Patent ID: 6888911
Filing Date: 2005-05-03
Classification: G21C,Y02E

Abstract:
1. In a fuel element of a nuclear reactor cooled by a coolant flow of light water, a spacer assembly for a plurality of fuel rods, comprising: a spacer formed with mesh openings each for a fuel rod projecting therethrough and defining a given spacer plane; a plurality of holding elements disposed in each of said mesh openings and formed to laterally support said fuel rod and to limit and dampen a relative mobility of the fuel rod with respect to said spacer and for allowing the fuel rod to be set predominantly into tilting oscillations in the spacer plane by the coolant flow; and said holding elements exerting a maximum torque up to M (torque)=10 N·mm on a fuel rod at a tilting angle φ=0.1°, having an axis of rotation running perpendicular to the fuel rod in the spacer plane.