Top nozzle alignment sleeve capture arrangement in a reconstitutable fuel assembly

Patent · Tue Aug 04 04:00:00 EDT 1987

OSTI ID:5983701

Wilson, J F; Gjertsen, R K

This patent describes a reconstitutable fuel assembly having at least one control rod guide thimble and a top nozzle, the guide thimble includes an upper end portion. The top nozzle includes an upper hold-down plate having at least one passageway, at least one tubular alignment sleeve slidably extending through the passageway and attachable to and detachable from the guide thimble upper end portion and means supported on the guide thimble upper end portion which, in turn, yieldably mounts the upper hold-down plate for relative movement along the alignment sleeve, an alignment sleeve capture arrangement comprising: (a) means defining a cavity through the upper hold-down plate and in communication with the passageway; the cavity surrounding an upper portion of the alignment sleeve which extends axially through the cavity and the passageway; (b) upper means on the upper hold-down plate surrounding the alignment sleeve upper portion and defining an upper limit of the cavity; (c) lower means on the upper hold-down plate surrounding the alignment sleeve upper portion, spaced below the upper limit defining means, and defining a lower limit of the cavity, one of the upper and lower cavity limit defining means being releasably attached to the upper hold-down plate for facilitating assembly and dissembling of the top nozzle, and (d) enlarged means attached on the alignment sleeve upper portion and having an outside diameter greater than respective inside diameters of the upper and lower cavity limit defining means but less than the inside diameter of the cavity such that the enlarged means can slide within the cavity with the alignment sleeve between upper and lower limits. The upper hold-down plate moves along the alignment sleeve and will retain the alignment sleeve slidably attached to the hold-down plate and when the sleeve is detached from the guide thimble upper end portion.

• Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA
• Patent Number(s): US 4684502
• OSTI ID: 5983701
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220300* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Fuel Elements
ALIGNMENT
CONTROL ELEMENTS
FUEL ASSEMBLIES
NOZZLES
PLATES
POWER REACTORS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTORS
SLEEVES