US 4,557,892 AGranted

Nuclear fuel element

AssigneeHitachi, Ltd.

InventorSei-ichi Komoda

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Abstract

A nuclear fuel element suitable for use in fast breeder. The fuel element has a clad tube and a wire spacer wound round the clad tube. The clad tube of the fuel element is composed of a first clad tube and a second clad tube which are connected to each other through an intermediate plug. The first clad tube extends upwardly from the intermediate plug. The upper end of the first clad tube is closed by an upper end plug, while the lower end of the second clad tube is closed by a lower end plug. The first clad tube is charged with a multiplicity of fuel pellets, while the second clad tube defines a gas plenum therein. The spaces inside the first and second clad tubes are communicated with each other through vent holes formed in the intermediate plug. The wire spacer is wound round the first clad tube and is fixed at its one end to the end plug attached to the first clad tube and at its other end to the intermediate plug.

Claims7

Dependent claims

A nuclear fuel assembly having a tubular body accommodating a multiplicity of nuclear fuel elements, each nuclear fuel element comprising a clad tube including a first clad tube portion and a second clad tube portion, an intermediate plug to which an end of each of said first and second clad tube portions is attached, said intermediate plug having passage means therethrough for enabling fluid communication between said first and second clad tube portions, end plugs respectively attached to the other ends of said first and second clad tube portions, a plurality of fuel pellets being charged in said first clad tube portion, a gas plenum formed in said second clad tube portion, and a wire spacer wound round only said first clad tube portion charged with said fuel pellets, said wire spacer having opposite ends thereof respectively fixed to said intermediate plug and said end plug attached to the other end of said first clad tube portion, said second clad tube portion having an inside diameter greater than the inside diameter of said first clad tube portion.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.