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Title: Double lock joint for attaching top nozzle to guide thimbles of nuclear fuel assembly

Abstract

In a reconstitutable fuel assembly including at least one guide thimble with an upper end portion having a central axis and a top nozzle with an adapter plate having top and bottom spaced apart surfaces and at least one passageway extending between the surfaces, a double lock joint structure is described for attaching the top nozzle adapter plate in releasable locking engagement upon the guide thimble upper end portion, comprising: (a) means defined in the upper end portion of the guide thimble to permit inward elastic collapse; (b) upper means formed in the upper end portion of the guide thimble so as to provide the upper end portion at the location of the upper means with a diametric size greater than that of the adapter plate passageway; (c) lower means formed in the upper end portion of the guide thimble so as to provide the upper end portion at the location of the lower means with a diametric size greater than that of the adapter plate passageway when the guide thimble upper end portion is at either one of its expanded and collapsed positions; (d) the upper means being axially displaced from the lower means through a distance approximately equalmore » to that between the top and bottom surfaces of the adapter plate.« less

Inventors:
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
5857424
Patent Number(s):
US 4699759
Assignee:
Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA
Resource Type:
Patent
Resource Relation:
Patent File Date: Filed date 12 Jun 1985
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS; FUEL ASSEMBLIES; FASTENERS; JOINTS; NOZZLES; DIMENSIONS; INSTALLATION; PLATES; SIZING; SLEEVES; 220300* - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Fuel Elements

Citation Formats

Feild, Jr, A L. Double lock joint for attaching top nozzle to guide thimbles of nuclear fuel assembly. United States: N. p., 1987. Web.
Feild, Jr, A L. Double lock joint for attaching top nozzle to guide thimbles of nuclear fuel assembly. United States.
Feild, Jr, A L. 1987. "Double lock joint for attaching top nozzle to guide thimbles of nuclear fuel assembly". United States.
@article{osti_5857424,
title = {Double lock joint for attaching top nozzle to guide thimbles of nuclear fuel assembly},
author = {Feild, Jr, A L},
abstractNote = {In a reconstitutable fuel assembly including at least one guide thimble with an upper end portion having a central axis and a top nozzle with an adapter plate having top and bottom spaced apart surfaces and at least one passageway extending between the surfaces, a double lock joint structure is described for attaching the top nozzle adapter plate in releasable locking engagement upon the guide thimble upper end portion, comprising: (a) means defined in the upper end portion of the guide thimble to permit inward elastic collapse; (b) upper means formed in the upper end portion of the guide thimble so as to provide the upper end portion at the location of the upper means with a diametric size greater than that of the adapter plate passageway; (c) lower means formed in the upper end portion of the guide thimble so as to provide the upper end portion at the location of the lower means with a diametric size greater than that of the adapter plate passageway when the guide thimble upper end portion is at either one of its expanded and collapsed positions; (d) the upper means being axially displaced from the lower means through a distance approximately equal to that between the top and bottom surfaces of the adapter plate.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5857424}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Oct 13 00:00:00 EDT 1987},
month = {Tue Oct 13 00:00:00 EDT 1987}
}