Two-phase pressure drop reduction BWR assembly design

Patent · Tue May 12 00:00:00 EDT 1992

OSTI ID:5065182

Dix, G E; Crowther, R L; Colby, M J; Matzner, B; Elkins, R B

This patent describes a boiling water reactor having discrete bundles of fuel rods confined within channel enclosed fuel assemblies, an improvement to a fuel bundle assembly for placement in the reactor. It comprises a fuel channel having vertically extending walls forming a continuous channel around a fuel assembly volume, the channel being open at the bottom end for engagement to a lower tie plate and open at the upper end for engagement to an upper tie plate; rods for placement within the chamber, each the rod containing fissile material for producing nuclear reaction when in the presence of sufficient moderated neutron flux; a lower tie plate for supporting the bundle of rods within the channel, the lower tie plate for supporting the bundle of rods within the channel, the lower tie plate joining the bottom of the channel to close the bottom end of the channel, the lower tie plate providing defined apertures for the inflow of water in the channel between the rods for the generating of steam during the nuclear reaction; the plurality of fuel rods extending from the lower tie plate wherein a single phase region of the water in the bundle is defined to an upward portion of the bundle wherein a two phase region of the water and steam in the bundle is defined during nuclear steam generating reaction in the fuel bundle.

• Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Co. (United States)
• Patent Number(s): US 5112570; A
• Application Number: PPN: US 7-176975
• OSTI ID: 5065182
• Resource Relation: Patent File Date: 4 Apr 1988
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
42 ENGINEERING
BWR TYPE REACTORS
FUEL ASSEMBLIES
FABRICATION
REACTOR COMPONENTS
TWO-PHASE FLOW
DESIGN
PRESSURE DROP
ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS
FLUID FLOW
POWER REACTORS
REACTORS
THERMAL REACTORS
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS
210100* - Power Reactors
Nonbreeding
Light-Water Moderated
Boiling Water Cooled
050700 - Nuclear Fuels- Fuels Production & Properties
420400 - Engineering- Heat Transfer & Fluid Flow