Boiling water reactor fuel element with improved spacer design

摘要

A spacer (7) for a nuclear reactor fuel element, esp. for a boiling water reactor. The spacer consists of a large number of cells (9) for the adjacent alignment and support of parallel elongated vertical fuel rods and control rod guide tubes. The spacers (7) are arranged at vertical intervals along the fuel element. The cells have four fixed supports on their inner-sides for the all round positioning of the fuel elements. The supports have pressed out extensions (10) in the wall surface directed radially inwards towards the cell centre. The extensions (10) are elastically deformable outwards into coolant flow channels (9a). The cells are made from zircalloy.