Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A method to clean or replace a debris shield in a nuclear reactor fuel bundle assembly for a nuclear reactor core, the assembly including a bundle of fuel rods mounted below an upper tie plate and housed in a channel, the method comprising:(a) inserting a debris shield in the upper tie plate;(b) maintaining the shield in the upper tie plate and above the fuel rods, while the fuel assembly is in the operating nuclear reactor core;(c) flowing coolant through the bundle and the debris shield during operation of the nuclear reactor core;(d) capturing or deflecting debris falling down to the fuel assembly with the debris shield;(e) after steps a to d, removing the fuel bundle assembly from the nuclear reactor core, and(f) after step (e) removing the debris shield from the upper tie plate. 2. The method in claim 1 further comprising after step (f) inserting at least one of the debris shield and another debris shield in the upper tie plate and positioning the fuel bundle assembly into the nuclear reactor core. 3. The method in claim 1 wherein debris is captured or deflected while coolant flow is stagnant or reversing. 4. The method in claim 1 wherein after step (e) the fuel bundle assembly is moved to a maintenance or fuel inspection pool and step (f) is performed while the fuel bundle assembly is in the maintenance pool. 5. The method in claim 4 further comprising:after step (f) and while the fuel bundle assembly is in the maintenance or fuel inspection pool inserting at least one of the debris shield or and another debris shield in the upper tie plate, and positioning the fuel bundle assembly into the nuclear reactor core, andafter step (f) moving the fuel bundle assembly from the maintenance or fuel inspection pool to the nuclear reactor core. 6. The method in claim 1 wherein step (f) includes removing the debris shield from a slot in a frame of the upper tie plate. 7. The method in claim 6 wherein the debris shield is removed by being slid horizontally from the slot. 8. The method in claim 1 wherein step (f) further includes removing the upper tie plate while the debris shield remains attached to the fuel rods and thereafter removing the debris shield. 9. The method in claim 1 wherein the upper tie plate includes a rectangular frame and the method further comprises supporting a tie rod in the rectangular frame of the upper tie plate, wherein the frame defines a generally horizontal open area and the debris shield covers the open area. 10. A method to capture and remove debris falling into a nuclear reactor fuel bundle assembly a nuclear reactor core, the assembly including a bundle of fuel rods mounted below an upper tie plate and housed in a channel, the method comprising:inserting a debris shield in the upper tie plate;maintaining the shield in the upper tie plate and above the fuel rods, while the fuel bundle assembly is in an operating nuclear reactor core;flowing coolant through the fuel rods and the debris shield during operation of the nuclear reactor core;capturing debris falling in the fuel assembly on the debris shield;after capturing the debris, removing the fuel bundle assembly with the inserted debris shield from the nuclear reactor core to a maintenance or fuel inspection pool and thereafter removing the debris shield from the upper tie plate, performing at least one of (a) removing the captured debris from the removed debris shield and thereafter reinserting the debris shield into the upper tie plate and (b) inserting another debris shield into the upper tie plate, andafter the reinsertion of the debris shield or the insertion of the another debris shield, moving the fuel bundle assembly from the maintenance or fuel inspection pool to the nuclear reactor core. 11. The method of claim 10 wherein the reinsertion of the debris shield or the insertion of another debris shield includes sliding the debris shield in a horizontal slot in the upper tie plate. 12. The method of claim 10 wherein the reinsertion of the debris shield or the insertion of another debris shield includes lifting the upper tie plate up and off of the debris shield while the debris shield remains attached to the fuel rods, and thereafter removing the debris shield from the fuel rods. 13. The method in claim 10 wherein debris is captured while coolant flow is stagnant or reversing. 14. The method in claim 10 wherein inserting the debris shield includes positioning the debris shield in an opening of the upper tie plate. 15. The method in claim 10 wherein the debris shield includes an aperture and the method further comprises supporting a tie rod in an aperture of the debris shield. 16. The method of claim 10 wherein the insertion of the debris shield includes positioning the debris shield below and adjacent a lower surface of the upper tie plate. 17. A method to seat an upper tie plate in a fuel bundle assembly for a nuclear reactor, wherein the fuel bundle assembly includes fuel rods, at least one water rod, tie rods, and a channel, the method comprising:attaching a debris shield to upper portions of the fuel or water rods, wherein the debris shield includes openings to receive the upper portions and apertures narrower than the openings, and the openings extend through an area of the debris shield having the apertures, andafter attaching the debris shield, seating the upper tie plate over the debris shield and securing the upper tie plate to the tie rods of the fuel bundle assembly. 18. The method of claim 17 wherein the upper tie plate includes a lower cavity and the seating step includes fitting the lower cavity in the upper tie plate over the debris shield. 19. The method of claim 17 further including removing the upper tie plate while the debris shield remains attached to the upper portions of the fuel or water rods. 20. The method of claim 19 further including removing at least one of the fuel rods through one of the openings in the debris shield while the upper tie plate is removed and while the debris shield remains attached to one the upper portions of at least one of the fuel rods. 21. The method of claim 17 wherein the upper portions of the fuel rods include end plugs and the end plugs are attached to the debris shield. 22. A method to remove a fuel rod from a fuel bundle for a nuclear reactor, wherein the fuel bundle includes a bundle of fuel rods and a water rod mounted below the upper tie plate, the method comprising:removing the upper tie plate from the fuel bundle, while the debris shield remains attached to an upper portion of at least one of the fuel rods or of a water rod, andafter removing the upper tie plate, removing the fuel rod by lifting the rod up through the debris shield, while the debris shield remains attached to an upper portion of at least one of the fuel rods or of the water rod. 23. The method of claim 22 wherein the removed fuel rod is not threaded and the fuel rod or water rod attached to the debris shield is threaded. 24. The method of claim 22 wherein the at least one of the fuel rods is configured to receive an expansion spring, and the at least one of the fuel rods is removed with the expansion spring mounted on the removed fuel rod. 25. The method of claim 24 wherein the expansion spring extends up through the debris shield and abuts the upper tie plate before the upper tie plate is removed. 26. The method of claim 22 further comprising moving the fuel bundle from a nuclear reactor core to a maintenance or inspection pool, and removing a metal channel from the fuel bundle. 27. The method of claim 22 further comprising inserting a fuel rod through the debris shield in place of the removed fuel rod, and thereafter seating the upper tie plate on the debris shield.