Abstract An irradiation subassembly for use in a nuclear reactor includes a bundle of slender elongated irradiation capsules or fuel elements enclosed by a coolant tube and having a yieldable retaining liner between the irradiation capsules and the coolant tube. For a hexagonal bundle surrounded by a hexagonal tube the yieldable retaining liner may consist either of six segments corresponding to the six sides of the tube or three angular segments each corresponding to two adjacent sides of the tube. The sides of adjacent segments abut and are so cut that metal-tometal contact is retained when the volume enclosed by the retaining liner is varied and springs are provided for urging the segments toward the center of the tube to hold the capsules in a closely packed configuration.
An irradiation subassembly according to claim 1 wherein the bundle of capsules and the coolant tube surrounding the bundle are hexagonal in cross section.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
118 words
An irradiation subassembly according to claim 2 wherein the yieldable retaining liner consists of six identical segments corresponding to the six sides of the hexagonal tube, each segment being in cross section a modified 30*-60* isosceles trapezoid having its two parallel sides parallel to two of the sides of the hexagonal tube, the modification consisting of a projecting portion which is in cross section a 30*-60*-90* triangle having a bearing surface at right angles to the nonparallel sides of the segment added to one nonparallel side and cut away from the other nonparallel side, the bearing surfaces of adjacent segments being in abutting relation and a spring between each segment and the corresponding side of the hexagonal tube.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
95 words
An irradiation subassembly according to claim 2 wherein the yieldable retaining liner consists of three identical angular segments, each segment corresponding to two adjacent sides of the hexagonal tube, each segment having two parallel sides parallel to two of the sides of the hexagonal tube and two other sides parallel to two other sides of the hexagonal tube, a row of buttons along each wall of the hexagonal tube having a smaller portion fitting into openings in the flat portion of the segments and springs between the segments and the larger portion of the buttons.