Patent ID: 6934351

Claim:
A nuclear fuel assembly for a boiling water reactor comprising: a plurality of fuel elements; a plurality of cladding elements configured around the plurality of fuel elements, each cladding element having a longitudinal axis, wherein the cladding elements have an upper end cap and a lower end thereby encapsulating the fuel elements, wherein each of the cladding elements is further configured along a common axial direction parallel to the individual longitudinal axes; a plurality of spacer grids positioned between the upper end cap and the lower end of the cladding elements, the plurality of spacer grids configured to receive the plurality of cladding elements and to minimize movement of the plurality of cladding elements; a fuel channel with an upper and a lower end and defining an interior volume, the fuel channel further configured to house the plurality of cladding elements and the plurality of spacer grids in the interior volume; a lower tie plate configured to receive the fuel channel lower end, the lower tie plate configured to support the plurality of cladding elements at the lower end and transfer the weight of the lower tie plate and the plurality of cladding elements to the fuel channel through a tab configuration, the tab configuration configured to be positioned in an engaged configuration to allow load transfer from the lower tie plate to the fuel channel and a disengaged configuration, wherein the lower tie plate tab configuration has a vertically oriented slot to accept the fuel channel lower end and wherein the fuel channel lower end is inserted into the slot such that the lower tie plate tab configuration is external to the fuel channel lower end; an upper end defining a volume and configured with a bail arranged to transfer a weight of the nuclear fuel assembly to a lifting device, the upper end arranged at the upper end of the fuel channel and connected to the upper end of the fuel channel through buttons, the buttons configured to release the fuel channel from the upper end to allow the fuel channel to be removed from the fuel assembly when the tab configuration is in the disengaged configuration, the fuel channel configured to be removed from the fuel assembly without requiring lifting of the plurality of cladding elements; a streamlined spacer configured in the defined volume to retain the plurality of cladding elements and position the upper end caps of the plurality of cladding elements; and a nozzle configured as part of the lower tie plate, configured to receive and distribute a coolant moderator throughout the fuel assembly wherein the tab configuration is a capturing tab configuration and the fuel channel is configured with a plurality of tabs and the lower tie plate is configured with a plurality of slots, the plurality of tabs and plurality of slots matching in an engaged position to form the capturing tab configuration, the plurality of tabs entering the plurality of slots to allow weight transfer through the capturing tab configuration when lifting the nuclear fuel assembly.