Method for preventing and repairing vibrational damage to nuclear fuel rods
This patent describes, in a fuel rod assembly including a spaced apart grid spacers for holding fuel rods of the assembly in a predetermined position within the assembly, a tie plate located at the top of the assembly and rigidly secured to the ends of the fuel rods, a method for repairing a fuel rod assembly having a damaged peripherally located fuel rod, by replacing the damaged fuel rod with an inert rod. It comprises: removing from the uppermost one of the grid spacers a sufficient portion of the grid spacer to free the damaged fuel rod; pulling the freed upper portion of the damaged fuel rod through the removed portion of the grid spacer, away from the fuel rod assembly; pulling the damaged fuel rod upward to slide it out of the other ones of the grid spacers and ultimately out of the fuel rod assembly; sliding the inert rod into the space and grid spacer location formerly occupied by the damaged fuel rod; pushing the upper end of the inert rod through the removed portion of the uppermost one of the grid spacers; and securing the inert rod to selected ones of the fuel rods.
- Assignee:
- Advanced Nuclear Fuels, Corp., Richland, WA (USA)
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4942015; A
- Application Number:
- PPN: US s 7-403991; TRN: 90-033961
- OSTI ID:
- 6772133
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: 5 Sep 1989
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Apparatus and method for preventing the rotation of rods used in nuclear fuel assemblies
Optimized critical power in a fuel bundle with part length rods