Strategic Infrastructure

Nuclear Generation

Nuclear generation covers nuclear power reactors together with research reactors. One of the capabilities of Energy Infrastructure.

International families: 4,1022015 to 2024
Leading country: China1.1× the next
All families: 41khome filings included
Over five years: Rising2020 to 2024 against the five before

Year by year

Patent families by country of origin and the year of the earliest filing, 2000 to 2025; 2025 is a part year, still filling in. International families are those for which protection was sought beyond one country.

Volume

International patent families in the capability, by the year of the earliest filing.

Source: Global Institute for National Capability (GINC), 2026. Underlying patents from 107 patent offices, IFI CLAIMS and Google

Share by country

Each country's share of the year's international families, in per cent: the capability's five largest countries of origin, 2015 to 2024, and the rest of the world.

Source: Global Institute for National Capability (GINC), 2026. Underlying patents from 107 patent offices, IFI CLAIMS and Google

Country leaderboard

International patent families, 2015 to 2024, by country of origin. Growth compares the latest five full years with the five before.

Ten largest

China

United States

South Korea

Japan

France

Russia

Germany

United Kingdom

Canada

Sweden

973

912

510

459

398

196

150

123


1	China	973	23.7%	4.3×	31,038
2	United States	912	22.2%	0.8×	1,243
3	South Korea	510	12.4%	1.3×	3,262
4	Japan	459	11.2%	0.8×	2,891
5	France	398	9.7%	1.3×	530
6	Russia	196	4.8%	0.7×	627
7	Germany	150	3.7%	0.5×	206
8	United Kingdom	123	3.0%	2.7×	158
9	Canada	96	2.3%	1.2×	128
10	Sweden	52	1.3%	0.6×	56
11	Switzerland	29	0.7%	0.7×	30
12	Czechia	24	0.6%	0.8×	58
13	Denmark	20	0.5%	5.7×	25
14	Italy	19	0.5%	5.3×	23
15	Spain	16	0.4%	1.0×	22
16	Finland	14	0.3%	3.7×	16
17	Belgium	13	0.3%	0.6×	13
18	Netherlands	12	0.3%	1.0×	12
19	Taiwan	11	0.3%	2.7×	30
20	Australia	7	0.2%	0.8×	7
21	India	7	0.2%	0.8×	8
22	Brazil	6	0.1%	2.0×	12
23	Luxembourg	6	0.1%	0.0×	6
24	Saudi Arabia	6	0.1%	0.2×	13
25	Norway	5	0.1%	0.3×	5
26	Austria	4	0.1%	0.3×	6
27	Türkiye	3	0.1%	2.0×	5
28	Israel	2	0.0%	0.0×	3
29	Ireland	2	0.0%	0.0×	2
30	Poland	2	0.0%	1.0×	14
31	Singapore	1	0.0%	0.0×	1
32	Hong Kong	1	0.0%	–	1
33	New Zealand	1	0.0%	0.0×	2
34	Cayman Islands	1	0.0%	0.0×	3
35	Liechtenstein	1	0.0%	0.0×	1
36	Mexico	1	0.0%	0.0×	1
37	Malaysia	1	0.0%	–	1
38	Hungary	1	0.0%	–	2

Applicants

The largest applicants by international patent families, 2015 to 2024: across the world, then within each of the five countries with the most families in Nuclear Generation. Names are as held in the source and are not consolidated across subsidiaries.

