Patent ID: 6049581
Filing Date: 2000-04-11
Classification: G21C,Y02E

Abstract:
A nuclear fuel assembly including a bundle of fuel rods which are held by a framework consisting of spacer grids which are distributed over the length of the bundle and define cells for the fuel rods to pass through, guide-tubes which are situated for some of the fuel rods in the bundle and are longer than the fuel rods, a bottom nozzle fixed to one end of the guide tubes and a top nozzle fixed to the other end of the guide tubes and including a transverse adaptor plate having through-openings for fastening the guide tubes and through-openings for water to pass through, said through-openings for fastening the guide tubes comprising a first plurality of guide tubes through-openings and a second plurality of guide tubes through-openings, said first plurality of guide tubes through-openings being positioned in a peripheral part of said adaptor plate and each through-opening of said second plurality of guide tubes through-openings being positioned in a central part of said adaptor plate situated inwardly with respect to said first plurality of guide tubes through-openings, wherein each of water through-openings situated in said central part of said adaptor plate has a triangular shape with rounded corners and each of said guide tubes openings of said second plurality of guide tubes through-openings is surrounded by a row of water through-openings of triangular shape with rounded corners, said water openings of triangular shape all being identical.