Fluor has filed a patent for a nuclear reactor system that includes a heat pipe network to transfer heat from the fuel to generate electricity. The patent also describes a method of forming a nuclear reactor component by directly attaching powdered nuclear fuel material to a heat pipe through increased pressure and temperature. GlobalData’s report on Fluor gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s company profile on Fluor, combined cycle power plants was a key innovation area identified from patents. Fluor's grant share as of September 2023 was 59%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.
Nuclear reactor component formation using heat pipe attachment
A recently filed patent (Publication Number: US20230317306A1) describes a method for forming a nuclear reactor component using a heat pipe. The method involves positioning a heat pipe in a pressure vessel and providing a powdered nuclear fuel material on at least a portion of the heat pipe. The pressure and temperature in the vessel are then increased to solidify the nuclear fuel material and directly attach it to the heat pipe.
The patent claims also mention that the nuclear fuel material can be a fissile material, specifically a uranium molybdenum alloy. Increasing the pressure in the pressure vessel can be achieved by pumping an inert gas into it. The powdered nuclear fuel material is provided on the evaporator region of the heat pipe, which is part of a flow path that has an increasing cross-sectional flow area from the evaporator region towards the condenser region.
The flow path of the heat pipe can branch into two or more portions in the direction from the evaporator region towards the condenser region. In some embodiments, the flow path includes a first portion, a pair of second portions branching from the first portion, a pair of third portions branching from each of the second portions, and a pair of fourth portions branching from each of the third portions. The evaporator region can comprise the first portion and the second portions or even the first portion, the second portions, and the third portions of the flow path.
The method can also involve forming a cladding layer around the solidified nuclear fuel material. This can be achieved by providing a powdered cladding material on the solidified nuclear fuel material and increasing the pressure and temperature in the pressure vessel again to solidify the cladding material and directly attach it to the solidified nuclear fuel material.
Additionally, the patent describes a heat pipe for a nuclear reactor that is formed using the aforementioned method. The heat pipe includes an evaporator region, a condenser region, and a flow path with an increasing cross-sectional flow area from the evaporator region towards the condenser region. The flow path can also branch into two or more portions in the direction from the evaporator region towards the condenser region.
In summary, this patent presents a method for forming a nuclear reactor component using a heat pipe, as well as a heat pipe itself, that allows for the direct attachment of nuclear fuel material and the formation of a cladding layer. The method involves positioning the heat pipe in a pressure vessel, providing powdered nuclear fuel material, and increasing the pressure and temperature to solidify and attach the materials. The heat pipe design includes an evaporator region, a condenser region, and a flow path with increasing cross-sectional flow area.
To know more about GlobalData’s detailed insights on Fluor, buy the report here.
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GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.
GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
