Rectangular absorber tube for a control rod in a nuclear reactor
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsKevin L. Ledford, James E. Holden, Richard D. Wittmeier, Justin L. Banks, Mark C. Clark
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A control rod for a nuclear reactor incorporates a plurality of neutron absorber tubes containing neutron absorbing materials. The absorber tubes are substantially rectangular inside and outside, each tube containing at least one axial stack of substantially round neutron absorbing material segments or capsules.
Claims12
In a control rod for a nuclear reactor which incorporates a plurality of neutron absorber tubes in side-by-side relationship containing neutron absorbing materials, the improvement wherein said neutron absorber tubes are substantially rectangular in both exterior and interior cross-section, each tube containing at least one axial stack of substantially round neutron absorbing material segments, and wherein each absorber tube has two parallel relatively thicker walls and two parallel relatively thinner walls, said segments being located substantially along a longitudinal axis of said absorber tube and closer to said relatively thinner walls than to said relatively thicker walls, and wherein said relatively thinner walls of adjacent absorber tubes face each other.
A control rod for a boiling water nuclear reactor comprising a cruciform shaped control rod body including four wings, each of which extends perpendicular to an adjacent wing, and wherein each wing includes a plurality of substantially rectangular neutron absorber tubes welded together in panel form, each tube loaded with a plurality of substantially cylindrical neutron absorber material segments, and wherein each absorber tube has two parallel relatively thicker walls and two parallel relatively thinner walls, said segments being located substantially along a longitudinal axis of said absorber tube and closer to said relatively thinner walls than to said relatively thicker walls, and wherein said relatively thinner walls of adjacent absorber tubes face each other.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.