Yuriy A Aleshin

8594269, Nov 26, 2013

Jan 13, 2006

11/332058

Yuriy Aleshin - Columbia SC, US
James A. Sparrow - Irmo SC, US
Keith J. Drudy - Pittsburgh PA, US

Westinghouse Electric Company LLC - Cranberry Township PA

G21C 3/34

376438, 376462

The present invention provides novel fuel assemblies for use with PWR nuclear reactors and power plants, and in particular, VVER nuclear reactors. The fuel assemblies offer enhanced structural stability, skeletal rigidity, and distortion (bow and twist) resistance to support high burn-up fuel management. Each fuel assembly may include a plurality of fuel rods, a plurality of control rods and guide thimbles, at least one instrumentation tube, and a plurality of grids. At least one fuel rod is replaced with a structural support replacement rod made from zirconium (Zr) alloy, stainless steel, or any other suitable material. The structural support replacement rod may be hollow or solid. The structural support replacement rods are preferably disposed at or about the periphery, and in some cases, the corners of the geometric array, which is preferably a hexagon or square.

20060222140, Oct 5, 2006

Apr 4, 2005

11/098657

Yuriy Aleshin - Columbia SC, US
James Sparrow - Irmo SC, US

WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC COMPANY LLC - Monroeville PA

G21C 3/32

376434000

In a nuclear reactor fuel assembly structured to support at least one non-linear fuel rod, the nuclear reactor fuel assembly includes at least two support grids, a first support grid and a second support grid structured to support at least one fuel rod in a non-linear shape. Each support grid has a plurality of generally square cells and wherein the cells on the first support grid and the second support grid are generally vertically aligned. Each cell has a first side, a second side, a third side, and a fourth side. Each cell further has protrusions extending from each the cell sides, wherein the protrusions are selected from the group including a spring, a dimple or an extended dimple. A spring is always disposed opposite of a dimple or an extended dimple. The first support grid includes at least one cell having an extended dimple extending from at least one cell side. The second support grid includes at least one cell aligned with the first support grid at least one cell having an extended dimple, wherein the second support grid cell has an extended dimple extending from a cell side other than cell side having an extended dimple on the first support grid. Thus, the extended dimples cause the fuel rod to be deformed.

20080084957, Apr 10, 2008

Oct 6, 2006

11/544697

Yuriy Aleshin - Columbia SC, US
James A. Sparrow - Irmo SC, US

Westinghouse Electric Company, LLC - Monroeville PA

G21G 1/06

376178

A nuclear fuel assembly having improved dimensional stability to support aggressive fuel management wherein the fuel skeleton lateral stiffness is enhanced by the addition of a second joint attachment between the control rod guide thimble and spacer grid support sleeve.

20110164719, Jul 7, 2011

Jan 5, 2010

12/652187

Yuriy Aleshin - Columbia SC, US

Westinghouse Electric Company, LLC - Cranberry Township PA

G21C 19/42
G21C 1/04
G21C 3/34

376313, 376352, 376438

A debris filter bottom nozzle for a pressurized water nuclear reactor fuel assembly that employs a corrugated screen in combination with flow through holes in an adapter plate to filter out potentially damaging debris. The area between the screen and the adapter plate defines a plenum that forms a collection point for the debris and coolant access is provided to the plenum through openings in the screen and sidewalls of the nozzle.

20120177170, Jul 12, 2012

Jan 6, 2011

12/985430

Yuriy Aleshin - Columbia SC, US
Stephen H. Green - Columbia SC, US
Andrew Atwood - Columbia SC, US
Hemant Shah - Columbia SC, US

WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC COMPANY LLC - CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP PA

G21C 15/22

376364

A nuclear fuel rod plenum spring assembly that has a spacer affixed to the lower end of the ground torsion spring. The spacer has a substantially flat surface on its underside that presses against the upper surface of the upper fuel pellets to spread the load of the spring over the top surface of the upper most fuel pellet.

20120263271, Oct 18, 2012

Apr 14, 2011

13/086504

Yuriy Aleshin - Columbia SC, US
David B. Mitchell - Columbia SC, US

WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC COMPANY LLC - CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP PA

G21C 3/30
G21C 3/02

376426, 376412, 376409

A nuclear fuel pellet design that is a cylindrical axial profile with either a larger radius or conical shaped ends such that the as built diameter at the ends of the pellet are slightly smaller than at the middle and at normal operating conditions, the diameter at the ends is nearly the same as at the middle. Preferably, there are short chamfers at the axial ends of the pellet.

20130129029, May 23, 2013

Nov 22, 2011

13/302104

Yuriy Aleshin - Columbia SC, US
David B. Mitchell - Columbia SC, US

WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC COMPANY LLC - Cranberry Township PA

G21C 17/06

376247

A method of detecting defects in nuclear fuel within a fuel rod that first heats the fuel rod to a temperature substantially above the ambient temperature. The surface temperature of the fuel rod cladding is then monitored as the fuel rod is allowed to cool. Variations in the temperature measured over the surface is then noted as an indication of defects.

6738447, May 18, 2004

May 22, 2003

10/444469

James A. Sparrow - Irmo SC
Yuriy Aleshin - Columbia SC
Aleksey Slyeptsov - Columbia SC

Westinghouse Electric Company LLC - Pittsburgh PA

G21C 300

376285, 376364, 376445, 376446

A high energy absorption top nozzle for a nuclear fuel assembly that employs an elongated upper tubular housing and an elongated lower tubular housing slidable within the upper tubular housing. The upper and lower housings are biased away from each other by a plurality of longitudinally extending springs that are restrained by a longitudinally moveable piston whose upward travel is limited within the upper housing. The energy imparted to the nozzle by a control rod scram is mostly absorbed by the springs and the hydraulic affect of the piston within the nozzle.