abstuetzvorrichtung for one from a buendel of thin brennstoffstaeben existing nuclear brennstoffelement

摘要

972,101. Reactors. REACTOR CENTRUM NEDERLAND. Oct. 26, 1962 [Nov. 30, 1961], No. 40651/62. Heading G6C. In a reactor core in which the fuel is in the form of thin rods extending side by side through supporting lattices formed of thin strip material, fuel rods passing through the lattice meshes are spaced therefrom and centralized therein by spacer members. A number of zirconium alloy canned fuel rods 5 (Fig. 1) are placed in an open ended sleeve 1 to form an assembly of fuel elements. Two lattices, one towards each end of the sleeve 1, hold the fuel rods in position. Each lattice is formed of a number of suitable corrugated strips joined together as at 7. Each lattice is held against radial and vertical displacement in the sleeve by lattice supports 3, which comprise an arcuate midportion 9 abutting the lattice extensions, and top and bottom arcuate portions 10 which extend beyond the lattice edges in the direction of the width of the lattice strip. Fig. 5 shows a modification, in which the radial supporting tags 11 are curved outwardly, and the vertical supporting tags are curved outwardly, and the vertical supporting tags 12 are U-shaped. A fuel element is supported radially within each lattice space by a number of inwardly projecting tags 13 sheaved and formed from the lattice strip material. These support or spacer members may be in the form of single tags bent at right angles to the strips, stretchsheared tags connected at both ends to the strip (Fig. 5), pairs of inwardly curled tags (Fig. 6, not shown), or pairs of inclined cross-over tags having inwardly projecting dimples on the ends (Fig. 7, not shown). The last two embodiments have the advantage that they have a spring-like gripping action on the fuel rods. The lattice shape may alternatively be square, rectangular, diamond or triangular in shape; in the last case, alternate straight and corrugated strips are used. The strips may be joined by rivetting, stapling, soldering or spot welding, and the strip material may be stainless steeL