CONTROL ROD REMOTE HOLDOUT MECHANISM

    公开(公告)号:US20230133343A1

    公开(公告)日:2023-05-04

    申请号:US17977777

    申请日:2022-10-31

    IPC分类号: G21C7/14 G21C7/117

    摘要: A control rod drive mechanism having a torque tube with an inner surface defining a central bore, a control rod assembly including a connecting rod including a cam extending radially-outwardly therefrom and an annular collar defining a key slot, an elongated key that is slidably receivable within the key slot, and a holdout collar disposed non-rotatably within the torque tube and defining a locking recess, wherein the connecting rod is axially-movable with respect to the torque tube between a first position in which the elongated key is disposed within the key slot so that the connecting rod is non-rotatable with respect to the torque tube, and a second position in which the elongated key is removed from the key slot and the connecting rod is rotatable with respect to the torque tube.

    DEEP LEARNING BASED IMAGE ENHANCEMENT FOR ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

    公开(公告)号:US20220172330A1

    公开(公告)日:2022-06-02

    申请号:US17535766

    申请日:2021-11-26

    IPC分类号: G06T5/00 G06T5/50 G06T7/00

    摘要: A method is provided for enhancing image resolution for sequences of 2-D images of additively manufactured products. For each of a plurality of additive manufacturing processes, the process obtains a respective plurality of sequenced low-resolution 2-D images of a respective product during the respective additive manufacturing process and obtains a respective high-resolution 3-D image of the respective product after completion of the respective additive manufacturing process. The process selects tiling maps that subdivide the low-resolution 2-D images and the high-resolution 3-D images into low-resolution tiles and high-resolution tiles, respectively. The process also builds an image enhancement generator iteratively in a generative adversarial network using training inputs that includes ordered pairs of low-resolution and high-resolution tiles. The process stores the image enhancement generator for subsequent use to enhance sequences of low-resolution 2-D images captured for products during additive manufacturing.

    CERMET FUEL ELEMENT AND FABRICATION AND APPLICATIONS THEREOF, INCLUDING IN THERMAL PROPULSION REACTOR

    公开(公告)号:US20220115151A1

    公开(公告)日:2022-04-14

    申请号:US17399859

    申请日:2021-08-11

    摘要: CERMET fuel element includes a fuel meat of consolidated ceramic fuel particles (preferably refractory-metal coated HALEU fuel kernels) and an array of axially-oriented coolant flow channels. Formation and lateral positions of coolant flow channels in the fuel meat are controlled during manufacturing by spacer structures that include ceramic fuel particles. In one embodiment, a coating on a sacrificial rod (the rod being subsequently removed) forms the coolant channel and the spacer structures are affixed to the coating; in a second embodiment, a metal tube forms the coolant channel and the spacer structures are affixed to the metal tube. The spacer structures laterally position the coolant channels in spaced-apart relation and are consolidated with the ceramic fuel particles to form CERMET fuel meat of a fuel element, which are subsequently incorporated into fuel assemblies that are distributively arranged in a moderator block within a nuclear fission reactor, in particular for propulsion.

    ROBUST NUCLEAR PROPULSION FISSION REACTOR WITH TRI-PITCH PATTERNED CORE AND DRUM ABSORBERS

    公开(公告)号:US20210304909A1

    公开(公告)日:2021-09-30

    申请号:US16999244

    申请日:2020-08-21

    IPC分类号: G21C17/10 G21C3/04 G21C19/30

    摘要: Nuclear propulsion fission reactor structure has an active core region including fuel element structures, a reflector with rotatable neutron absorber structures (such as drum absorbers), and a core former conformal mating the outer surface of the fuel element structures to the reflector. Fuel element structures are arranged abutting nearest neighbor fuel element structures in a tri-pitch design. Cladding bodies defining coolant channels are inserted into and joined to upper and lower core plates to from a continuous structure that is a first portion of the containment structure. The nuclear propulsion fission reactor structure can be incorporated into a nuclear thermal propulsion engine for propulsion applications, such as space propulsion.