Patent Number: 053612884
Section: abstract

An all Zircaloy spacer having integral springs and single metallic layer spacer thickness between fuel rods is disclosed. Each spacer cell includes upper and lower octagonal crowns. These octagonal crowns have a full panel height adjoining the defined sub-channel volume between fuel rods and half panel heights adjoining adjacent cells. The crowns at opposite ends of each octagonal spacer cell are designed to interleave to form a single wall thickness of the spacer material. Accordingly, half wall heights at one crown are defined toward the spacer cell while half wall heights at the other crown end are defined away from the spacer cell. By inverting and adjoining the respective spacer cells at their respective crowns, the crowns form upper and lower crown matrices holding adjoining cells of the spacer together. From two adjacent sides of the four sub-channel adjacent full height sides, cell legs extend between the crowns with upper and lower stops immediately adjacent the crowns. From the remaining two adjacent sides of the four sub-channel adjacent full height sides, cell legs extend between the crowns defining the required cell springs with spring contact points centrally of the legs with respect to the crowns. The leg length is set to give the required stiffness for the springs. A spacer is disclosed constructed from a matrix of such cells preferably including inner and outer bands for adjoining any central water rod and surrounding channel.