Patent ID: 11942230
Assignee: WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC COMPANY LLC
Field: Engines, pumps, turbines (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC G  Y | IPC G

Claim 0:
1. A nuclear fuel assembly spacer grid comprising:
a plurality of tubular support cells having four walls and four substantially flat corners, wherein one of the flat corners is positioned between two of the walls, wherein at least a first pair of adjacent flat corners of adjacent support cells form a single integral corner between the adjacent support cells, wherein the single integral corner is a unitary one-piece corner that is shared between the first pair of the adjacent corners of the adjacent support cells, and wherein the unitary one-piece corner is a part of each of the adjacent support cells;
a spring supported from each of the four walls of each of the support cells that extends at least partially into the support cell, with the spring having a contact surface that contacts a fuel rod when the fuel rod is loaded in the support cell; and
a hard material coating on the contact surface that is as hard as or harder than SiC.