US 5,675,621 AGranted

Reduced height flat spring spacer for nuclear fuel rods

AssigneeGeneral Electric Company

InventorsEdward A. Croteau, Thomas G. Evans, Robert B. Elkins

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Abstract

A spacer for a nuclear fuel bundle comprises a plurality of discrete, generally cylindrical ferrules, with each ferrule having a pair of circumferentially spaced fuel rod contacting portions along one side of the ferrule and three superposed openings in the ferrule along an opposite side thereof. A leaf spring having opposite end projecting portions and a central projecting portion is disposed between adjacent ferrules with the end projecting portions and the central portion disposed within the openings of the ferrule. The central portion includes a boss projecting inwardly for engagement against the fuel rod in one ferrule and the end projections contain bosses projecting inwardly and spaced from the fuel rod of the one ferrule. The end projections bear against an adjacent ferrule. The spring is captured between the two ferrules and contacts the ferrules at a plurality of laterally and vertically spaced contact points so that the spring is stabilized against flow-induced vibration.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A sub-assembly for a spacer useful in a nuclear fuel bundle for maintaining a matrix of a plurality of nuclear fuel rods passing through the spacer in spaced-apart relation, comprising:

first and second ferrules lying adjacent one another for receiving respective nuclear fuel rods, each ferrule having fuel rod contacting points along one side of the ferrule for abutting a fuel rod within the ferrule and discrete closed end openings and a discrete closed opening intermediate said end openings along a side of the ferrule opposite said one side;
a spring including a spring body lying in a plane and having opposite end portions projecting to one side of said plane, a central portion intermediate said end portions projecting to the opposite side of said plane and discrete closed openings through said spring body and on opposite sides of said central portion between said central portion and said end portions;
said spring being disposed between said adjacent ferrules with said central portion projecting through said intermediate opening of said first ferrule for bearing against the fuel rod within said first ferrule and maintaining the fuel rod against the fuel rod contacting points of said first ferrule, said end portions lying in registry with said end openings of said first ferrule and bearing directly against an outside surface of said second ferrule between a pair of said fuel rod contacting points of said second ferrule.

A spacer for maintaining a matrix of nuclear fuel rods in spaced-apart relation between upper and lower tie plates, said spacer assembly comprising:

a matrix of adjacent ferrules for receiving the fuel rods in said spacer;
each ferrule having a pair of fuel rod contacting points along one side thereof for abutting a fuel rod within the ferrule and having discrete closed end openings and a discrete closed opening intermediate said end openings along a side of the ferrule opposite said one side;
a plurality of springs, each spring including a spring body lying in a plane and having opposite end portions projecting to one side of said plane, a central portion intermediate said end portions projecting to the opposite side of said plane and discrete closed openings through said spring body and on opposite sides of said central portion and between said central portion and said end portions;
each said spring being disposed between an adjacent pair of said ferrules with said central portion of said spring in said intermediate opening of one ferrule of said adjacent pair of ferrules and said end portions of said spring lying in registry with said end openings of said one ferrule for!and bearing directly against an outside surface of another ferrule of said adjacent pair thereof, each said adjacent pair of ferrules having an axial dimension greater than a dimension between said end portions of said springs therebetween.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.