| 摘要 |
1,125,982. Fuel elements. COMBUSTION ENG. Inc. 11 Aug., 1966 [21 Sept., 1965], No. 36071/66. Heading G6C. A grid for supporting and spacing a bundle of parallel fuel elements comprises thin, elongated metal strips intersecting and forming a plurality of fuel element compartments having four sides formed by portions of the strips, spring means extending from the strips into each compartment from two adjacent sides, the opposite sides being formed as relatively stiff arches. The strips are formed with slots at regular intervals enabling them to be interlocked in " egg crate " fashion. A perimeter strip surrounds the grid and is welded to the strip ends. The strips are bent at the mid-points between the slots to form an undulating configuration, each bend extending outwardly from one compartment to form an arch in an adjacent compartment. Spring means or tabs are punched, cut or otherwise formed from the strips, or formed separately and affixed by welding, and bent outwardly from the plane of the strip along a line parallel to the coolant flow and to the fuel elements. The spring tabs are bent in the direction opposite to that of the arches so as to extend into the compartments adjacent to those that the arches extend into. The ends of the tabs are bent back to provide bends which engage the fuel elements. The perimeter strip is punched out at locations corresponding to the engagement of the strip with the fuel elements to permit local cooling of the fuel element cladding. One or more tie-rods are welded to each of the grids and also affixed to the header plates of the fuel element bundle, as by nuts. These rods retain the fuel bundle together and maintain the grids in position. |
