Nuclear powered vacuum microelectronic device
AssigneeWestinghouse Electric Corp.
InventorsJorge V. Carvajal, Michael D. Heibel, Lyman J. Petrosky, Tim M. Crede, Robert W. Flammang
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Abstract
A vacuum micro-electronics device that utilizes fissile material capable of using the existing neutron leakage from the fuel assemblies of a nuclear reactor to produce thermal energy to power the heater/cathode element of the vacuum micro-electronics device and a self-powered detector emitter to produce the voltage/current necessary to power the anode/plate terminal of the vacuum micro-electronics device.
Claims20
An in-core electronics assembly including a solid state vacuum micro-electronic device comprising:
- a cathode element;
- an anode element;
- a grid disposed between the cathode and the anode;
- an in-core instrument assembly;
- a means within the in-core instrument assembly for establishing a voltage bias between the grid and ground;
- a voltage source for establishing a voltage bias between the anode element and ground;
- a housing for sealably enclosing the cathode, the anode and the grid;
- and
- a heater disposed within the housing proximate or as part of the cathode for heating the cathode,
- wherein the heater comprises fissile material for production of thermal energy to power the vacuum micro-electronic device.
A solid state vacuum micro-electronic device comprising:
- a cathode element;
- an anode element;
- a grid disposed between the cathode and the anode;
- an in-core instrument assembly;
- a means within the in-core instrument assembly for establishing a voltage bias between the grid and ground;
- a voltage source for establishing a voltage bias between the anode element and ground;
- a housing for sealably enclosing the cathode, the anode and the grid;
- and
- a heater disposed within the housing proximate or as part of the cathode for heating the cathode,
- wherein the heater comprises fissile material for production of thermal energy to power the vacuum micro-electronic device.
A nuclear fuel assembly comprising:
- a top nozzle;
- a bottom nozzle;
- a plurality of elongated thimbles extending between and attached to the top nozzle and the bottom nozzle;
- and
- a plurality of elongated nuclear fuel elements laterally supported in spaced relationship between the top nozzle and the bottom nozzle;
- the nuclear fuel assembly further including a solid state vacuum micro-electronics device comprising:
- a cathode element;
- an anode element;
- a grid disposed between the cathode and the anode;
- an in-core instrument assembly;
- a means within the in-core instrument assembly for establishing a voltage bias between the grid and ground;
- a voltage source for establishing a voltage bias between the anode element and ground;
- a housing for sealably enclosing the cathode, the anode and the grid;
- and
- a heater disposed within the housing proximate or as part of the cathode for heating the cathode,
- wherein the heater comprises fissile material for production of thermal energy to power the vacuum micro-electronic device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.