Nuclear fuel bundle spacer spring constant gauge

摘要

To measure the spring constants of double-acting, fuel rod-centering springs assembled with different pairs of ferrules in a nuclear fuel bundle spacer, a gauge is provided to include an alignment rod and a probe carried by a handle for insertions into the ferrules of a ferrule pair. The alignment rod loads the side of the spring acting in its ferrule, while the other spring side exerts its fuel rod-centering force on a load cell carried by the probe. A micrometer acts against the load cell to produce measured deflections of the other spring side. Spring constants are calculated from electrical readouts of spring force and spring deflection from the load cell and micrometer.