Gerald A Potts

US Patent:

8116422, Feb 14, 2012

Filed:

Dec 29, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/320477

Inventors:

Daniel Reese Lutz - San Jose CA, US
Gerald Allen Potts - Wilmington NC, US
Yang-Pi Lin - Wilmington NC, US
Sheikh Tahir Mahmood - Pleasanton CA, US
Mark Andrew Dubecky - Wilmington NC, US
David William White - Wilmington NC, US
John Schardt - Wilmington NC, US

Assignee:

General Electric Company - Shenectady NY

International Classification:

G21C 9/00
G21C 7/10

US Classification:

376277, 376305, 376412

Abstract:

A zirconium alloy suitable for forming reactor components that exhibit reduced irradiation growth and improved corrosion resistance during operation of a light water reactor (LWR), for example, a boiling water reactor (BWR). During operation of the reactor, the reactor components will be exposed to a strong, and frequently asymmetrical, radiation fields sufficient to induce or accelerate corrosion of the irradiated alloy surfaces within the reactor core. Reactor components fabricated from the disclosed zirconium alloy will also tend to exhibit an improved tolerance for cold-working during fabrication of the component, thereby simplifying the fabrication of such components by reducing or eliminating subsequent thermal processing, for example, anneals, without unduly degrading the performance of the finished component.

US Patent:

8185836, May 22, 2012

Filed:

Feb 16, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/354976

Inventors:

Atul Arun Karve - Wilmington NC, US
James Brian Smith - Castle Hayne NC, US
John R. Burr - Wilmington NC, US
Angelo Peter Chopelas - Wilmington NC, US
Gerald A. Potts - Wilmington NC, US
Mark A. Dubecky - Wilmington NC, US

Assignee:

Global Nuclear Fuel - Americas LLC - Wilmington NC

International Classification:

G06F 3/048
G06F 3/00

US Classification:

715764, 715771, 715781, 715848, 715866, 376215, 376245, 703 6

Abstract:

An apparatus generating a graphical image of a core of a boiling water reactor (BWR) using at least one data set of channel deformation data including: a computer system including a display device for presenting the graphical image and a processor generating the graphical image using the at least one data set; the graphical image of the core includes symbolic representations of control blades arranged in the core, indicia identify each control blade, and indicia regarding deformation of channels adjacent each control blade, and a viewer software tool executed by the processor which accesses the at least one data set and determines a location in the core of the control blades and channels, and correlates the deformation data with the channels for display on the graphical image.

US Patent:

8043448, Oct 25, 2011

Filed:

Sep 8, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/935156

Inventors:

David White - Wilmington NC, US
Daniel R. Lutz - San Jose CA, US
Yang-Pi Lin - Wilmington NC, US
John Schardt - Wilmington NC, US
Gerald Potts - Wilmington NC, US
Robert Elkins - Wilmington NC, US
Hiroaki Kagami - Kanagawa-Ken, JP
Hideyuki Mukai - Kanagawa-Ken, JP

Assignee:

Global Nuclear Fuel-Americas, LLC - Wilmington NC

International Classification:

C22F 1/18

US Classification:

148672, 148421, 376277

Abstract:

Disclosed herein are zirconium-based alloys that may be fabricated to form nuclear reactor components, particularly fuel cladding tubes, that exhibit sufficient corrosion resistance and hydrogen absorption characteristics, without requiring a late stage α+β or β-quenching processes. The zirconium-base alloys will include between about 1. 30-1. 60 wt % tin; 0. 0975-0. 15 wt % chromium; 0. 16-0. 24 wt % iron; and up to about 0. 08 wt % nickel, with the total content of the iron, chromium and nickel comprising at least about 0. 3175 wt % of the alloy. The resulting components will exhibit a surface region having a mean precipitate sizing of between about 50 and 100 nm and a Sigma A of less than about 2×10hour with the workpiece processing generally being limited to temperatures below 680 C. for extrusion and below 625 C. for all other operations, thereby simplifying the fabrication of the nuclear reactor components while providing corrosion resistance comparable with conventional alloys.

