Patent ID: 8031826
Filing Date: 2011-10-04
Classification: G21C,Y02E

Abstract:
1. A gray rod assembly for a gray rod control assembly of a nuclear reactor, said nuclear reactor including a number of fuel assemblies each having a plurality of elongated nuclear fuel rods supported in an organized array by a number of substantially transverse support grids, and a plurality of guide thimbles disposed through said support grids and along said fuel rods, said gray rod control assembly including a spider assembly having a plurality of radially extending flukes and being structured to move each gray rod assembly within one of said guide thimbles in order to control a rate of power produced by said nuclear reactor, said gray rod assembly comprising: an elongated tubular member having a first end, a second end, an inner diameter, and a length; a first end plug coupled to the first end of said elongated tubular member, and being structured to facilitate insertion of said elongated tubular member into one of said guide thimbles of said fuel assembly; a second end plug coupled to the second end of said elongated tubular member, and being structured to be coupled to one of said radially extending flukes of said spider assembly of said gray rod control assembly; and a neutron absorber comprised of a matrix of refractory metal selected from the group consisting of molybdenum, tungsten, niobium and mixtures thereof, fabricated to be porous into which silver is infused, wherein said neutron absorber is distributed among a plurality of said gray rod assemblies.