Patent ID: 7804930

Claim:
A PWR nuclear fuel assembly comprising: nuclear fuel rods disposed in a substantially regular array, the array having a peripheral layer of fuel rods constituting a closed loop and an adjacent layer of fuel rods, the adjacent layer constituting a closed loop of fuel rods adjacent to and surrounded by the peripheral layer; a supporting skeleton having two nozzles; guide tubes for receiving control rods, said guide tubes interconnecting the nozzles; and spacer grids for holding the fuel rods, wherein the grids are secured to the guide tubes, the assembly further comprising: at least one lattice reinforcing device for reinforcing the support skeleton, the lattice reinforcing device comprising two sets of crossed plates that are secured to one another, the crossed plates defining between them cells for receiving guide tubes and cells for receiving nuclear fuel rods, the lattice reinforcing device having an upper end and a lower end disposed between two adjacent spacer grids, wherein the lattice reinforcing device is directly secured to the guide tubes, wherein the lattice reinforcing device does not extend between the fuel rods of the peripheral layer and between the fuel rods of the adjacent layer.