EDMUND E DEMARIO
Engineers in Columbia, SC

6526116, Feb 25, 2003

Jul 2, 1997

08/887017

Quang M. Nguyen - Columbia SC
Yu C. Lee - Columbia SC
Edmund E. DeMario - Columbia SC
Jeffrey J. Fodi - Columbia SC
Darin L. Redinger - Columbia SC

Westinghouse Electric Company LLC - Pittsburgh PA

G21C 3322

376439, 376434, 376442, 376443, 376449

A support grid for laterally maintaining the relative position of elongated fuel elements within a fuel assembly for use within a core of a nuclear reactor. The grid is formed in the shape of a lattice with the intersecting lattice members defining a plurality of cells, most of which respectively support the nuclear fuel elements. The remaining cells support nuclear control rod guide tubes and instrumentation thimbles. The cells supporting the nuclear fuel elements are provided with diagonally positioned springs on two, adjacent walls. The springs support the fuel elements against dimples which protrude from the opposite cell walls. The adjacent, diagonal springs in each fuel element cell are inclined in opposite directions. The walls of the cells supporting the control rod guide tubes are embossed along their height at the locations intermediate the intersection between adjoining walls with a concave notch having a curvature which conforms to the outside surface curvature of the control rod guide tubes. The grid is provided with mixing vanes which are positioned in a symmetrical, regional pattern, with the pattern varying between adjacent regions, and configured such that the hydraulic forces across the center of the grid are balanced.

4923669, May 8, 1990

Feb 21, 1989

7/312288

Edmund E. DeMario - Columbia SC

Westinghouse Electric Corp. - Pittsburgh PA

G21C 334

376442

A nuclear fuel assembly grid includes a multiplicity of dimple and spring structures for engaging fuel rods extending through the cells of the grid. Each of the dimple and spring structures have a pair of outer portions and a middle portion with opposite lengthwise edges thereon. The edges of the middle portions of the dimple structures and the outer and middle portions of the spring structures have one-sided chamfers defined thereon, whereas the edges of the outer portions of the dimple structures have double-sided chamfers defined thereon. The one-sided chamfers are longer than the double-sided chamfers.

4895698, Jan 23, 1990

Mar 14, 1988

7/168060

Edmund E. DeMario - Columbia SC

Westinghouse Electric Corp. - Pittsburgh PA

G21C 334

376442

A nuclear fuel assembly grid includes a multiplicity of spring structures for engaging fuel rods extending through the cells of the grid. Each spring structure is formed on each cell wall section to form a matrix of fuel rod receiving cells in the grid. Each spring structure is composed of a pair of spaced apart upper and lower opposite outer portions being integrally attached at their outer ends to the respective wall section, and a middle portion disposed between and integrally connected at its outer ends with respective inner ends of the upper and lower outer portions. The upper and lower outer portions extend in alignment with one another and in generally diagonal relation to the direction of the central longitudinal axis of the one cell between upper and lower portions of the wall section. The middle portion which contacts the fuel rod extends in generally transverse relation to the direction of the central longitudinal axis of the one cell.

4828791, May 9, 1989

Oct 5, 1987

7/104748

Edmund E. DeMario - Columbia SC

Westinghouse Electric Corp. - Pittsburgh PA

G21C 104

376352

A debris resistant bottom nozzle in a fuel assembly has a support structure in the form of four legs adapted to rest on a lower core plate of a nuclear reactor and a top flat plate fixed on one side of the four legs facing upwardly toward a lowermost grid of the fuel assembly. The flat plate is of a substantially solid configuration with a plurality of spaced cut-out regions defined therethrough in alignment with and directly above a plurality of inlet liquid coolant flow holes in the lower core plate. A plurality of open separate criss-cross structures are provided, each being fixed to the plate and extending across one of the cut-out regions therein within the plane of the plate. The criss-cross structures define individual openings small enough in cross-sectional size to filter debris of damage-inducing size which otherwise collects in unoccupied spaces of the lowermost grid of the fuel assembly, but large enough in size to let pass debris of nondamage-inducing size which otherwise passes through the unoccupied spaces of the lowermost grid. The criss-cross structure in one embodiment is in the form of a plurality of interleaved straps forming an open grid structure, and in another embodiment is in the form of a plurality of interconnected crossed wires forming an open mesh structure.

5303276, Apr 12, 1994

Oct 29, 1992

7/968647

Edmund E. DeMario - Columbia SC
Charles N. Lawson - Columbia SC

Westinghouse Electric Corp. - Pittsburgh PA

G21C 334

376442

Fuel assembly including deflector vanes for deflecting a component of a fluid stream flowing past such fuel assembly. The fuel assembly comprises a lattice member having rhombic-shaped rod cells and generally rhombic-shaped thimble cells therethrough. A plurality of parallel fuel rods extend through respective ones of the rod cells and a plurality of parallel control rod guide thimble tubes extend through respective ones of the thimble cells. A plurality of deflector vanes are associated with each rod cell and are integrally attached thereto on the upstream edge of each rod cell. Each deflector vane extends above its associated rod cell and curvilinearly protrudes partially over the rod cell for deflecting a component of the fluid stream onto the exterior surface of the fuel rod that extends through the rod cell. The deflector vane and the rhombic shape of each rod cell coact to create a vortex centered about the longitudinal axis of the fuel rod for maintaining liquid substantially single-phase fluid flow along the exterior surface of the fuel rod, such that DNB is avoided even in the presence of high heat fluxes across the exterior surface of the fuel rod.

