Patent Number: 046876286
Section: abstract

The inner barrel assembly of a pressurized water reactor includes an array of interleaved first and second matrices of respective first and second pluralities of rod guides of corresponding first and second different types, disposed in parallel axial relationship, the bottom ends of the guides being affixed to the top core plate of a lower barrel assembly. A flexible support structure connects the top ends of the rod guides to a lower calandria plate and particularly includes corresponding first and second pluralities of top support plates respectively connected to the rod guides of the first and second different types and having outer peripheries generally corresponding to the respective first and second types of rod guides and inner openings for permitting axial passage therethrough of corresponding, first and second different types of rod clusters. The respective top support plates of the first and second different types have mating, respective exterior and interior vertices for assemblage of same in an array of interdigitated, respective matrices. A flexible linkage is connected between each top plate of the first type and the respective surrounding and contiguous, interdigitated top plates of the second type, thereby interconnecting all of the top plates of the array in a concatenated arrangement. Stop pins received in aligned bores and extending between the interdigitized top plates limit the extent of load that can be applied to the linkage, and the ultimate extent of possible relative movement therebetween. Central recesses in top plates of the second type receive extensions from the lower calandria plate which establish basic alignment of the concatenated and interleaved matrices of top plates. Leaf springs secured to the calandria bottom plate engage and exert a downward force, at their outer ends, on the surfaces of the top plates of the second type for establishing a frictional force opposing lateral movement of the top plates of the second type and, correspondingly, through the concatenated and interleaved arrangement, the top plates of the first type, thereby opposing lateral movement while permitting restrained axial displacement of the individual rod guides.