US3197376A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Epithermal thorium power-breeder nuclear reactor
Assignee: North American Aviation Corp
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Filing: 1960-12-16
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Granted: 1965-07-27
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Expires: 1980-12-16
Abstract
No abstract record available.
Inventors
- 👤 Balent Ralph
- 👤 Raymond J Beeley
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 19:05
CPC Classifications
G; G21; G21C; G21C1/00; G21C1/04; G21C1/06; G21C1/14; G21C1/16; G21C5/00; G21C5/18; G21C5/20; G21C7/00; G21C7/36; G21D; G21D5/00; G21D5/04; G21D5/08; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E30/00; Y02E30/30; Y10; Y10S; Y10S376/00; Y10S376/90; Y10S376/904; Y10S376/905; Y10S376/906
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 2
Claim 1
Independent Claim
141 words
A THORIUM POWER BREEDER REACTOR COMPRISING A VESSEL, A CORE WITHIN SAID VESSEL, SAID CORE CONTAINING A SOLID MODERATOR MATRIX, SAID MODERATOR BEING SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF CARBON AND BERYLLIUM, SAID MODERATOR DEFINING A PLURALITY OF FUEL ELEMENT CHANNELS, A PLURALITY OF FUEL ELEMENTS SUPPORTED WITHIN SAID CHANNELS, EACH OF SAID FUEL ELEMENTS CONTAINING THORIUM-232 AND URANIUM-233 AS THE FISSIONABLE FUEL, MEANS FOR PASSING A LIQUID METAL COOLANT THROUGH SAID CHANNELS, MEANS FOR PROTECTING SAID MODERATOR FROM CONTACT WITH SAID COOLANT, REFLECTOR MEANS SURROUNDING SAID CORE ND CONSISTING OF SAID MODERATOR AND A PLURALITY OF THORIUM-232 RODS DISPOSED THEREIN, SAID COOLANT AND SAID MODERATOR BEING PRESENT IN SUFFICIENT QUANTITY TO PROVIDE A NEUTRON SPECTRUM IN SAID CORE HAVING A MEAN ENERGY OF FROM ABOUT 1 TO ABOUT 10**5 EV., SAID THORIUM-232 BEING CONVERTED TO URANIUM-233 BY SAID NEUTRON SPECTRUM.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
141 words
A THORIUM POWER BREEDER REACTOR COMPRISING A VESSEL, A CORE WITHIN SAID VESSEL, SAID CORE CONTAINING A SOLID MODERATOR MATRIX, SAID MODERATOR BEING SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF CARBON AND BERYLLIUM, SAID MODERATOR DEFINING A PLURALITY OF FUEL ELEMENT CHANNELS, A PLURALITY OF FUEL ELEMENTS SUPPORTED WITHIN SAID CHANNELS, EACH OF SAID FUEL ELEMENTS CONTAINING THORIUM-232 AND URANIUM-233 AS THE FISSIONABLE FUEL, MEANS FOR PASSING A LIQUID METAL COOLANT THROUGH SAID CHANNELS, MEANS FOR PROTECTING SAID MODERATOR FROM CONTACT WITH SAID COOLANT, REFLECTOR MEANS SURROUNDING SAID CORE ND CONSISTING OF SAID MODERATOR AND A PLURALITY OF THORIUM-232 RODS DISPOSED THEREIN, SAID COOLANT AND SAID MODERATOR BEING PRESENT IN SUFFICIENT QUANTITY TO PROVIDE A NEUTRON SPECTRUM IN SAID CORE HAVING A MEAN ENERGY OF FROM ABOUT 1 TO ABOUT 10**5 EV., SAID THORIUM-232 BEING CONVERTED TO URANIUM-233 BY SAID NEUTRON SPECTRUM.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2993850A
Cited
US2992174A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1968-07-26 | 1969-01-25 | 1969-07-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1972-07-26 | 1973-01-25 | 1973-07-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1976-07-26 | 1977-01-25 | 1977-07-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |