Patent Number: 055132340
Section: description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Firstly, referring to FIG. 1, which is a cross sectional view of the new structural member and pressure tubes exhibiting the following features: interior tube cavity 11 of the Calandria tube 14; new structural member tubes 12 used as beam designed to support loads and stresses with minimal deflection of the Calandria tube 14 and fuel channel pressure tube 18; Calandria tube 14 surrounding the fuel channel pressure tube 18 for support and structural strength; cylindrical air space 15 allowing flexible movement of the fuel channel pressure tube 18 within the Calandria tube 14; support pads 16 to support and cushion the fuel channel pressure tube 18 within the Calandria tube 14; support pad 16A supporting the bottom of the fuel channel pressure tube 18 within the Calandria tube 14; intermediate bracing pad 16B supporting the side walls of the fuel channel pressure tube 18 within the Calandria tube 14; fuel channel pressure tube 18 inside of the Calandria tube 14 holding the nuclear fuel for the reactor; steel plate or web 22 between two fuel channel pressure tubes 18 to give support and flexible strength to the fuel channel pressure tubes 18 surrounding the Calandria tubes 14; strap with bolt 24 attaching the Calandria tubes 14 to the steel plate or web 22. Now, referring to FIG. 2 which is a cross sectional view of the new structural member and pressure tubes along with a side view of the pressure tubes and web exhibiting the following features: interior tube cavity 11 of the Calandria tube 14; new structural member tubes 12 used as beam designed to support loads and stresses with minimal deflection of the Calandria tube 14 and fuel channel pressure tube 18; Calandria tube 14 surrounding the fuel channel pressure tube 18 for support and structural strength; cylindrical air space 15 allowing flexible movement of the fuel channel pressure tube 18 within the Calandria tube 14; fuel channel pressure tube 18 inside of the Calandria tube 14 holding the nuclear fuel for the reactor; steel plate or web 22 between two fuel channel pressure tubes 18 to give support and flexible strength to the fuel channel pressure tubes 18 surrounding the Calandria tubes 14; steel plate or web support pad 22A supporting the upper fuel channel pressure tubes 18 within the new structural member tubes 12 restricting vertical movement of the fuel channel pressure tubes 18 as part of the steel plate or web 22; holes in steel plate or web 22C allows flexibility of the Calandria tubes 14. Now, referring to FIG. 3, which is a cross sectional view of the new structural members inside of the nuclear reactor exhibiting the following features: interior tube cavity 11 of the Calandria tube 14; new structural member tubes 12 used as beam designed to support loads and stresses with minimal deflection of the Calandria tube 14 and fuel channel pressure tube 18; Calandria tube 14 surrounding the fuel channel pressure tube 18 for support and structural strength; cylindrical air space 15 allowing flexible movement of the fuel channel pressure tube 18 within the Calandria tube 14; fuel channel pressure tube 18 inside of the Calandria tube 14 holding the nuclear fuel for the reactor; steel plate or web 22 between two fuel channel pressure tubes 18 to give support and flexible strength to the fuel channel pressure tubes 18 surrounding the Calandria tubes 14; steel plate or web support pad 22A supporting the upper fuel channel pressure tubes 18 within the new structural member tubes 12 restricting vertical movement of the fuel channel pressure tubes 18 as part of the steel plate or web 22. Now, referring to FIG. 4, which is a second cross sectional view of the new structural members inside of the nuclear reactor exhibiting the following features: interior tube cavity 11 of the Calandria tube 14; new structural member tubes 12 used as beam designed to support loads and stresses with minimal deflection of the Calandria tube 14 and fuel channel pressure tube 18; Calandria tube 14 surrounding the fuel channel pressure tube 18 for support and structural strength; cylindrical air space 15 allowing flexible movement of the fuel channel pressure tube 18 within the Calandria tube 14; fuel channel pressure tube 18 inside of the Calandria tube 14 holding the nuclear fuel for the reactor; steel plate or web 22 between two fuel channel pressure tubes 18 to give support and flexible strength to the fuel channel pressure tubes 18 surrounding the Calandria tubes 14; steel plate or web support pad 22A supporting the upper fuel channel pressure tubes 18 within the new structural member tubes 12 restricting vertical movement of the fuel channel pressure tubes 18 as part of