Spacers for holding elongated elements such as fuel rods in a nuclear reactor fuel rod bundle.

摘要

A spacer comprising a cell-formed lattice-work for retaining parallel elongated elements such as fuel rods (5) into a bundle in a nuclear reactor fuel assembly, said spacers being arranged in a suitably spaced relationship to each other along the bundle, and said cells being formed from tubular sleeves (1), each of which offers a passage for one of said elements in order to fix the elements in relation to each other. According to the invention substantially half the number of sleeves (1) in a spacer, distributed substantially evenly over the cross section of the bundle, are located in a first plane (11) across the bundle and joined to each other, thereby forming a lattice of sleeves (1) and gaps (13). The remaining sleeves (1) of the spacer are joined together and located in a second plane (12), separate from said first plane, across the bundle, also forming a lattice of sleeves (1) and gaps (13). The sleeves (1) in the different planes are arranged in such a way that a fuel rod (5) fixed by a sleeve (1) in said first plane traverses a gap (13) arranged in said second plane and vice versa. IMAGE