Burnable poison rod for a nuclear reactor fuel assembly

Patent · Tue Jul 17 04:00:00 EDT 1984

OSTI ID:6149960

Funk, C E; Oneufer, A S

A burnable poison rod for use in a nuclear reactor fuel assembly which includes concentrically disposed rods having an annular space therebetween which extends the full length of the rods. The inner rod is hollow to permit circulation of coolant therethrough. Annular burnable poison pellets are positioned in the annular space which is closed at both ends by plugs. A spring clip is located in the plenum space above the pellet stack in the rods. The spring clip is of cylindrical configuration having a gap in the material which provides two ends adapted to be squeezed toward each other. A cross section of the clip shows that its ends contain alternating flat and round edges, the round edges conforming to the outer rod inner surface to provide a retentive force which is releasably applied to the pellet stack as it grows during operation in a reactor.

• Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
• Patent Number(s): US 4460540
• OSTI ID: 6149960
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220300* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Fuel Elements
ANNULAR SPACE
BURNABLE POISONS
CLOSURES
CONFIGURATION
COOLANTS
DESIGN
FUEL ASSEMBLIES
FUEL PELLETS
MACHINE PARTS
MATERIALS
NEUTRON ABSORBERS
NUCLEAR POISONS
PELLETS
POSITIONING
REACTOR MATERIALS
SPACE
SPRINGS