Global

4,102 international families

CGN POWER CO LTD · China

CHINA GENERAL NUCLEAR POWER · China

WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC CO LLC · United States

KOREA HYDRO & NUCLEAR POWER CO · South Korea

CHINA NUCLEAR POWER ENG CO LTD · China

CHINA NUCLEAR POWER TECHNOLOGY RES INST CO LTD · China

235

222

203

187

186

171

China

973 international families

CGN POWER CO LTD

CHINA GENERAL NUCLEAR POWER

CHINA NUCLEAR POWER ENG CO LTD

CHINA NUCLEAR POWER TECHNOLOGY RES INST CO LTD

CHINA NUCLEAR POWER INST CO LTD

CHINA NUCLEAR POWER DESIGN CO LTD SHENZHEN

235

222

186

171

145

United States

912 international families

WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC CO LLC

GE HITACHI NUCLEAR ENERGY AMERICAS LLC

TERRAPOWER LLC

NUSCALE POWER LLC

HOLTEC INTERNATIONAL

BWXT ADVANCED TECH LLC

203

South Korea

510 international families

KOREA HYDRO & NUCLEAR POWER CO

KOREA ATOMIC ENERGY RES

KEPCO NUCLEAR FUEL CO LTD

KEPCO ENG & CONSTR CO INC

DOOSAN ENERBILITY CO LTD

KOREA ADVANCED INST SCI & TECH

187

Japan

459 international families

HITACHI GE NUCLEAR ENERGY LTD

MITSUBISHI HEAVY IND LTD

HITACHI LTD

TOSHIBA KK

MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORP

0.3% shared · 15 families in both

China

United States

Japan

Germany

South Korea

418

233

115

Crosswalk

How Nuclear Generation is matched to the patent classifications. The entries below were chosen for it; each stands for itself and everything beneath it in the scheme, 337 Cooperative entries in all. A patent family counts when any of its codes, in either scheme and at any office, falls under one of them. Codes since retired are placed under the entries that replaced them.

Entry	Title in the scheme	Why it is chosen	CPC codes	IPC codes	Documents
G21C	Nuclear reactors	Nuclear fission reactors and their components	312	221	407,942
G21D	Nuclear power plant	Nuclear power plant layout and operation	40	27	52,557
Y02E30/30	Nuclear fission reactors	Tagged nuclear fission reactor technologies	1	none	287,881
G21C19/42	Reprocessing of irradiated fuel	Left out
G21C21/02	Manufacture of fuel elements or breeder elements contained in non-active casings	Left out

CPC and IPC codes are the codes in use on patent documents, at any office, that fall under the entry. Documents is the larger of the two schemes' counts of documents carrying one of them. An entry with no IPC codes can be told apart only in the Cooperative scheme.

The Cooperative codes in use that count towards Nuclear Generation: 353 codes on 626,272 documents. The 150 most used are listed; the full list is in the cpc-to-capability.csv download.

