Fuel assembly and associated grid for nuclear reactor
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United States of America Patent
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-
Nov 16, 2004
Grant Date -
Nov 20, 2003
app pub date -
May 15, 2002
filing date -
May 15, 2002
priority date (Note) -
Expired
status (Latency Note)
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Abstract
An improved grid for use in a fuel assembly of a nuclear reactor includes a plurality of straps that are interconnected with one another in a lattice fashion to define a plurality of cells, with the straps being configured to include a plurality of relatively more compliant springs and a plurality of relatively less compliant dimples, whereby each cell includes only one pair of springs and one pair of dimples disposed therein. The springs and dimples are contoured to engage a fuel rod or a thimble tube disposed within the cell. Each spring directly confronts one of the dimples to provide confronting pairs of features that engage the fuel rods or thimble tubes, with each cell including two pairs of confronting features. The ligaments of the springs and dimples extend in a direction generally perpendicular to the direction of coolant flow through the reactor in order to minimize pressure drop.
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