Dismountable fuel assembly for nuclear reactor

Claim 1

An easily dismountable fuel assembly for a nuclear reactor, said assembly comprising: a bundle of parallel fuel slugs; a plurality of cross pieces extending transversely to said slugs and holding said slugs spaced apart; a plurality of assembly bearing tubes taking the place of some slugs and longer than said slugs; end plates arranged at each end of said bundle of slugs; and means for securing each of said tubes to each of said end plates; said securing means for securing said tubes to at least one of said end plates comprising, in respect of each tube a cylindrical sleeve substantially entirely enclosed in an aperture in said one end plate, said aperture being coaxial with said respective tube and said sleeve extending through said plate and abutting said plate by a shoulder provided on said sleeve, connection means on said sleeve for engagement with corresponding connection means on the respective end of said tube by relative rotation of said sleeve and tube, said sleeve having means for engagement by a tool for rotating said sleeve about its axis in one direction for connecting said sleeve to said tube and clamping said tube to said end plate in an axial direction, and for rotating said sleeve in the opposite direction for disconnecting said sleeve from said tube, said end of said tube comprising an expanded portion having a prismatic outer surface for engagement in a correspondingly shaped first recess in said end plate to prevent relative rotation between said tube and said plate, said sleeve having a deformable portion deformable into a second reces in said end plate for preventing rotation of said sleeve relative to said end plate.