Code	Title	Under entry	How placed	Documents
Y02E30/30	Nuclear fission reactors	Y02E30/30	In the scheme	287,881
G21C15/18	Emergency cooling arrangements; Removing shut-down heat	G21C	In the scheme	8,414
G21C17/00	Monitoring; Testing ; Maintaining	G21C	In the scheme	6,407
G21C13/02	Details	G21C	In the scheme	4,653
G21C3/07	Casings; Jackets characterised by their material, e.g. alloys	G21C	In the scheme	4,489
G21C17/10	Structural combination of fuel element, control rod, reactor core, or moderator structure with sensitive instruments, e.g. for measuring radioactivity, strain	G21C	In the scheme	4,462
G21D3/04	Safety arrangements	G21D	In the scheme	4,376
G21D1/02	Arrangements of auxiliary equipment	G21D	In the scheme	4,314
G21C17/06	Devices or arrangements for monitoring or testing fuel or fuel elements outside the reactor core, e.g. for burn-up, for contamination	G21C	In the scheme	4,258
G21C3/322	Means to influence the coolant flow through or around the bundles	G21C	In the scheme	4,178
G21C3/623	Oxide fuels	G21C	In the scheme	4,131
G21C17/017	Inspection or maintenance of pipe-lines or tubes in nuclear installations	G21C	In the scheme	4,110
G21D3/001	Computer implemented control	G21D	In the scheme	4,106
G21C19/07	Storage racks; Storage pools	G21C	In the scheme	3,473
G21C3/32	Bundles of parallel pin-, rod-, or tube-shaped fuel elements	G21C	In the scheme	3,310
G21D1/00	Details of nuclear power plant	G21D	In the scheme	3,309
G21C17/108	Measuring reactor flux	G21C	In the scheme	3,086
G21C7/12	Means for moving control elements to desired position	G21C	In the scheme	3,064
G21C15/02	Arrangements or disposition of passages in which heat is transferred to the coolant; Coolant flow control devices	G21C	In the scheme	2,887
G21C19/02	Details of handling arrangements	G21C	In the scheme	2,841
G21C19/207	Assembling, maintenance or repair of reactor components	G21C	In the scheme	2,795
G21C3/334	Assembling, maintenance or repair of the bundles	G21C	In the scheme	2,787
G21C3/62	Ceramic fuel	G21C	In the scheme	2,776
G21C21/00	Apparatus or processes specially adapted to the manufacture of reactors or parts thereof	G21C	In the scheme	2,682
G21C9/00	Emergency protection arrangements structurally associated with the reactor, e.g. safety valves provided with pressure equalisation devices	G21C	In the scheme	2,662
G21C19/20	Arrangements for introducing objects into the pressure vessel; Arrangements for handling objects within the pressure vessel; Arrangements for removing objects from the pressure vessel	G21C	In the scheme	2,534
G21C3/20	Details of the construction within the casing with coating on fuel or on inside of casing; with non-active interlayer between casing and active material with multiple casings or multiple active layers	G21C	In the scheme	2,519
G21C19/32	Apparatus for removing radioactive objects or materials from the reactor discharge area, e.g. to a storage place; Apparatus for handling radioactive objects or materials within a storage place or removing them therefrom	G21C	In the scheme	2,505
G21D3/06	Safety arrangements responsive to faults within the plant	G21D	In the scheme	2,445
G21C1/03	Fast fission reactors, i.e. reactors not using a moderator ; Metal cooled reactors; Fast breeders cooled by a coolant not essentially pressurised, e.g. pool-type reactors	G21C	In the scheme	2,337
G21C7/08	Control of nuclear reaction by application of neutron-absorbing material, i.e. material with absorption cross-section very much in excess of reflection cross-section by displacement of solid control elements, e.g. control rods	G21C	In the scheme	2,309
G21C3/326	Bundles of parallel pin-, rod-, or tube-shaped fuel elements comprising fuel elements of different composition; comprising, in addition to the fuel elements, other pin-, rod-, or tube-shaped elements, e.g. control rods, grid support rods, fertile rods, poison rods or dummy rods	G21C	In the scheme	2,287
G21C7/10	Construction of control elements	G21C	In the scheme	2,216
G21C9/004	Pressure suppression	G21C	In the scheme	2,197
G21C13/00	Pressure vessels; Containment vessels; Containment in general	G21C	In the scheme	2,148
G21C1/32	Integral reactors, i.e. reactors wherein parts functionally associated with the reactor but not essential to the reaction, e.g. heat exchangers, are disposed inside the enclosure with the core	G21C	In the scheme	2,146
