Spacer band with optimized fuel bundle to channel clearance in a boiling water reactor
US5267291A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 21, 1992 |
| Grant date | Nov 30, 1993 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 21, 2012 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02E30/30
- WIPO fieldEngines, pumps, turbines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
In a fuel bundle for a boiling water nuclear reactor, modification of the spacers at the peripheral spacer band is made to maintain a more uniform spacing of the peripheral fuel rods from the channel walls to avoid critical power limitations. The conventional fuel bundle construction include a plurality of side-by-side sealed vertically disposed nuclear fuel rods in a square array supported at a lower tie plate, at least some of the fuel rods fastened to an upper tie plate, and held in designed spaced apart relation as a unitary mass by intermittent vertically placed spacers. A square sectioned channel surrounds the upper tie plate, the lower tie plate, and the fuel rods and spacers therebetween. The square sectioned channel functions to confined fluid flow interior of the fuel bundle between the tie plates and through the fuel rods. At the same time, the channel separates a core bypass region exterior of the channel having high moderator density from the flow path interior of the fuel bundle. The spacers are modified at their peripheral band to prevent the spacer confined group of fuel rods closing on the channel wall due to overall migration of the fuel rods as a group held toget…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.