Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A retention and alignment system for nuclear fuel rods comprising:an upper nozzle plate and a lower nozzle plate;at least one nuclear fuel rod having an upper end and a lower-most end and extending axially along a longitudinal axis between the upper and lower nozzle plates;at least one first precision magnet incorporated onto the lower-most end of the at least one nuclear fuel rod; andat least one second precision magnet incorporated onto the lower nozzle plate in a position confronting the at least one first precision magnet along the longitudinal axis, the first precision magnet having at least one of a magnetic north or south polarity and the second precision magnet having at least one of a magnetic south or north polarity opposite the polarity of the confronting first precision magnet to effect magnetic attraction between the confronting first and second precision magnets. 2. The retention and alignment system recited in claim 1 wherein each of the at least one first and second precision magnets has at least one paired section, each section of the pair having a polarity opposite the polarity of the other section of the pair, wherein the polarity of each section of the pair is selectively switchable to the opposite polarity to selectively switch one of the first or second precision magnets from a locked configuration wherein confronting precision magnet sections attract each other to an unlocked position wherein confronting precision magnet sections repel each other. 3. The retention and alignment system recited in claim 2 wherein each of the at least one first and second precision magnets has at least a second paired section, each second paired section having a polarity opposite the polarity of the other second paired section, and the polarity of the opposing sections is switched by rotating one of the first and second precision magnets to position the second paired section of a section of one of the first and second precision magnets opposite the first paired section of the other of the first and second precision magnets such that opposing sections have the same polarity. 4. The retention and alignment system recited in claim 1 wherein each of the at least one first and second precision magnets has at least one paired section, each section of the pair having a polarity the same as the polarity of the other section of the pair, wherein the polarity of each section of the pair is selectively switchable to the opposite polarity to selectively switch one of the first or second precision magnets from a locked configuration wherein confronting precision magnet sections attract each other to an unlocked position wherein confronting precision magnet sections repel each other. 5. The retention and alignment system recited in claim 4 wherein each of the at least one first and second precision magnets has at least a second paired section, each second paired section having a polarity the same as the polarity of the other second paired section, and the polarity of the opposing sections is switched by rotating one of the first and second precision magnets to position the second paired section of a section of one of the first and second precision magnets opposite the first paired section of the other of the first and second precision magnets such that opposing sections have the opposite polarity. 6. The retention and alignment system recited in claim 1 wherein each of the at least one first and second precision magnets comprises a plurality of paired sections, each section of a pair within the plurality of paired sections having one of the same polarity as the other section of the pair or the opposite polarity of the other section of the pair, wherein the polarity of each section is selectively switchable to the opposite polarity to selectively switch one of the first or second precision magnets from a locked configuration wherein at least a majority of the confronting precision magnet sections attract each other to an unlocked position wherein at least the majority of the confronting precision magnet sections repel each other. 7. The retention and alignment system recited in claim 6 wherein the polarity of each section is selectively switchable to the opposite polarity by rotating at least one of the first and second precision magnets. 8. The retention and alignment system recited in claim 1 wherein the at least one first precision magnet comprises a first precision magnet incorporated onto the lower-most end of the at least one fuel rod, wherein the at least one second precision magnet comprises a second precision magnet incorporated onto the lower nozzle plate, and wherein the first precision magnet and the second precision magnet are configured to axially retain the nuclear fuel rod between the upper and lower nozzles. 9. The retention and alignment system recited in claim 1 further comprising at least one grid parallel to and positioned between the upper and lower nozzle plates, the at least one grid defining a perimeter and having within the perimeter, a set of grid straps extending laterally and longitudinally across the grid to define at least one cell having an interior and an exterior, the at least one cell being configured to receive the at least one fuel rod passing axially through the interior of the cell;at least one third precision magnet incorporated onto one of the grid straps in the interior of the cell;at least one fourth precision magnet incorporated onto a side of the fuel rod passing through the cell in a position confronting the at least one third precision magnet, the third precision magnet having at least one of a magnetic north or south polarity and the fourth precision magnet having at least one of a magnetic north or south polarity the same as the polarity of the confronting third precision magnet to effect magnetic repulsion between the confronting third and fourth precision magnets for maintaining a gap between the fuel rod and the grid strap onto which the confronting third precision magnet is incorporated. 10. The retention and alignment system recited in claim 9 wherein there are a plurality of cells and a plurality of fuel rods, and wherein only one of the fuel rods extends axially through any one of the cells. 11. The retention and alignment system recited in claim 10 wherein each cell through which one of the fuel rods passes has at least two third precision magnets incorporated onto different grid straps of the cell and the fuel rod has at least two fourth precision magnets, each fourth precision magnet positioned on the fuel rod to confront a different one of the at least two third precision magnets incorporated onto the grid straps. 12. The retention and alignment system recited in claim 10 further comprising at least one retention member positioned in each cell to maintain the gap between the fuel rod and at least one of the grid straps of the cell. 13. The retention and alignment system recited in claim 1 wherein the lower nozzle plate comprises a plurality of cupped portions for seating the lower-most end of the at least one nuclear fuel rod, and each cupped section has one of the at least one first precision magnets incorporated therein. 14. The retention and alignment system recited in claim 1 further comprising a path for coolant flow along each of the at least one nuclear fuel rod. 15. A retention and alignment system, comprising:an end plug, comprising:a boss section configured to operably couple to a fuel rod; anda lower-most end surface comprising a first magnet pair, the first magnet pair comprising:a first magnet comprising a first polarity; anda second magnet comprising a second polarity, wherein the second polarity is opposite the first polarity; anda nozzle plate comprising a surface, wherein the lower-most end surface is configured to be seated upon the surface of the nozzle plate, the surface comprising a second magnet pair configured to confront the first magnet pair, the second magnet pair comprising:a third magnet comprising the second polarity; anda fourth magnet comprising the first polarity. 16. The retention and alignment system of claim 15, wherein the nozzle plate and end plug are configurable between an unlocked configuration and a locked configuration. 17. The retention and alignment system of claim 16, wherein the end plug is rotatable relative to the nozzle plate to transition the end plug and the nozzle plate between the unlocked configuration and the locked configuration. 18. The retention and alignment system of claim 16, wherein the nozzle plate and end plug are configurable in the unlocked configuration based on:the first magnet confronting the fourth magnet; andthe second magnet confronting the third magnet. 19. The retention and alignment system of claim 16, wherein the nozzle plate and end plug are configurable in the locked configuration based on:the first magnet confronting the third magnet; andthe second magnet confronting the fourth magnet. 20. A retention and alignment system, comprising:an end plug, comprising:a boss section configured to operably couple to a fuel rod; anda lower-most end surface configured to be seated on a surface of a nozzle plate, wherein the lower-most end surface comprises:a first pair of magnets comprising a first polarity; anda second pair of magnets comprising a second polarity;wherein the nozzle plate comprises a third pair of magnets comprising the second polarity and a fourth pair of magnets comprising the first polarity;wherein the first pair of magnets is configured to magnetically couple to the third pair of magnets; andwherein the second pair of magnets is configured to magnetically couple to the fourth pair of magnets. 21. The retention and alignment system of claim 20, wherein the lower-most end surface of the plug comprises a first flat surface, and wherein the surface of the nozzle plate comprises a second flat surface.