Improvements in and relating to stabilising devices for bodies located in a channel or bore

摘要

957,352. Fuel elements. NUCLEAR POWER PLANT CO. Ltd., and A.E.I.-JOHN THOMPSON NUCLEAR ENERGY CO., [trading as NUCLEAR POWER GROUP]. Dec. 14,1962 [Nov. 23,1961], No. 41972/61. Heading G6C. A stabilizing device for a body located in a channel subjected to fluid flow comprises a wedge shaped flow deflector attached to the body to produce thereon a force which urges the body into contact with the channel wall with sufficient pressure to overcome any tendency of disturbing forces to cause flutter of the body. The body illustrated in Fig. 1 is a nuclear fuel element can and comprises a finned tube 1 on which are mounted four baffles 3, which extend radially to a diameter slightly less than that of the moderator channel in which the fuel element is situated. A wedge section deflector 4 of low neutron absorbtion material such as a magnesium alloy is attached to two of the baffles by bolting, welding or any other form of bonding. Deflection of fluid flow in the channel produces a reaction on the deflector, which urges the fuel element into contact with the channel wall, thus preventing flutter. It is a feature of the invention that increased fluid flow giving rise to larger flutter forces also gives rise to a correspondingly larger stabilizing force.