Bottom grid mounted debris trap for a fuel assembly

Patent · Tue Mar 24 04:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:6594608

Ferrari, H M; Wilson, J F

This patent describes a fuel assembly for a nuclear reactor including nuclear fuel rods, each fuel rod in the fuel assembly having a cladding tube and a lower end plug attached to the tube, at least a bottom grid supporting each and everyone of the fuel rods in an organized array and disposed in spaced relationship above the lower end plugs of the fuel rods. A bottom nozzle is disposed in spaced relationship below the bottom grid and is disposed below the lower end plugs of the fuel rods. A coolant flows upwardly through the bottom nozzle and to the bottom grid. A trap is included for catching debris carried by the flowing coolant to substantially prevent the same from reaching the bottom grid. The debris trap comprises: a fuel rod nonsupport structure disposed completely across the entire expanse of the fuel assembly and axially between the bottom nozzle and the bottom grid and generally aligned with the lower end plugs of the fuel rods. The structure forms hollow cells each being open at opposite ends and defining a central cavity which receives one of the fuel rod lower end plugs in nonsupporting and noncontacting relationship while providing for passage of coolant flow therethrough from the bottom nozzle to the bottom grid. Each of the fuel rod lower end plugs extends into a respective hollow cell of the structure.

• Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA
• Patent Number(s): US 4652425
• OSTI ID: 6594608
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220300 -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Fuel Elements
220502* -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Environmental Aspects-- Radioactive Effluents
ALIGNMENT
CLOSURES
COOLANTS
ELECTRODES
FASTENERS
FISSION PRODUCT RELEASE
FISSION PRODUCTS
FUEL ASSEMBLIES
FUEL CANS
FUEL ELEMENTS
FUEL RODS
GRIDS
ISOTOPES
MATERIALS
MECHANICAL STRUCTURES
NOZZLES
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
SPACE DEPENDENCE
SUPPORTS
TRAPS
TUBES