CPC Definition - Subclass G21C
This place covers:
All aspects related to nuclear fission reactors and their components, i.e. all aspects related to the reactors per se, in particular all parts strictly related to the primary cooling circuit of the reactor, as well as monitoring or testing of nuclear fission reactor parameters and components, arrangements for handling nuclear fission reactor components or material and apparatuses and processes adapted to manufacture nuclear fission reactors.
Examples of places where the subject matter of this place is covered when specially adapted, used for a particular purpose, or incorporated in a larger system:
Arrangements of nuclear propulsion power plant or units on marine vessels, including submarines; adaptations to nuclear propulsion power plant or units for facilitating their arrangement on marine vessels | |
Nuclear spacecraft propulsion | |
Water treatment using waste heat from other processes | |
Methods and apparatus for obtaining oil, gas, water, soluble or meltable materials by means of nuclear energy | |
Aspects related to nuclear power plants in general, other than the reactor per se | |
Control of nuclear power plant | |
Arrangements of reactor and engine in which reactor-produced heat is converted into mechanical energy | |
Arrangements to provide heat for purposes other than conversion into power, e.g. heating buildings |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Pressure or containment vessels utilizing sub- or super-atmospheric pressure to effect chemical or physical change of matter | |
Cleaning pipes or tubes using methods or apparatus specially adapted thereto | |
Manipulators | |
Heat-transfer or heat-exchange or heat-storage materials | |
Shock-absorbers in general | |
Pressure vessels in general | |
Tube joints in general | |
Cleaning of internal or external surfaces of heat-exchange or heat-transfer conduits, e.g. water tubes of boilers | |
Measurement of nuclear radiation | |
Electric or magnetic analogue computers, e.g. simulators, for nuclear physics | |
Pumping arrangements for reactor coolant not otherwise covered by G21C 15/24 | |
Shielded cells or rooms | |
Treating radioactively contaminated materials; Decontamination arrangements therefor |
Classification of both important (invention) information and additional information is obligatory.
In this place, the following terms or expressions are used with the meaning indicated:
Core | The central region of a reactor containing fuel and moderator elements, where nuclear fission occurs. |
Moderator | Material used in a thermal nuclear reactor to reduce the velocity of neutrons produced by nuclear fission in order to facilitate chain reaction. |
Shield | Means surrounding a reactor to prevent radiation damage to operators etc. |
In patent documents, the following abbreviations are often used:
LWR | Light Water Reactor |
BWR | Boiling Water Reactor |
ABWR | Advanced Boiling Water Reactor |
PWR | Pressurized/Pressure Water Reactor |
PHWR | Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor |
RBMK | High Power Channel Reactor |
GCR | Gas Cooled Reactor |
HTGCR | High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor |
FBR | Fast Breeder Reactor |
LMFBR | Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactor |
PBR | Pebble Bed Reactor |
IFR | Integral Fast Reactor |
RPV | Reactor Pressure Vessel |
CRDM | Control Rod Drive Mechanism |
PCI | Pellet-Clad Interaction |
LOCA | LOss of Coolant Accident |
In patent documents, the following words/expressions are often used as synonyms:
- "breed and burn reactor", "travelling wave reactor" and "deflagration wave reactor"
This place covers:
Nuclear fission reactors characterized by their type.
Main division is made between fast neutron driven fission and moderated neutron drive fission reactors, the reactors being either critical or subcritical, loop-type or integral.
Dedicated sections are defined for subcritical and integral reactors.
Classification is usually directed to main groups G21C 3/00 - G21C 23/00.
Classification is also made in this group for subject-matter related to new reactor concepts or for subject-matter in which the type of reactor plays a crucial role.
This place covers:
Reactors in which the moderator is liquid, such as pressure-tube reactors. This group also covers constructional details of pressure tubes in pressure-tube reactors.
