ENSEMBLE DE PASTILLES DE COMBUSTIBLE DE RÉACTEUR NUCLÉAIRE ET PROCÉDÉ DE PRODUCTION

摘要

The invention relates to fuel assembly designs for nuclear reactors and can be used in fast neutron reactor cores. The technical result is more reliable spacing of a fuel element bundle in a fuel assembly and reduced local stress in the cladding of the fuel elements in the region where said elements are in contact with spacing elements. A fuel assembly comprises a top nozzle and a bottom nozzle which are connected to one another by a jacket; and a bundle of rod-type fuel elements arranged in the fuel assembly with the aid of a grid and spiral spacer elements wrapped around the cladding of each fuel element. The fuel assembly is characterized in that at least the peripheral fuel elements in a bundle are provided with spacer elements in the form of thin-walled tubes with longitudinal through slots, wherein the elements have a substantially oval cross section in the regions where they are in contact with the jacket. A method for producing a fuel assembly includes transversely compressing a fuel element bundle prior to placement in a jacket, whereby spacer elements of the peripheral fuel elements assume a substantially oval cross section in the regions where they are in contact with the jacket.