Improvements in or relating to nuclear reactor fuel elements
Reference is made to fuel element assemblies consisting of a number of fuel pins supported in a bundle, with their longitudinal axes parallel. Such a fuel element employs one or more spacer grids serving to retain correct lateral location of the fuel pins in the assembly. These grids must be manufactured with a high degree of precision so as to ensure accurate geometrical spacing of the fuel pins, and thus are expensive to fabricate. Slight inaccuracies in manufacture may also give rise to lateral vibration of the fuel pins, resulting in fretting''. The object of the arrange, ment described is to provide a simple form of spacer grid that does not require a high degree of accuracy in manufacture and that will render some of the disadvantages of previous forms of spacer grids less significant. A rigid grid structure of intersecting cross members is employed, defining cells each of which is penetrated by a fuel pin, with resilient strips slotted through the grid stracture, parallel to the cross members; these strips provide transverse support for the fuel pins in the cells of the grid structure. Stop means are provided, projecting from the cross members inside the cells and underlying the strip members. (UK)
- Research Organization:
- Originating Research Org. not identified
- NSA Number:
- NSA-29-023650
- OSTI ID:
- 4340079
- Report Number(s):
- GB 1338462
- Country of Publication:
- United Kingdom
- Language:
- English
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