This place does not cover:
Irradiation loops |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Material testing by neutrons |
This place does not cover:
Core structures characterised by the provision of more than one active zone in which the core does not comprise fuel assemblies |
In this place, the following terms or expressions are used with the meaning indicated:
Fuel rod, fuel pin, fuel element | Single fuel rod being part of bundle of fuel rods comprised in a fuel assembly |
Fuel bundle | Fuel assembly |
Fuel element | In some patent documents, in particular in those with German origin, this expression is sometimes used as meaning "fuel assembly" |
This place covers:
This group covers all substances which are used as nuclear reactor fuel, either liquid or fluent nuclear fuel, gaseous compositions or solid nuclear reactor fuel.
This place does not cover:
Nuclear fuel elements |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Obtaining metals with atomic number greater than 87 |
In patent documents, the following abbreviations are often used:
MOX | Mixed Oxide Fuel |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Active zone in which the core comprises fuel assemblies | |
Shock absorbers per se |
This place does not cover:
Control of nuclear power plant in general |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Boron and boron compounds per se | |
Ceramic materials per se | |
Alloys per se | |
Gearing in general | |
Safety arrangements for control of regulating systems in general | |
Control and regulating systems in general | |
Safety systems for the nuclear power plant in general | |
Neutron sources per se | |
Emergency protective circuit arrangements in general | |
Dynamo electric machines in general | |
Pulse techniques |
This place does not cover:
Emergency cooling arrangements; removing shut-down heat | |
Safety systems of the nuclear power plant in general |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Recombiners in nuclear installations | |
Processes and reactors using catalytically active bodies for gas/gas reactions | |
Blast shield in general |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Thermal insulation of pipes in general | |
Shielding in general |
This place covers:
Repairing means and methods thereof.
This place does not cover:
Processes of utilising sub-atmospheric or super-atmospheric pressure to effect chemical or physical change of matter and apparatus thereof, i.e. vessels for chemical or physical process | |
Pressure vessels in general | |
Vessels for storing gases |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Joints for pipes in general |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
This place covers:
Using passive systems, i.e. systems not requiring the use of active means such as pumps; examples: natural circulation; gravity.
This place covers:
Using active means such as pumps.
This place covers:
Monitoring/measuring/testing devices and methods strictly associated to nuclear fission reactors and their components.
Further information:
The subgroup G21C 17/06 also covers devices and methods for maintaining (e.g. cleaning) fuel elements or fuel assemblies.
This place does not cover:
Safety arrangements for control of regulating systems in general | |
Monitoring or testing of control or regulating systems in general | |
Electrical digital data processing | |
Systems and methods, specially adapted for business purposes and their data processing | |
Time or attendance register; registering or indicating the working of machines |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Pipes in general | |
Pipes in steam generators | |
Arrangements for sealing leaking tubes and conduits in general | |
Measuring in general | |
Measuring linear dimensions, angles, areas, irregularities of surfaces or contours | |
Investigating fluid tightness of structures | |
Investigating or analysing materials by determining their chemical or physical properties | |
Material analysis/investigation with ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves | |
Measuring neutron radiation per se | |
Computer implemented systems and methods of testing, simulating and designing nuclear fission reactors or parts thereof |
This place covers:
Loading and unloading of fuel assemblies to and from the reactor core.
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Reprocessing of irradiated fuel | |
Storage rack for spent fuel casks | |
Treating/decontaminating radioactively contaminated materials |
This place covers:
All aspects of the reprocessing of irradiated nuclear fuel, either aqueous or non-aqueous processes.
This place does not cover:
Decommissioning of reactors |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Treating radioactively contaminated material |
In patent documents, the following abbreviations are often used:
PUREX | Plutonium Uranium Refining by Extraction |
COEX | Coextraction of Plutonium together with Uranium |
Attention is drawn to the following places, which may be of interest for search:
Irradiation loops in subcritical reactors | |
Arrangements for converting chemical elements by electromagnetic radiation in nuclear reactors |