Patent Number: 042736161
Section: claims

1. In a nuclear fuel rod having a column of vertically aligned, hollow fuel pellets contained within an encapsulating cladding such that a central passage is formed along the length of the column, the improvement comprising: a spacer plug having a solid cross section at least as large as the passage, the plug being interposed between proximate fuel pellets at selected locations along the column, whereby any fuel pellet debris falling through the passage is trapped by the next lower spacer rather than accumulating at the bottom of the column. 2. The improved fuel rod recited in claim 1 wherein the plug has a horizontal thickness substantially equal to that of the fuel pellets. 3. The improved fuel rod recited in claim 1 wherein the spacer plug consists of a block of graphite. 4. The improved fuel rod recited in claim 1 wherein the spacer plug consists of a solid block of nuclear fuel material. 5. The improved fuel rod recited in claim 3 wherein the plug has a lower effective fissile enrichment than the fuel pellets.