Method and apparatus for preventing and repairing vibrational damage to nuclear fuel rods

In a nuclear reactor comprising a core barrel, a plurality of baffle plates within said core barrel, said baffle plates having joints therebetween, a plurality of stationary fuel assemblies at least partially surrounded by said baffle plates, each of said assemblies comprising multiple parallel rows of elongated, small diameter, fuel rods, some but not all, of said assemblies having rods adjacent and exposed to said joints between baffle plates, and means for introducing cooling water between said core barrel and said baffle plates, which water flows down, around the baffle plates, and up through said assemblies whereby water jetting through said joints may induce vibrations in said rods adjacent said joints;

• the improvement comprising:
• spring clip means disposed between the ends of said fuel rods adjacent said joints, gripping and securing together a plurality of said rods, thereby reducing said vibration, said clip means being removable from said fuel rods in a non-parallel direction to the axes of said fuel rods without requiring even partial disassembly of the latter.