G21C19/307	Arrangements for introducing fluent material into the reactor core; Arrangements for removing fluent material from the reactor core with continuous purification of circulating fluent material, e.g. by extraction of fission products deterioration or corrosion products, impurities, e.g. by cold traps specially adapted for liquids	G21C	In the scheme	2,139
G21C19/10	Lifting devices or pulling devices adapted for co-operation with fuel elements or with control elements	G21C	In the scheme	2,124
G21C15/12	Arrangements or disposition of passages in which heat is transferred to the coolant; Coolant flow control devices from pressure vessel; from containment vessel	G21C	In the scheme	2,105
G21C3/04	Constructional details	G21C	In the scheme	2,041
G21C1/02	Fast fission reactors, i.e. reactors not using a moderator ; Metal cooled reactors; Fast breeders	G21C	In the scheme	1,994
G21C3/06	Casings; Jackets	G21C	In the scheme	1,972
G21C5/06	Means for locating or supporting fuel elements	G21C	In the scheme	1,931
G21C3/34	Spacer grids	G21C	In the scheme	1,890
G21C5/02	Details	G21C	In the scheme	1,887
G21C7/36	Control circuits	G21C	In the scheme	1,880
G21C3/33	Supporting or hanging of elements in the bundle; Means forming part of the bundle for inserting it into, or removing it from, the core; Means for coupling adjacent bundles	G21C	In the scheme	1,857
G21C13/024	Supporting constructions for pressure vessels or containment vessels	G21C	In the scheme	1,840
G21C15/243	Promoting flow of the coolant for liquids	G21C	In the scheme	1,834
G21C7/14	Mechanical drive arrangements	G21C	In the scheme	1,827
G21C5/10	Means for supporting the complete structure	G21C	In the scheme	1,810
G21C19/00	Arrangements for treating, for handling, or for facilitating the handling of, fuel or other materials which are used within the reactor, e.g. within its pressure vessel	G21C	In the scheme	1,799
G21C13/036	Joints between tubes and vessel walls, e.g. taking into account thermal stresses the tube passing through the vessel wall, i.e. continuing on both sides of the wall	G21C	In the scheme	1,796
G21C9/016	Core catchers	G21C	In the scheme	1,779
G21C3/16	Details of the construction within the casing	G21C	In the scheme	1,754
G21C1/08	Heterogeneous reactors, i.e. in which fuel and moderator are separated moderator being highly pressurised, e.g. boiling water reactor, integral super-heat reactor, pressurised water reactor	G21C	In the scheme	1,750
G21D3/08	Regulation of any parameters in the plant	G21D	In the scheme	1,691
G21C3/328	Relative disposition of the elements in the bundle lattice	G21C	In the scheme	1,688
G21C17/112	Measuring temperature	G21C	In the scheme	1,687
G21C3/10	End closures ; Means for tight mounting therefor	G21C	In the scheme	1,673
G21D1/003	Nuclear facilities decommissioning arrangements	G21D	In the scheme	1,658
G21C17/003	Remote inspection of vessels, e.g. pressure vessels	G21C	In the scheme	1,653
G21C3/30	Assemblies of a number of fuel elements in the form of a rigid unit	G21C	In the scheme	1,646
G21D1/006	Details of nuclear power plant primary side of steam generators	G21D	In the scheme	1,642
G21C7/00	Control of nuclear reaction	G21C	In the scheme	1,613
G21C17/022	Devices or arrangements for monitoring coolant or moderator for monitoring liquid coolants or moderators	G21C	In the scheme	1,569
G21C1/00	Reactor types	G21C	In the scheme	1,521
G21C15/28	Selection of specific coolants ; Additions to the reactor coolants, e.g. against moderator corrosion	G21C	In the scheme	1,520
G21C1/322	Integral reactors, i.e. reactors wherein parts functionally associated with the reactor but not essential to the reaction, e.g. heat exchangers, are disposed inside the enclosure with the core wherein the heat exchanger is disposed above the core	G21C	In the scheme	1,512
G21C3/18	Internal spacers or other non-active material within the casing, e.g. compensating for expansion of fuel rods or for compensating excess reactivity	G21C	In the scheme	1,500
G21C17/0225	Chemical surface treatment, e.g. corrosion	G21C	In the scheme	1,497
G21C19/105	Lifting devices or pulling devices adapted for co-operation with fuel elements or with control elements with grasping or spreading coupling elements	G21C	In the scheme	1,496
G21C3/626	Coated fuel particles	G21C	In the scheme	1,480
G21C1/07	Pebble-bed reactors; Reactors with granular fuel	G21C	In the scheme	1,474
G21C17/002	Detection of leaks	G21C	In the scheme	1,465
G21C17/001	Mechanical simulators	G21C	In the scheme	1,459
G21C15/182	Emergency cooling arrangements; Removing shut-down heat comprising powered means, e.g. pumps	G21C	In the scheme	1,441
G21C19/40	Arrangements for preventing occurrence of critical conditions, e.g. during storage	G21C	In the scheme	1,441
