Patent · US Expired

Method of manufacturing a grid having calibrated cells for a nuclear fuel assembly

US5211908A · kind A · utility

21Cited by
8References
10Claims
0Family size

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Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJul 24, 1991
Grant dateMay 18, 1993
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 24, 2011

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02E30/30
  • WIPO fieldEngines, pumps, turbines
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

There is provided a method of manufacturing a grid for a nuclear fuel assembly, the grid having at least two crossed sets of mutually parallel plates which define cells, some of which receive guide tubes and others receive fuel rods, the plates being provided with boss means for limiting the amount of movement available to the rods relative to the nodes of a regular array. The plates are formed with bosses projecting radially inwardly into each cell for receiving a fuel rod by such an amount that they define a passage having a size at least equal to a minimum diameter of the fuel rods. Then the bosses are deformed radially outwardly for imparting to each passage a predetermined radial size, slightly higher than that of one fuel rod and determined by a gauge.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.