Optimized critical power in a fuel bundle with part length rods

Patent · Tue Jul 20 00:00:00 EDT 1993

OSTI ID:6283773

Johansson, E B; Matzner, B; Dix, G E; Wolters, Jr, R A; Reese, A P

In a boiling water reactor having discrete bundles of fuel rods confined within channel enclosed fuel assemblies wherein the fuel bundle includes: a plurality of fuel rods for placement within said channel, each fuel rod containing fissile material for producing nuclear reaction; a lower tie plate for supporting the bundle of fuel rods within said 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 coolant in the channel between the fuel rods for generation of steam; 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 an annular flow regime of the water and steam in the bundle is defined during nuclear steam generating reaction; an upper tie plate for supporting the upper end of the bundle of fuel rods, the upper tie plate joining the top of the channel, the upper tie plate providing apertures for the outflow of water and generated steam in the channel; spacers intermediate the upper and lower tie plates at preselected elevations along the fuel rods for maintaining the fuel rods in spaced apart location along the length of the fuel assembly including a first group of spacers in thelower region of the fuel bundle and a second group of spacers in the upper annular flow regime of the fuel bundle; a plurality of the fuel rods being part length extending from thelower tie plate towards the upper tie plate, the partial length fuel rods terminating at ends within the upper region of the fuel bundle before reaching the upper tie plate and causing deceased pressure drop in said annular flow regime of said fuel bundle during said nuclear steam generating reaction; the improvement to said bundle comprising: means in the annular flow regime of the fuel bundle for restoring at least some of the decreased pressure drop.

• Assignee: General Electric Co., San Jose, CA (United States)
• Patent Number(s): US 5229068; A
• Application Number: PPN: US 7-914389; TRN: 93-016051
• OSTI ID: 6283773
• Resource Relation: Patent File Date: 15 Jul 1992
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
BWR TYPE REACTORS
FUEL ELEMENT CLUSTERS
DESIGN
COOLANTS
FISSILE MATERIALS
FLUID FLOW
FUEL CHANNELS
FUEL RODS
MODERATORS
NUCLEAR POWER
OPTIMIZATION
PERFORMANCE
POSITIONING
PRESSURE DROP
SPACERS
STEAM GENERATION
SUPPORTS
ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS
FISSIONABLE MATERIALS
FUEL ASSEMBLIES
FUEL ELEMENTS
MATERIALS
MECHANICAL STRUCTURES
POWER
POWER REACTORS
REACTOR CHANNELS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTORS
THERMAL REACTORS
WATER COOLED REACTORS
WATER MODERATED REACTORS
210100* - Power Reactors
Nonbreeding
Light-Water Moderated
Boiling Water Cooled