G21C9/02	Means for effecting very rapid reduction of the reactivity factor under fault conditions, e.g. reactor fuse; Control elements having arrangements activated in an emergency	G21C	In the scheme	1,415
G21C11/06	Reflecting shields, i.e. for minimising loss of neutrons	G21C	In the scheme	1,412
G21D3/00	Control of nuclear power plant	G21D	In the scheme	1,363
G21D9/00	Arrangements to provide heat for purposes other than conversion into power, e.g. for heating buildings	G21D	In the scheme	1,360
G21C17/01	Inspection of the inner surfaces of vessels	G21C	In the scheme	1,344
G21C3/60	Metallic fuel; Intermetallic dispersions	G21C	In the scheme	1,314
G21C19/18	Apparatus for bringing fuel elements to the reactor charge area, e.g. from a storage place	G21C	In the scheme	1,308
G21C1/20	Heterogeneous reactors, i.e. in which fuel and moderator are separated moderator being substantially not pressurised, e.g. swimming-pool reactor moderator and coolant being different or separated, e.g. sodium-graphite reactor, sodium-heavy water reactor or organic coolant-heavy water reactor coolant being pressurised moderator being liquid, e.g. pressure-tube reactor	G21C	In the scheme	1,283
G21C9/012	Pressure suppression by thermal accumulation or by steam condensation, e.g. ice condensers	G21C	In the scheme	1,281
G21C15/00	Cooling arrangements within the pressure vessel containing the core; Selection of specific coolants	G21C	In the scheme	1,276
G21C13/028	Seals, e.g. for pressure vessels or containment vessels	G21C	In the scheme	1,273
G21C13/073	Closures for reactor-vessels, e.g. rotatable	G21C	In the scheme	1,248
G21C3/3563	Supporting members formed only by deformations in the strips	G21C	In the scheme	1,228
G21C15/14	Arrangements or disposition of passages in which heat is transferred to the coolant; Coolant flow control devices from headers; from joints in ducts	G21C	In the scheme	1,212
G21C15/25	Promoting flow of the coolant for liquids using jet pumps	G21C	In the scheme	1,209
G21C13/087	Metallic vessels	G21C	In the scheme	1,202
G21C19/205	Interchanging of fuel elements in the core, i.e. fuel shuffling	G21C	In the scheme	1,202
G21C1/22	Heterogeneous reactors, i.e. in which fuel and moderator are separated using liquid or gaseous fuel	G21C	In the scheme	1,201
G21C3/54	Fused salt, oxide or hydroxide compositions	G21C	In the scheme	1,198
G21C7/117	Clusters of control rods; Spider construction	G21C	In the scheme	1,183
G21C19/19	Reactor parts specifically adapted to facilitate handling, e.g. to facilitate charging or discharging of fuel elements	G21C	In the scheme	1,163
G21C7/04	Control of nuclear reaction by using self-regulating properties of reactor materials, e.g. Doppler effect of burnable poisons	G21C	In the scheme	1,156
G21C15/247	Promoting flow of the coolant for liquids for liquid metals	G21C	In the scheme	1,154
G21C17/013	Inspection vehicles	G21C	In the scheme	1,151
G21D1/04	Pumping arrangements	G21D	In the scheme	1,147
G21C3/352	Spacer grids formed of assembled intersecting strips	G21C	In the scheme	1,134
G21C15/24	Promoting flow of the coolant	G21C	In the scheme	1,124
G21C3/3206	Means associated with the fuel bundle for filtering the coolant, e.g. nozzles, grids	G21C	In the scheme	1,123
G21C3/324	Coats or envelopes for the bundles	G21C	In the scheme	1,113
G21D5/02	Reactor and engine structurally combined, e.g. portable	G21D	In the scheme	1,108
G21C7/24	Selection of substances for use as neutron-absorbing material	G21C	In the scheme	1,104
G21C13/10	Means for preventing contamination in the event of leakage, e.g. double wall	G21C	In the scheme	1,095
G21C7/22	Control of nuclear reaction by application of neutron-absorbing material, i.e. material with absorption cross-section very much in excess of reflection cross-section by displacement of a fluid or fluent neutron-absorbing material, e.g. by adding neutron-absorbing material to the coolant	G21C	In the scheme	1,095
G21C3/3305	Lower nozzle	G21C	In the scheme	1,089
G21C3/58	Solid reactor fuel Pellets made of fissile material	G21C	In the scheme	1,078
G21C19/28	Arrangements for introducing fluent material into the reactor core; Arrangements for removing fluent material from the reactor core	G21C	In the scheme	1,075
G21C11/08	Thermal shields; Thermal linings, i.e. for dissipating heat from gamma radiation which would otherwise heat an outer biological shield ; Thermal insulation	G21C	In the scheme	1,072
G21C7/16	Hydraulic or pneumatic drive	G21C	In the scheme	1,057
