Nuclear reactor fuel assembly arrangement

Claim 2

A FUEL ASSEMBLY FOR A NUCLEAR REACTOR INCLUDING AN ARRAY OF GENERALLY PARALLEL ELONGATED FUEL RODS, A PLURALITY OF ELONGATED STRUCTURAL MEMBERS SAID STRUCTURAL MEMBER HAVING AN AXIAL OPENING THERETHROUGH AND BEING MADE OF A METAL HAVING LOW NEUTRON CAPTURE CROSS SECTION, SUPPORT PLATE MEMBERS LOCATED AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID FUEL RODS AND STRUCTURAL MEMBERS FOR PROVIDING SUPPORT THERETO, AT LEAST ONE MEMBER SPACED ALONG THE LENGTH OF SAID STRUCTURAL TUBE MEMBERS, SAID GRID MEMBER COMPRISING COACTING STRAPS DEFINING OPENINGS THROUGH WHICH SAID STRUCTURAL MEMBERS AND SAID FUEL RODS EXTEND, AND RETAINING MEANS POSITIONED WITHIN SAID OPENINGS BETWEEN THE STRUCTURAL MEMBERS AND THE STRAP WALLS OF SAID GRID MEMBER, EACH OF SAID RETAINING MEANS COMPRISING A HOLLOW SLEEVE MEMBER HAVING AN OUTER DIAMETER SLIGHTLY GREATER THAN

Claim 3

The fuel assembly of claim 1, wherein said sleeve member comprises a metal similar to the metal in said structural member and is metallurgically bonded thereto.

Claim 4

The fuel assembly of claim 1, wherein said slotted means for elastically deflecting said sleeve member in a radial direction comprises at least one elongated slot through the surface thereof said slot beginning at one edge and extending axially along a major portion of said sleeve member length.

Claim 5

A fuel assembly for a nuclear reactor including an array of generally parallel elongated fuel rods, a plurality of elongated structural members, said structural members having an axial opening therethrough and being made of a metal having low neutron capture cross section, a plurality of grid members spaced along the length of said structural members, said grid members comprising coacting straps defining openings through which said structural members and said fuel rods extend, and retaining means positioned within said openings through which the structural members extend for attaching said structural members to said grid members, each of said retaining means comprising a flexible tubular sleeve member, a pair of oppositely disposed elongated slots in said sleeve member beginning at one edge and extending axially along the length thereof for permitting elastic deflection for said sleeve member in a radial direction and thereby facilitating its insertion in a grid member opening, oppositely disposed windows at 90* intervals in said sleeve member of a size sufficient to bridge the height of said straps, so that when the sleeve member is radially deflected and inserted in said opening, the window edges snap over said straps thereby locking the sleeve member in said grid member, and means metallurgically bonding said tubular sleeve member to said structural members thereby imparting rigidity to the fuel assembly.

Claim 6

A fuel assembly for a nuclear reactor including an array of generally parallel elongated fuel rods, a plurality of elongated structural members, said structural members having an axial opening therethrough and being made of a metal having low neutron capture cross section, a plurality of grid members spaced along the length of said structural members, said grid members comprising coacting straps defining openings through which said structural members and said fuel rods extend, and retaining means positioned within said openings through which the structural members extend for attaching said structural members to said grid members, each of said retaining means comprising a flexible tubular sleeve member, a pair of oppositely disposed elongated slots in said sleeve member beginning at one edge and extending axially along the length thereof for permitting elastic deflection for said sleeve member in a radial direction and thereby facilitating its insertion in a grid member opening, oppositely disposed windows at 90* intervals in said sleeve member of a size sufficient to bridge the height of said straps, so that when the sleeve member is radially deflected and inserted in said opening, the window edges snap over said straps thereby locking the sleeve member in said grid member, and means metallurgically bonding said tubular sleeve member to said structural members thereby imparting rigidity to the fuel assembly.

Claim 7

A fuel assembly for a nuclear reactor including an array of generally parallel elongated fuel rods, a plurality of elongated structural members, said structural members having an axial opening therethrough and being made of a metal having low neutron capture cross section, at least one grid member spaced along the length of said structural members, said grid member comprising coacting straps defining openings through which said structural members and said fuel rods extend, and retaining means positioned within said openings through which the structural members extend for attaching said structural members to said grid member, and retaining means comprising two tubular sleeve members which are positioned end to end in said openings, each of said sleeve members having a plurality of slots therein, each of said slots extending axially from one edge of said sleeve member, to define edges which serve to interlock with the edges of said straps forming the openings in said grid member, and means metallurgically bonding said tubular sleeve members to said structural members extending therethrough.

Claim 8

A fuel assembly for a nuclear reactor including an array of generally parallel elongated fuel rods, a plurality of elongated structural members, said structural members having an axial opening therethrough and being made of a metal having low neutron capture cross section, at least one grid member spaced along the length of said structural members, said grid member comprising coacting straps defining openings through which said structural members and said fuel rods extend, and retaining means positioned within said openings through which the structural members extend for attaching said structural members to said grid member, and retaining means comprising two tubular sleeve members which are positioned end to end in said openings, each of said sleeve members having a plurality of slots therein, each of said slots extending axially from one edge of said sleeve member, to define edges which serve to interlock with the edges of said straps forming the openings in said grid member, and means metallurgically bonding said tubular sleeve members to said structural members extending therethrough.