Fuel rod with axial regions of annular and standard fuel pellets
This patent describes a fuel rod for use in a nuclear reactor fuel assembly. It comprises: an elongated hollow cladding tube; a pair of end plugs connected to and sealing the cladding tube at opposite ends of thereof; and an axial stack of fuel pellets contained in and extending between the end plugs at the opposite ends of the tube, all of the fuel pellets contained in the tube being composed of fissile material being enriched above the level of natural enrichment; the fuel pellets in the stack thereof being provided in an arrangement of axial regions. The arrangement of axial regions including a pair of first axial regions defined respectively at the opposite ends of the pellet stack adjacent to the respective end plugs. The pellets in the first axial regions being identical in number and having annular configurations with an annulus of a first void size. The arrangement of axial regions also including another axial region defined between the first axial regions, some of the pellets in the another axial region having solid configurations.
- Assignee:
- Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA (USA)
- Patent Number(s):
- A; US 4994233
- Application Number:
- PPN: US 7-302500
- OSTI ID:
- 5560490
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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