G21C3/12	Means forming part of the element for locating it within the reactor core	G21C	In the scheme	1,049
G21D5/08	Reactor and engine not structurally combined with engine working medium heated in a heat exchanger by the reactor coolant	G21D	In the scheme	1,046
G21C13/06	Sealing-plugs	G21C	In the scheme	1,038
G21C17/07	Leak testing	G21C	In the scheme	1,037
G21C17/04	Detecting burst slugs	G21C	In the scheme	1,021
G21C3/64	Ceramic dispersion fuel, e.g. cermet	G21C	In the scheme	1,020
G21C1/303	Experimental or irradiation arrangements inside the reactor	G21C	In the scheme	1,015
G21C15/26	Promoting flow of the coolant by convection, e.g. using chimneys, using divergent channels	G21C	In the scheme	1,011
G21C3/08	Casings; Jackets provided with external means to promote heat-transfer, e.g. fins, baffles	G21C	In the scheme	1,009
G21C3/17	Means for storage or immobilisation of gases in fuel elements	G21C	In the scheme	1,007
G21C1/086	Pressurised water reactors	G21C	In the scheme	1,001
G21C19/06	Magazines for holding fuel elements or control elements	G21C	In the scheme	991
G21C3/28	Fuel elements with fissile or breeder material in solid form within a non-active casing	G21C	In the scheme	987
G21C19/36	Mechanical means only	G21C	In the scheme	984
G21C1/09	Pressure regulating arrangements, i.e. pressurisers	G21C	In the scheme	966
G21C17/12	Sensitive element forming part of control element	G21C	In the scheme	952
G21C19/16	Articulated or telescopic chutes or tubes for connection to channels in the reactor core	G21C	In the scheme	951
G21C15/16	Cooling arrangements within the pressure vessel containing the core; Selection of specific coolants comprising means for separating liquid and steam	G21C	In the scheme	948
G21C3/3315	Upper nozzle	G21C	In the scheme	946
G21C1/326	Integral reactors, i.e. reactors wherein parts functionally associated with the reactor but not essential to the reaction, e.g. heat exchangers, are disposed inside the enclosure with the core wherein the heat exchanger is disposed next to or beside the core	G21C	In the scheme	940
G21D5/06	Reactor and engine not structurally combined with engine working medium circulating through reactor core	G21D	In the scheme	939
G21C3/356	Spacer grids being provided with fuel element supporting members	G21C	In the scheme	927
G21C15/257	Promoting flow of the coolant using heat-pipes	G21C	In the scheme	918
G21C15/04	Arrangements or disposition of passages in which heat is transferred to the coolant; Coolant flow control devices from fissile or breeder material	G21C	In the scheme	911
G21C19/303	Arrangements for introducing fluent material into the reactor core; Arrangements for removing fluent material from the reactor core with continuous purification of circulating fluent material, e.g. by extraction of fission products deterioration or corrosion products, impurities, e.g. by cold traps specially adapted for gases	G21C	In the scheme	903
G21C17/08	Structural combination of reactor core or moderator structure with viewing means, e.g. with television camera, periscope, window	G21C	In the scheme	895
G21D3/008	Man-machine interface, e.g. control room layout	G21D	In the scheme	895
G21C3/02	Fuel elements	G21C	In the scheme	893
G21C9/06	Means for preventing accumulation of explosives gases, e.g. recombiners	G21C	In the scheme	892
G21C19/317	Recombination devices for radiolytic dissociation products	G21C	In the scheme	875
G21C3/3424	Fabrication of spacer grids	G21C	In the scheme	874
G21C17/02	Devices or arrangements for monitoring coolant or moderator	G21C	In the scheme	853
G21C1/084	Boiling water reactors	G21C	In the scheme	844
G21C19/30	Arrangements for introducing fluent material into the reactor core; Arrangements for removing fluent material from the reactor core with continuous purification of circulating fluent material, e.g. by extraction of fission products deterioration or corrosion products, impurities, e.g. by cold traps	G21C	In the scheme	834

Match: Direct

The capability is itself a technology or a kind of physical system, and the classification names it. Fuel reprocessing and fuel fabrication are carved out to the fuel cycle capability; fusion is left to research facilities. The crosswalk is a first pass that nobody has reviewed.

Nuclear Generation

Year by year

Volume

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Country leaderboard

Ten largest

Applicants

Global

China

United States

South Korea

Japan

France

Similar capabilities

Crosswalk

Other capabilities in Energy Infrastructure