Patent ID: 8317035

Claim:
A fuel assembly for a nuclear reactor, comprising: at least one fuel rod; and a lower tie casting configured to receive the at least one fuel rod, the lower tie casting including, a coolant inlet configured to permit a fluid coolant to flow into and through the assembly, and a first filter having a plurality of adjacent plates, each of the plurality of plates having a plurality of alternating peaks and valleys, the peaks of a first plate of the plurality of adjacent plates and the valleys of a second adjacent plate of the plurality of adjacent plates being aligned in parallel such that each peak of the first plate and associated valley of the second plate define a closed channel, said channels being at an angle to a flow path of the coolant inlet, the first filter being shaped and positioned in the lower tie casting such that the coolant from the flow path enters the channels of the first filter, flows at the angle of the channels of the first filter, does not flow between the channels of the first filter, and flows through the at least one fuel rod after exiting the first filter.