Patent ID: 7711079

Claim:
A fuel rod, comprising: a hollow cylindrical rod having an upper end having a water outlet and a lower end having a water inlet; an upper end plug connected to said upper end and defining an upper outlet channel disposed in fluid communication with said water outlet; a lower end plug connected to said lower end and defining a main inlet channel disposed in fluid communication with said water inlet; and a debris filter disposed in said main inlet channel, said debris filter comprises a plurality of intersecting pins extending across said main inlet channel, said plurality of intersecting pins are fitted within a plurality of radially disposed through-holes formed in said lower end plug, said upper end plug is provided with an upper inclined face on an exterior surface thereof, said upper end plug includes an upper handling groove circumferentially formed in an interior surface thereof to receive a fuel rod handling tool, said interior surface of the upper end plug defines the upper outlet channel, said lower end plug comprises an upper cylindrical portion above said debris filter and a lower cylindrical portion below said debris filter, said upper cylindrical portion includes a plurality of inner channel auxiliary inlets inclined at an upward angle with respect to a plane of the debris filter, wherein said plurality of inner channel auxiliary inlets form a cooling water fluid by-pass around said debris filter in the event the debris filter becomes blocked by debris.