Importance

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Abstract

A spacer with a spring construction for the fuel bundle having matrix of parallel side by side fuel rods supported within a fuel channel between a supporting lower tie plate and holding upper tie plate is illustrated. The spacers each have a corresponding matrix of individual ferrules each surrounding the discrete fuel rods to be spaced within the matrix of fuel rods at any given elevation within the fuel bundle. Each of the individual ferrules surrounding the individual fuel rods are provided with stops against which the fuel rods are biased to ensure the required side-by-side spacing. Each ferrules must have at least one spring for forcing the fuel rods against the stops of its spacer ferrules to enable the spacer to assure required side-by-side alignment of the fuel rod. The springs are provided with a continuously looping main body having protruding tabs on opposite sides of the springs. The paired ferrules are confronted at their main body and provide a defined space between the confronted apertures on either side of the apertures for permitting protrusion of spring tabs for holding the spring within the confronted apertures. The springs are placed between the two ferrules so as to be trapped by and confined within the respective confronted apertures of the interstitial space between the confronted ferrules. The springs as trapped within the apertures at their main body and confined within the apertures by the tabs become self centering to the ferrule pair. The relative movement between the legs of the spring is permitted enabling the design of the dense fuel rod arrays requiring greater relative spring movement for fuel assembly.

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First Claim