Nuclear reactor fuel assembly with a removable top nozzle
This patent describes a fuel assembly having at least one control rod guide thimble and a top nozzle, the top nozzle including a transversely extending adapter plate. An improved attaching structure is described for removably mounting the top nozzle on the guide thimble comprising: (a) means defining an outer socket in the top nozzle, the outer socket defining means including a passageway extending through the adapter plate and having a first mating element defined in the adapter plate within the passageway; (b) means on an upper end of the guide thimble defining an inner socket, the inner socket defining means including an elongated sleeve having an upper end portion. The upper end portion of the sleeve has a second mating element formed thereon and at least one elongated axial slot defined therein for permitting radial movement of the sleeve upper end portion between a compressed releasing position for removing and inserting the inner socket from and into the outer socket and an expanded locking position for locking the inner and outer sockets together.
- Assignee:
- Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4631168
- OSTI ID:
- 6907550
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: Filed date 27 Aug 1984
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Method and apparatus for removably mounting a top nozzle on a nuclear reactor fuel assembly
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Related Subjects
FUEL ASSEMBLIES
DESIGN
NOZZLES
OPERATION
COMPRESSION
CONTROL ELEMENTS
ELASTICITY
ELONGATION
EXPANSION
FASTENERS
FASTENING
POSITIONING
SLEEVES
FABRICATION
JOINING
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
REACTOR COMPONENTS
TENSILE PROPERTIES
220300* - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Fuel Elements