US Patent:

20060048870, Mar 9, 2006

Filed:

Sep 8, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/935157

Inventors:

David White - Wilmington NC, US
Daniel Lutz - San Jose CA, US
Yang-Pi Lin - Wilmington NC, US
John Schardt - Wilmington NC, US
Gerald Potts - Wilmington NC, US

International Classification:

C22F 1/18

US Classification:

148672000

Abstract:

Disclosed herein are zirconium-based alloys and methods of fabricating nuclear reactor components, particularly fuel cladding tubes, from such alloys that exhibit improved corrosion resistance in aggressive coolant compositions. The fabrication steps include a late-stage β-treatment on the outer region of the tubes. The zirconium-based alloys will include between about 1.30 and 1.60 wt % tin; between about 0.06 and 0.15 wt % chromium; between about 0.16 and 0.24 wt % iron, and between 0.05 and 0.08 wt % nickel, with the total content of the iron, chromium and nickel comprising above about .31 wt % of the alloy and will be characterized by second phase precipitates having an average size typically less than about 40 nm. The final finished cladding will have a surface roughness of less than about 0.50 μm Ra and preferably less then about 0.10 μm Ra.

US Patent:

20060146973, Jul 6, 2006

Filed:

Dec 30, 2004

Appl. No.:

11/024432

Inventors:

Harold Yeager - Wilmington NC, US
Russell Stachowski - Wilmington NC, US
Charles McNeely - Wilmington NC, US
Gerald Potts - Wilmington NC, US
Anthony Reese - Wilmington NC, US
Robert Rand - Wilmington NC, US
Robert Schneider - Wilmington NC, US

International Classification:

G21C 17/00

US Classification:

376251000

Abstract:

A system and method for assessing failure of fuel rods are disclosed. The method may include monitoring fuel rod operational conditions, comparing the fuel rod parameters to parameters limits, calculating the fuel rod performance parameters to determine the likelihood of failure of individual fuel rods, and updating plant operating parameters based on the calculated fuel rod parameters. The system may input the calculated fuel rod parameters into a fuel failure model to assess the probability of failure, and predict the probability of failure of individual fuel rods based on fuel rod parameters in the fuel failure model.

US Patent:

20070177710, Aug 2, 2007

Filed:

Jan 27, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/340469

Inventors:

Atul Karve - Wilmington NC, US
Gerald Potts - Wilmington NC, US
Mark Dubecky - Wilmington NC, US
Robert Rand - Wilmington NC, US
Gerald Latter - Wilmington NC, US
Brian Moore - Wilmington NC, US

International Classification:

G21C 7/00

US Classification:

376327000

Abstract:

In a method of determining a cell friction metric for a control cell of a nuclear reactor, a channel face fast fluence and/or a channel face controlled operation parameter is determined for all channels. A total bow value is calculated for each channel based on the channel face fast fluence and/or channel face control parameters. For each channel, a channel wall pressure drop parameter is determined, and a total bulge value is calculated for each channel using the channel face fast fluence and channel wall pressure drop parameters. Total deformation at specified channel axial elevations for the cell is determined based on the total bow and bulge values. A control blade axial friction force value is calculated at each axial elevation based on the total deformation, along with channel stiffness and channel-control blade friction coefficient values. A maximum friction value is selected as the cell friction metric for the cell.

US Patent:

20110180184, Jul 28, 2011

Filed:

Dec 15, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/611348

Inventors:

Daniel Reese Lutz - San Jose CA, US
Yang-Pi Lin - Wilmington NC, US
Gerald Potts - Wilmington NC, US
William H. Jackson - Castle Hayne NC, US

International Classification:

C23C 8/00
G21C 3/07
B23K 26/00

US Classification:

148241, 376412, 21912185

Abstract:

A method for treating a Zr-alloy fuel bundle material in a nuclear reactor includes treating a surface of the Zr-alloy fuel bundle material with a laser beam generated by a solid-state laser, and a nuclear reactor including a treated Zr-alloy fuel bundle material. This may reduce the generation of shadow corrosion and/or reduce the propensity for interference between control blade and fuel channel during operation of the nuclear reactor.

US Patent:

54377471, Aug 1, 1995

Filed:

Apr 23, 1993

Appl. No.:

8/052791

Inventors:

Ronald B. Adamson - Fremont CA
Gerald A. Potts - San Jose CA

Assignee:

General Electric Company - San Jose CA

International Classification:

C22F 118

US Classification:

148519

Abstract:

In a zirconium-alloy fuel element cladding, a method for generating regions of coarse and fine intermetallic precipitates across the cladding wall is provided. The method includes steps of specific heat treatments and anneals that coarsen precipitates in the bulk of the cladding. The method also includes at least one step in which an outer region (exterior) of the cladding is heated to the beta or alpha plus beta phase, while an inner region (interior) is maintained at a temperature at which little or no metallurgical change occurs. This method produces a composite cladding in which the outer region comprises fine precipitates and the inner region comprises coarse precipitates.