaced along the guide thimbles, and at least two Intermediate Flow Mixing grids, which may have different configurations of mixing device formations, disposed between pairs of non-uniformly spaced, adjacent support grids at selected locations.

48790907, Nov 7, 1989

Aug 24, 1987

7/088439

Patrick A. Perrotti - Newington CT
Paul F. Joffre - Colchester CT
Zeses E. Karoutas - Simsbury CT
Lawrence V. Corsetti - Granby CT
William J. Bryan - Granby CT
Stephen C. Hatfield - Granby CT

Combustion Engineering, Inc. - Windsor CT

G21C 318

376462

Integral vanes 4 with optimized size, shape and bend angles maximize coolant mixing and fuel rod 12 heat transfer downstream. Recessed weld nuggets 5 with no vane cutout are optimized for size, strength and corrosion resistance. Staggered arches 20',22' and springs 20,22 minimize turbulence and reduce grid pressure drop and promote coolant mixing. Crowned arches 20',22' and springs 20,22 decrease scoring of fuel rods 12 and are sized to minimize turbulence and pressure drop. Minimum cutouts in unslotted section of grid strip 46,46' give 15-20% strength increase. Intermediate weld and tapered end slots 48 give 15% strength increase. Ribbed and round dimple stiffeners 38,39 on outer strips increase buckling resistance, reduce handling damage and spreads accidental loading. Outer strips 32 are optimized for strength, handling, turbulence generation and pressure drop. They also divert enough flow to interior of fuel assembly to match thermal power distribution and eliminate fuel rod corrosion concerns.