5363423, Nov 8, 1994

Aug 19, 1993

8/109101

Raymond W. Brashier - Columbia SC
Edmund E. DeMario - Columbia SC

Westinghouse Electric Corporation - Pittsburgh PA

G21C 332

376446

Disclosed is a quick release removable top nozzle assembly for use with a nuclear fuel element assembly. The top nozzle assembly disclosed herein is comprised of a top plate member, an enclosure frame and an adaptor plate having a plurality of spaced openings therein. A plurality of tubular insert support members each adapted to fit within a selected opening in the adaptor plate has an enlarged collar section adapted to contact and support the underside of the adaptor plate. The assembly also includes a plurality of quick release joints each adapted to fit within another selected opening in the adaptor plate. Each quick release joint has a tubular lock insert which fits within the selected opening of the adaptor plate. The upper portion of the tubular lock insert is provided with a circumferential groove below a plurality of lobes. A locking ring is retained in a recess in the top of the adaptor plate by a retainer ring.

6144716, Nov 7, 2000

Jul 2, 1997

8/887016

Quang M. Nguyen - Irmo SC
Edmund E. DeMario - Columbia SC

Westinghouse Electric Corp. - Pittsburgh PA

G21C 3356

376442

A support grid for laterally maintaining the relative position of elongated fuel elements within a fuel assembly for use within a core of a nuclear reactor. The grid is formed in the shape of a lattice with the intersecting lattice members defining a plurality of cells, most of which respectively support the nuclear fuel elements. The remaining cells support nuclear control rod guide tubes and instrumentation thimbles. The cells supporting the nuclear fuel elements are provided with diagonally positioned springs on two adjacent walls. The springs support the fuel elements against dimples which protrude from the opposite cell walls. The adjacent, diagonal springs in each fuel element cell are inclined in opposite directions. The springs are formed from narrow, parallel slits in the cell wall that terminate along a line parallel to the line of intersection with the adjacent wall. The spring slits continue along that parallel line in a direction away from the spring to increase its flexure.

5265138, Nov 23, 1993

Jun 23, 1992

7/903049

Edmund E. DeMario - Columbia SC
Charles N. Lawson - Columbia SC

Westinghouse Electric Corp. - Pittsburgh PA

G21C 332

376434

A nuclear fuel assembly for a pressurized water nuclear reactor has a spring and dimple structure formed in a non-radioactive insert tube placed in the top of a sensor receiving instrumentation tube thimble disposed in the fuel assembly and attached at a top nozzle, a bottom nozzle, and intermediate grids. The instrumentation tube thimble is open at the top, where the sensor or its connection extends through the cooling water for coupling to a sensor signal processor. The spring and dimple insert tube is mounted within the instrumentation tube thimble and extends downwardly adjacent the top. The springs and dimples restrain the sensor and its connections against lateral displacement causing impact with the instrumentation tube thimble due to the strong axial flow of cooling water. The instrumentation tube has a stainless steel outer sleeve and a zirconium alloy inner sleeve below the insert tube adjacent the top. The insert tube is relatively non-radioactivated inconel alloy.

5289513, Feb 22, 1994

Oct 29, 1992

7/968011

Edmund E. DeMario - Columbia SC
Charles N. Lawson - Columbia SC

Westinghouse Electric Corp. - Pittsburgh PA

G21C 334

376438

Method of making a fuel assembly lattice member and the lattice member made by such method. The method includes placing a plurality of elongate metal straps on a computer controlled conveyor which successively conveys the straps into alignment with each of a plurality of computer controlled piercing and drawing dies belonging to a progressive die machine. The dies are selectively actuated by the computer to form such elements as curved deflector vanes and spring members on each strap member. After the piercing and drawing operations are completed, the straps are joined by welding to form a lattice member of hexagonal cross section, the lattice member defining a plurality of rhombic-shaped fuel rod cells and a plurality of generally rhombic-shaped guide tube thimble cells therethrough. The rod cells are capable of receiving respective ones of a plurality of fuel rods and the thimble cells are capable of receiving respective ones of a plurality of thimble tubes. The rhombic shape of the rod cells cooperate with the deflector vanes to deflect a component of a fluid stream about the longitudinal center axis of each fuel rod for maintaining liquid substantially single-phase fluid flow over the surface of each fuel rod in order to avoid Departure from Nucleate Boiling (DNB) on the surface of the fuel rods.

4839136, Jun 13, 1989

Oct 16, 1987

7/109832

Edmund E. DeMario - Columbia SC
Anders Johansson - Vasteras, SE
Olov Nylund - Vasteras, SE

AB Asea-Atom - Vasteras

G21C 334

376462

A bimetallic spacer for supporting fuel rods in position in a nuclear reactor fuel assembly substantially comprises inner and outer structural elements of a first metallic material and spring elements of a second metallic material. The structural and spring elements together define a lattice, the interstices of which receive the individual fuel rods. The structural elements and spring elements in the spacer are connected together by forming the structural elements with openings and fitting the ends of the spring elements in the openings. At one end of the opening in the structural element, two slots can be provided for forming a tongue-shaped member which is moved aside to make space for the spring element and then moves back when the end of the spring element is in position, thus preventing a possible vertical return movement of the end of the spring element.