Nuclear fuel assembly incorporating primary and secondary structural support members
A nuclear fuel assembly, comprising: (a) an upper end structure; (b) a lower end structure; (c) elongated primary structural members extending longitudinally between and rigidly interconnecting the upper and lower end structures, the upper and lower end structures and primary structural members together forming a rigid structural skeleton of the fuel assembly; (d) transverse grids supported on the primary structural members at axially spaced locations therealong between the upper and lower end structures; (e) fuel rods extending through and supported by the grids between the upper and lower end structures so as to extend in generally side-by-side spaced relation to one another and to the primary structural members; and (f) elongated secondary structural members extending longitudinally between but unconnected with the upper and lower end structures, the secondary structural members extending through and rigidly interconnected with the grids to extend in generally side-by-side spaced relation to one another, to the fuel rods and to the primary structural members so as to bolster the stiffness of the structural skeleton of the fuel assembly.
- Assignee:
- Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4683117
- Application Number:
- TRN: 87-033391
- OSTI ID:
- 6143693
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: Filed date 9 Sep 1985
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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