Fuel-rod support grid for a nuclear fuel assembly

• Main Author: DEMARIO, EDMUND EMORY
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 20.09.1989
• Subjects: GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; NUCLEAR ENGINEERING; NUCLEAR PHYSICS; NUCLEAR REACTORS; PHYSICS; REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGYGENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINSTCLIMATE CHANGE

The grid is composed of straps interleaved to form a matrix of fuel-rod receiving cells each defined by strap sections which form the walls of the cell and of cells adjacent thereto, and which have resiliently yieldable fuel-rod engaging spring structures formed integral therewith and projecting into the associated fuel-rod receiving cell. Each spring structure (60) comprises an elongate spring element having two outer portions (70, 72) and a middle portion (74) therebetween, the outer portions extending in a direction substantially diagonal, and the middle portion extending in a direction transverse, with respect to the longitudinal axis of the associated fuel-rod receiving cell (46). The diagonal outer portions (70,72) and the transverse middle portion (74), in combination, make possible a weld-free interleaving of the grid straps without objectionable increase in grid-spring stiffness.