Double lock joint for attaching top nozzle to guide thimbles of nuclear fuel assembly
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.
- Assignee:
- Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4699759
- OSTI ID:
- 5857424
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: Filed date 12 Jun 1985
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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