Bachman & LaPointe, P.C.
Lips-type multi-purposed nuclear fuel assembly spacer grid
A lips-type multi-purposed spacer grid for supporting fuel rods within a nuclear fuel assembly is disclosed. In the spacer grid, the fuel rods are in contact with dimples and water strider-type springs in an equiangular surface contact manner. The spacer grid distributes load, applied to the springs, to the entire structure of its inner strips, thus reducing peak stress at the contact surfaces between the fuel rods and the springs and diminishing vibration of the fuel rods, and thereby reducing possible fretting wear of the fuel rods due to hydraulic vibration of the fuel rods. The spacer grid also enlarges the allowable elastic range of the springs, and allows the springs to soundly support the fuel rods by using residual spring force. The spacer grid has mixing blades capable of minimizing pressure loss and flow interference, so that the fuel rod cooling efficiency of the nuclear fuel assembly is improved.
Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co., Ltd.
G Y G
G21C Y02E G21C
inventional additional inventional
Dae Ho Wang Kee Gyung Jin Kyung Ho Kee Nam Dong Seok Tae Hyun Chang-Hwan Youn Ho Hyung Kyu Heung Seok
Kim In Park Yoon Song Oh Chun Shin Jung Kim Kang