Patent ID: 7804931

Claim:
A spacer for holding a number of elongated fuel rods intended to be located in a nuclear plant, wherein said spacer encloses a plurality of sleeves, each forming a cell having a longitudinal axis and arranged to receive a fuel rod in such a way that the fuel rod extends substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis, the sleeves being permanently connected to each other in the spacer, each sleeve forming a single cell arranged to receive a single one of the fuel rods, each sleeve being manufactured of a sheet-shaped material of a nickel-based alloy, the sheet-shaped material having a first end and a second end and comprising a first connection portion in the proximity of the first end and a second connection portion in the proximity of the second end, the sheet-shaped material being formed into a substantially cylindrical shape in such a way that the first end overlaps the second end, wherein the sheet-shaped material extends around the single cell dimensioned for housing the single one of the fuel rods, the sheet-shaped material having a material thickness, which is less than about 0.20 mm, and each sleeve comprising at least one weld joint permanently connecting the first connection portion and the second connection portion to each other.