Patent Number: 050531913
Section: claims

1. A hold-down spring for a nuclear fuel assembly, comprising: an elongated metal bar having a substantially straight long leg portion with one end adapted to be mounted to a fuel assembly, an arcuate transition portion at the other end of the long leg, a straight short leg portion extending from the transition portion at an acute included angle with the long leg portion, and load transfer means projecting from the straight leg intermediate the transition portion and the long leg first end. 2. In a nuclear fuel assembly having an upper end fitting and at least one spring pack projecting above the upper end fitting for interaction with a core upper support plate bearing on the assembly through said spring packs, the improvement wherein said spring pack comprises: a primary spring member including a long straight leg portion having one end attached to the frame of the upper end fitting an arcuate transition portion at the other end of the long leg, and a straight short leg portion extending from the transition portion at an acute included angle with the long leg, the primary spring member being oriented on the end fitting so that the transition portion is at the vertical highest elevation, whereby movement of the end fitting and upper core plate relatively toward each other primarily loads the transition portion and deflects the long leg portion about the attachment to the end fitting frame;  at least one secondary spring having first and second end, the first end attached to the upper end fitting adjacent the first end of the primary spring long leg, and a second end terminating adjacent the transition portion, and means at the second end of the secondary spring for interacting with the transition portion to resist downward movement of the transition portion as the primary spring member deflects in a cantilever fashion;  load transfer means formed on the long leg portion intermediate the transition portion and the long leg first end, said transfer means having an elevation vertically lower than that of the primary loading point and vertically higher than the upper end fitting frame;  whereby at a known deflection of the primary spring member resulting from the movement of the core plate and end fitting toward each other, the core plate contacts the load transfer means and thereby reduces the effective length and increases the stiffness of the primary spring. 3. In a nuclear reactor having a core defined by a plurality of side by side, vertically extending, elongated nuclear fuel assemblies each having an upper end fitting, an upper core plate oriented horizontally in closely spaced relation to the upper end fittings, and a plurality of spring packs attached to the upper end fittings and cantilevered toward the core plate so as to resiliently urge the fuel assemblies against the lower core plate, said cantilevered spring having a loading point at a preset distance from the attachment point, wherein the improvement comprises the cantilevered spring having a projection toward the upper core plate which contacts the core plate when the core plate deflects the spring a predetermined amount, thereby effectively shortening and stiffening the spring against further movement of the core plate relatively toward the upper end fitting of the spring a second loading.