G21C 3/34
Spacer grids
G21C3/34 (Spacer grids) appears on 421 US grants and 168 published applications in this corpus.
Search patents in G21C- Granted patents
- 421
- Published applications
- 168
- Assignees
- 108
- Inventors
- 682
- Latest grant
- 28 Apr 2026
Filings by year
| Year | Granted patents | Published applications |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 9 | 0 |
| 1977 | 13 | 0 |
| 1978 | 8 | 0 |
| 1979 | 11 | 0 |
| 1980 | 4 | 0 |
| 1981 | 8 | 0 |
| 1982 | 7 | 0 |
| 1983 | 6 | 0 |
| 1984 | 3 | 0 |
| 1985 | 18 | 0 |
| 1986 | 14 | 0 |
| 1987 | 21 | 0 |
| 1988 | 16 | 0 |
| 1989 | 14 | 0 |
| 1990 | 16 | 0 |
| 1991 | 9 | 0 |
| 1992 | 15 | 0 |
| 1993 | 23 | 0 |
| 1994 | 23 | 0 |
| 1995 | 8 | 0 |
| 1996 | 11 | 0 |
| 1997 | 3 | 0 |
| 1998 | 8 | 0 |
| 1999 | 4 | 0 |
| 2000 | 4 | 0 |
| 2001 | 9 | 0 |
| 2002 | 7 | 4 |
| 2003 | 8 | 8 |
| 2004 | 10 | 5 |
| 2005 | 2 | 5 |
| 2006 | 2 | 10 |
| 2007 | 0 | 6 |
| 2008 | 3 | 7 |
| 2009 | 4 | 12 |
| 2010 | 5 | 12 |
| 2011 | 6 | 13 |
| 2012 | 4 | 4 |
| 2013 | 11 | 9 |
| 2014 | 8 | 16 |
| 2015 | 9 | 4 |
| 2016 | 3 | 7 |
| 2017 | 11 | 5 |
| 2018 | 6 | 3 |
| 2019 | 9 | 4 |
| 2020 | 4 | 3 |
| 2021 | 3 | 6 |
| 2022 | 5 | 10 |
| 2023 | 7 | 7 |
| 2024 | 3 | 4 |
| 2025 | 3 | 2 |
| 2026 | 3 | 2 |
By publication year. Applications have been published since 2001. 2026 runs to 8 Oct.
Subgroups
Granted patents
- G21C 3/356Being provided with fuel element supporting members185
- G21C 3/352Formed of assembled intersecting strips88
- G21C 3/3424Fabrication of spacer grids76
- G21C 3/344Formed of assembled tubular elements64
- G21C 3/3432Grids designed to influence the coolant, i.e. coolant mixing function19
- G21C 3/348Formed of assembled non-intersecting strips14
- G21C 3/3408Compact spacer grids8
- G21C 3/3416Spacer grids formed by metallic wires2
Recent patents
- Nuclear fuel assembly with a reinforcement device28 Apr 2026US 12,614,642 B2Framatome
- Nuclear fuel assembly with multi-pitch wire wrap21 Apr 2026US 12,609,209 B2TerraPower, LLC
- Carbide-based fuel assembly for thermal propulsion applications20 Jan 2026US 12,531,166 B2BWXT Nuclear Energy, Inc.
- Modular manufacture, delivery, and assembly of nuclear reactor core systems16 Sep 2025US 12,416,175 B2TerraPower, LLC
- Carbide-based fuel assembly for thermal propulsion applications11 Mar 2025US 12,249,435 B2BWXT Nuclear Energy, Inc.
- Spot-welding fixture for spacer grid of nuclear fuel assembly3 Sep 2026US 2026/0260771 A1Kepco Nuclear Fuel Co., Ltd.
- Fuel assemblies for reactor systems16 Jul 2026US 2026/0204441 A1BAE SYSTEMS plc
- Improved nuclear fuel assembly with enhanced seismic performance and control rod worth14 Aug 2025US 2025/0259758 A1Kepco Nuclear Fuel Co., Ltd.
- Fission Reactor with Segmented Cladding Bodies Having Cladding Arms with Involute Curve Shape16 Jan 2025US 2025/0022622 A1BWXT Advanced Technologies LLC
- Nuclear reactor fuel assembly spacer grid26 Dec 2024US 2024/0428959 A1Chastnoe Uchrezhdenie ¿¿ Obespecheniyu Nauchnogo Razvitiya Atomnoj Otrasli "Nauka I Innovacii"
Most cited
By later US patents
- Laser machining system167US 4,541,055 AWestinghouse Electric Corp. · 1985
- Grid with nozzle-type coolant deflecting channels for use in nuclear reactor fuel assemblies51US 6,130,927 AKorea Electric Power Corporation · 2000
- Nuclear fuel rod support grid with attachable spring and dimple support spacers49US 4,885,127 AWestinghouse Electric Corp. · 1989
- Nuclear reactor fuel assemblies48US 7,085,340 B2Westinghouse Electric Corp. · 2006
- Mixing grid47US 4,726,926 AAdvanced Nuclear Fuels Corporation · 1988