the steel plate or web 22. Now, referring to FIG. 5, which is a cross sectional view of the new structural member and pressure tubes showing the side bolts exhibiting the following features: interior tube cavity 11 of the Calandria tube 14; new structural member tubes 12 used as beam designed to support loads and stresses with minimal deflection of the Calandria tube 14 and fuel channel pressure tube 18; Calandria tube 14 surrounding the fuel channel pressure tube 18 for support and structural strength; cylindrical air space 15 allowing flexible movement of the fuel channel pressure tube 18 within the Calandria tube 14; fuel channel pressure tube 18 inside of the Calandria tube 14 holding the nuclear fuel for the reactor; steel plate or web 22 between two fuel channel pressure tubes 18 to give support and flexible strength to the fuel channel pressure tubes 18 surrounding the Calandria tubes 14; steel plate or web support pad 22A supporting the upper fuel channel pressure tubes 18 within the new structural member tubes 12 restricting vertical movement of the fuel channel pressure tubes 18 as part of the steel plate or web 22; steel plate or web bolts 22B attaching the Calandria tubes 14 to the steel plate or web 22. Now, referring to FIG. 6, which is a cross sectional view of the new structural members showing four pressure tube structure exhibiting the following features: fuel channel pressure tube 18 inside of the Calandria tube 14 holding the nuclear fuel for the reactor; four pressure tube structural member 20 holding four fuel channel pressure tubes 18 within the Calandria tubes 14. Now, referring to FIG. 7, which is a cross sectional view of the new structural members with various detail showing four pressure tube structure with support details exhibiting the following features: fuel channel pressure tube 18 inside of the Calandria tube 14 holding the nuclear fuel for the reactor; four pressure tube structural member 20 holding four fuel channel pressure tubes 18 within the Calandria tubes 14. Now, referring to FIG. 7A, which is a detail view of the center wall horizontal support inside of the cross sectional view of the new structural members with four pressure tube structure exhibiting the following features: four pressure tube structural member 20 holding four fuel channel pressure tubes 18 within the Calandria tubes 14; four pressure tube structural member center wall horizontal support 20A supporting the upper fuel channel pressure tube 18 and the lower fuel channel pressure tube 18 within the four pressure tube structural member 20 restricting vertical movement of the fuel channel pressure tubes 18. Now, referring to FIG. 7B, which is a detail view of the center wall vertical support inside of the cross sectional view of the new structural members with four pressure tube structure exhibiting the following features: four pressure tube structural member 20 holding four fuel channel pressure tubes 18 within the Calandria tubes 14; four pressure tube structural member center wall vertical support 20B supporting the left fuel channel pressure tube 18 and the right fuel channel pressure tube 18 within the four pressure tube structural member 20 restricting horizontal movement of the fuel. Now, referring to FIG. 7C, which is a detail view of the center wall corner support inside of the cross sectional view of the new structural members with four pressure tube structure exhibiting the following features: four pressure tube structural member 20 holding four fuel channel pressure tubes 18 within the Calandria tubes 14; four pressure tube structural member corner support 20C supporting the each of the fuel channel pressure tubes 18 within the four pressure tube structural member 20 restricting rotational movement of the fuel channel pressure tubes 18; four pressure tube structural member corner support brace 20D supporting the four pressure tube structural member corner support 20C in order to support the fuel channel pressure tubes 18. Lastly, referring to FIG. 7D, which is a detail view of the center wall bottom support inside of the cross sectional view of the new structural members with four pressure tube structure exhibiting the following features: four pressure tube structural member 20 holding four fuel channel pressure tubes 18 within the Calandria tubes 14; four pressure tube structural member corner support brace 20D supporting the four pressure tube structural member corner support 20C in order to support the fuel channel pressure tubes 18. It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the type described above. While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a structural member for nuclear reactor pressure tubes, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention.