G21C 3/32
Bundles of parallel pin-, rod-, or tube-shaped fuel elements
G21C3/32 (Bundles of parallel pin-, rod-, or tube-shaped fuel elements) appears on 1,527 US grants and 696 published applications in this corpus.
Search patents in G21C- Granted patents
- 1,527
- Published applications
- 696
- Assignees
- 258
- Inventors
- 2,030
- Latest grant
- 14 Jul 2026
Filings by year
| Year | Granted patents | Published applications |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 31 | 0 |
| 1977 | 30 | 0 |
| 1978 | 31 | 0 |
| 1979 | 18 | 0 |
| 1980 | 17 | 0 |
| 1981 | 30 | 0 |
| 1982 | 27 | 0 |
| 1983 | 13 | 0 |
| 1984 | 15 | 0 |
| 1985 | 42 | 0 |
| 1986 | 53 | 0 |
| 1987 | 111 | 0 |
| 1988 | 58 | 0 |
| 1989 | 46 | 0 |
| 1990 | 41 | 0 |
| 1991 | 50 | 0 |
| 1992 | 58 | 0 |
| 1993 | 68 | 0 |
| 1994 | 74 | 0 |
| 1995 | 42 | 0 |
| 1996 | 37 | 0 |
| 1997 | 22 | 0 |
| 1998 | 27 | 0 |
| 1999 | 24 | 0 |
| 2000 | 15 | 0 |
| 2001 | 28 | 5 |
| 2002 | 19 | 10 |
| 2003 | 20 | 18 |
| 2004 | 18 | 17 |
| 2005 | 9 | 14 |
| 2006 | 4 | 17 |
| 2007 | 3 | 22 |
| 2008 | 9 | 27 |
| 2009 | 10 | 37 |
| 2010 | 16 | 36 |
| 2011 | 15 | 49 |
| 2012 | 16 | 36 |
| 2013 | 39 | 40 |
| 2014 | 32 | 36 |
| 2015 | 24 | 17 |
| 2016 | 20 | 23 |
| 2017 | 33 | 38 |
| 2018 | 24 | 33 |
| 2019 | 28 | 27 |
| 2020 | 28 | 33 |
| 2021 | 33 | 24 |
| 2022 | 33 | 43 |
| 2023 | 28 | 28 |
| 2024 | 27 | 34 |
| 2025 | 18 | 16 |
| 2026 | 13 | 16 |
By publication year. Applications have been published since 2001. 2026 runs to 8 Oct.
Subgroups
Granted patents
- G21C 3/34Spacer grids421
- G21C 3/322Means to influence the coolant flow through or around the bundles369
- G21C 3/326Comprising fuel elements of different composition320
- G21C 3/334Assembling , maintenance or repair of the bundles273
- G21C 3/33Supporting or hanging of elements in the bundle263
- G21C 3/3206Means associated with the fuel bundle for filtering the coolant102
- G21C 3/324Coats or envelopes for the bundles92
- G21C 3/335Exchanging elements in irradiated bundles40
Recent patents
- Debris filtering arrangement for nuclear fuel assembly bottom nozzle and bottom nozzle including same14 Jul 2026US 12,683,033 B2Westinghouse Electric Corp.
- Passive heat removal system for nuclear reactors14 Jul 2026US 12,683,034 B2TerraPower, LLC
- Fuel assembly having a shared fission gas plenum16 Jun 2026US 12,658,330 B2Westinghouse Electric Corp.
- Channel boxes for a boiling water reactor and methods of manufacture thereof19 May 2026US 12,633,425 B2Westinghouse Electric Corp.
- Fuel bundle with twisted ribbon fuel rodlets for nuclear thermal propulsion applications, structures for manufacture, and methods of manufacture12 May 2026US 12,626,829 B2BWXT Advanced Technologies LLC
- Fuel Assembly24 Sep 2026US 2026/0290631 A1Hitachi, Ltd.
- Channel boxes for a boiling water reactor and methods of manufacture thereof17 Sep 2026US 2026/0279604 A1Westinghouse Electric Corp.
- Spot-welding fixture for spacer grid of nuclear fuel assembly3 Sep 2026US 2026/0260771 A1Kepco Nuclear Fuel Co., Ltd.
- Spiral ntp fuel for power flattening20 Aug 2026US 2026/0245751 A1Standard Nuclear, Inc.
- Chain container reactor6 Aug 2026US 2026/0229374 A1Unists
Most cited
By later US patents
- Laser machining system167US 4,541,055 AWestinghouse Electric Corp. · 1985
- Lower tie plate cast frame59US 5,282,231 ASiemens Power Corporation · 1994
- Nuclear fuel assembly58US 4,560,532 AWestinghouse Electric Corp. · 1985
- Lower tie plate strainers having double plate with offset holes for boiling water reactors58US 5,345,483 AGeneral Electric Company · 1994
- Fuel assembly bottom nozzle with integral debris trap56US 4,684,495 AWestinghouse Electric Corp. · 1987