# US 8,784,726 B2 · System and method for annealing nuclear fission reactor materials

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- Number: US 8,784,726 B2
- Document ID: US8784726B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/290,894
- Filed: 2008-11-03
- Published: 2010-03-18
- Granted: 2014-07-22
- Earliest claimed: 2008-09-18
- Assignees: TerraPower, LLC
- Applicants: Charles E. Ahlfeld; John Rogers Gilleland; Roderick A. Hyde; David G. McAlees; Jon David McWhirter; Ashok Odedra; Clarence T. Tegreene; Joshua C. Walter; Kevan D. Weaver; Charles Whitmer; Lowell L. Wood, Jr.; George B. Zimmerman
- Inventors: Charles E. Ahlfeld; John Rogers Gilleland; Roderick A. Hyde; David G. McAlees; Jon David McWhirter; Ashok Odedra; Clarence T. Tegreene; Joshua C. Walter; Kevan D. Weaver; Charles Whitmer; Lowell L. Wood, Jr.; George B. Zimmerman
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8784726B2

## CPC

- C21D 11/00: Process control or regulation for heat treatments
- C21D 1/26: Methods of annealing
- C21D 11/005: {for cooling}
- G21C 1/026: {Reactors not needing refuelling, i.e. reactors of the type breed-and-burn, e.g. travelling or deflagration wave reactors or seed-blanket reactors}
- G21C 3/07: characterised by their material, e.g. alloys
- G21C 13/087: Metallic vessels
- G21C 21/02: Manufacture of fuel elements or breeder elements contained in non-active casings
- C21D 1/56: characterised by the quenching agents
- C21D 1/62: Quenching devices
- Y02E 30/30: Nuclear fission reactors
- C21D: MODIFYING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF FERROUS METALS; GENERAL DEVICES FOR HEAT TREATMENT OF FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS METALS OR ALLOYS; MAKING METAL MALLEABLE, e.g. BY DECARBURISATION OR TEMPERING (surface treatment of metallic material involving at least one process provided for in class C23 and at least one process covered by this subclass C23F17/00; unidirectional solidification of eutectic materials or unidirectional demixing of eutectoid materials C30B)
- G21C: NUCLEAR REACTORS (fusion reactors, hybrid fission-fusion reactors G21B; nuclear explosives G21J)
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

Illustrative embodiments provide systems, methods, apparatuses, and applications related to annealing nuclear fission reactor materials.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus comprising:
electrical circuitry for determining an annealing temperature range for at least a portion of at least one metallic component of a nuclear fission fuel assembly of a nuclear fission reactor; and
means for establishing at least the portion of the nuclear fission fuel assembly within the annealing temperature range by adjusting operational parameters of the nuclear fission reactor to establish, while the nuclear fission reactor is operating, operating conditions of a region of the operating nuclear fission reactor containing the at least one metallic component: (i) within the determined annealing temperature range for a period of time selected to produce annealing of at least the portion of the at least one metallic component, (ii) lower than the determined annealing temperature range in a quenching temperature range, and (iii) above the determined annealing temperature range in a tempering temperature range, responsive to the electrical circuitry for determining an annealing temperature range.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for establishing at least the portion of the nuclear fission fuel assembly within the annealing temperature range includes a reactor coolant system.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the reactor coolant system includes at least one reactor coolant pump.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the reactor coolant system includes at least one flow adjustment device.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for establishing at least the portion of the nuclear fission fuel assembly within the annealing temperature range includes a reactor control system.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for establishing at least the portion of the nuclear fission fuel assembly within the annealing temperature range includes a pressurizer.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the annealing temperature range is higher than an operating temperature range of the reactor core.