Patent ES-339596-A1 (ES)
Title: Fuel assembly for nuclear reactors
Inventor: ANDREWS HARRY N
IPC: G21C3/322
Filed: 1967-04-21
Abstract: A fuel assembly comprises a plurality of fuel rods 22 disposed in a parallel spaced array and forming a plurality of longitudinal coolant flow channels 86, spaced grid structures 18, 20 spaced along the fuel rods 22 and having aligned openings through which the fuel rods extend, and coolant deflecting means mounted on at least some of the grid structures for laterally deflecting at least a portion of a longitudinal coolant flow between at least adjacent flow channels 86, each of the deflecting means including a generally planar portion extending in a lateral direction across an adjacent flow channel 86. The fuel rods and grid structures are supported by means comprising upper and lower end structures 12, 14 between which extend elongated tubular support means or "thimbles" 16. The upper end structure 12 includes an end plate 26 formed from cross-laced bars 28 which form openings 30, an annular flange 32, and two diagonally disposed pairs of corner blocks 39, 48. Each block 48 has an opening 50 which receives a dowel pin (not shown) extending downwardly from an upper reactor core plate (not shown) to provide lateral support for the fuel assembly. The upper core plate is spaced from the upper surfaces of the corner blocks 39, 48 to allow for longitudinal expansion of the fuel assembly. The upper core plate deflects leaf springs 38 mounted on the flange 32 so as to preload the fuel assembly sufficiently to prevent it being moved upwardly by the coolant. The lower end structure 14 is provided with four corner supports 54, two diagonally disposed supports 541 of which have openings 56 which receive dowel pins (not shown) extending upwardly from the lower core plate (not shown). A control assembly 36 comprises a drive shaft 100 to which is secured a multifingered spider 102. Neutron absorbing rods 104 are secured at their upper ends to the spider 102. Each rod 104 moves vertically in its own associated thimble 16 forming part of the fuel assembly. The thimbles 16 have lateral openings 106 at their lower ends which allow coolant to enter the thimbles and flow upwardly between each thimble 16 and its associated rod 104 for cooling purposes, and also for shock absorbing purposes during rapid emergency insertion of the control assembly. The rods 104 may be made of Ag-In-Cd alloy hermetically sealed in stainless steel tubes. In the embodiment described, the two lowermost grids 18 and the uppermost grid 18 differ from the remaining grids 20 in that they that have upper and lower mixing vanes 78a, 80 extending only from their periphery. Each grid 20 is comprised of a plurality of straps 62 interfitted to form an "egg crate" structure. A six-point lateral support is provided for each fuel rod 22 at each grid opening through which the fuel rod passes, the rod being supported on two adjacent sides by two longitudinally spaced rigid projections 68 and on the opposite sides by a spring finger 70. Each strap 62 has a plurality of upper and lower cantilevered mixing vanes 78a, 78b, respectively. Each vane extends longitudinally outwards at an intersection of two straps 62 and is deflected, preferably at angle of 28 degrees to 30 degrees, from the vertical plane of its associated strap 62. All the vanes on the peripheral straps are bent towards the centre of the grid. The mixing vanes 78a, 78b which are at right angles to one another serve to force a lateral flow of coolant between adjacent fuel rods 22 and between the fuel rods 22 of adjacent assemblies, thereby inducing coolant flow mixing between adjacent flow channels 56.