US 12,217,879 B2
Nuclear power generator and fuel cartridges having variable electric load capacity to power a ship propeller
Claudio Filippone, College Park, MD (US)
Assigned to Carbon Free Holdings LLC, College Park, MD (US)
Filed by Claudio Filippone, College Park, MD (US)
Filed on Jul. 19, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/868,599.
Application 17/868,599 is a continuation of application No. 16/613,792, granted, now 11,521,756, previously published as PCT/US2018/033979, filed on May 22, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/509,303, filed on May 22, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2024/0136077 A1, Apr. 25, 2024
Prior Publication US 2024/0233965 A9, Jul. 11, 2024
Int. Cl. G21C 3/32 (2006.01); G21C 3/34 (2006.01); G21C 3/38 (2006.01); G21C 5/02 (2006.01); G21C 5/06 (2006.01); G21C 11/06 (2006.01); G21C 11/08 (2006.01); G21C 13/02 (2006.01); G21C 13/024 (2006.01); G21C 13/028 (2006.01); G21C 15/243 (2006.01); G21C 19/02 (2006.01)
CPC G21C 3/32 (2013.01) [G21C 3/3408 (2013.01); G21C 5/02 (2013.01); G21C 5/06 (2013.01); G21C 11/06 (2013.01); G21C 11/08 (2013.01); G21C 13/02 (2013.01); G21C 13/028 (2013.01); G21C 15/243 (2013.01); G21C 19/02 (2013.01); G21C 3/38 (2013.01); G21C 13/024 (2013.01); Y02E 30/00 (2013.01); Y02E 30/30 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system, comprising:
a load-following nuclear power generator including a nuclear reactor configured to generate variable amounts of electricity;
an electric drive;
a propeller controlled by the electric drive;
a thermal energy recovery system thermally coupled to the load-following nuclear power generator and configured to recover heat rejected by the load-following nuclear power generator, and to generate electricity based on the heat rejection from the load-following nuclear power generator via a thermodynamic Brayton cycle during operation;
wherein the thermal energy recovery system is also configured to recover decay heat from the load-following nuclear power generator, and generate electricity based on the decay heat when the load-following nuclear power generator is shut down;
a battery configured to provide electric energy storage; and
a shield thermally coupled to the thermal energy recovery system, the shield being configured to be capable of thermally coupling to water utilized within a ballast tank of a ship, a hull of the ship, and water surrounding the ship.