Patent · US Expired

Fuel assembly for a boiling water nuclear reactor

US5323434A · kind A · utility

3Cited by
1References
5Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 18, 1993
Grant dateJun 21, 1994
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 18, 2013

Classification

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

Abstract

A fuel assembly for a boiling water nuclear reactor contains a plurality of vertical fuel rods, which are arranged between a bottom-tie plate and a top-tie plate (12) in a surrounding vertical casing part. The fuel rods extend through a number of spacers which are arranged in a spaced relationship in the vertical direction and which together with the bottom-tie plate and the top-tie plate retain the fuel rods in a spaced relationship in the lateral direction. The fuel assembly is designed for conducting water in through the bottom-tie plate, through the space between the fuel rods in the vertical casing part, and out through the top-tie plate. To counteract unfavourable temperatures caused by dryout, each fuel rod, in at least a majority of the fuel rods, is adapted to give off a considerably lower power in those parts of the fuel rod which are located immediately below the spacers in at least the uppermost one-third of the active length of the fuel rod than in the remaining parts of the active length of the fuel rod.

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