Patent ID: 6600799
Filing Date: 2003-07-29
Classification: G21C,Y02E

Abstract:
A fuel element, comprising:a fuel element body having a fuel element axis, a polygonal internal cross section perpendicular to said fuel-element axis, a first region, and a second region; and fuel rods having outer surfaces disposed substantially parallel to said fuel-element axis and substantially perpendicular to said polygonal internal cross section in said fuel element body, in said first region a ratio of a free area of said polygonal internal cross section to an area through which said fuel rods pass in said first region is smaller than in said second region, said first region forming a first corner of said polygonal internal cross section and said second region forming second corners of said polygonal internal cross section, and a distance between said outer surfaces of each two adjacent fuel rods increasing monotonically in any one direction along said polygonal internal cross section starting from said first corner of said fuel element body.