Areva Np Gmbh

Angelo Beati

Thierry Muller

Guy Gentet

Dominique Hertz

Michel Bonnamour

Jacques Gauthier

Eric Labarriere

Noemie Gomez

Jean-François Rondemerre

Jean-Luc Chambrin

Jean-François Rondepierre

Noémie Gomez

A grid including at least two meshed grid parts intended to be superposed in a longitudinal direction, each grid part extending in a transverse plane, and the grid parts being moveable one relative to the other in at least one transverse direction between an open configuration for the insertion of nuclear fuel rods in the longitudinal direction through the grid parts, and a closed configuration allowing each fuel rod inserted through the grid parts to be clamped transversely between the grid parts. According to one aspect of the invention, the grid includes elements for transversely immobilizing the grid parts in the closed configuration, the immobilizing elements being designed to engage as the superposed grid parts are moved closer together in the longitudinal direction.

Nuclear fuel rod spacer grid and framework and assembly comprising such a grid

The nuclear fuel assembly means a group of nuclear fuel rods disposed in a substantially regular array together with a support skeleton (), the assembly having: two nozzles; guide tubes interconnecting the nozzles; and spacer grids secured to the guide tubes for holding the rods. The assembly includes at least one support skeleton reinforcing device disposed between two successive spacer grids and secured to guide tubes. The reinforcing device is disposed inside the group of rods and presents a transverse extent that is smaller than the transverse extent of the array of nuclear fuel rods.

Nuclear fuel assembly including an internal reinforcing device

A terminal end-piece for a fuel assembly of a pressurized water nuclear reactor, the assembly having fuel rods and a skeleton for supporting the fuel rods, the fuel rods extending in a longitudinal direction and being arranged at the nodes of a substantially regular network, the support skeleton comprising two terminal end-pieces and guide tubes that connect the terminal end-pieces, the fuel rods being arranged longitudinally between the terminal end-pieces, characterized in that the end-piece comprises noses for orientating the flow of a coolant fluid of the reactor along the adjacent longitudinal ends of the fuel rods, the noses being arranged in nodes of the substantially regular network in order to be positioned in a longitudinal continuation of at least some of the fuel rods and/or at least some of the guide tubes of the support skeleton.

Terminal end-piece for a fuel assembly having a nose for orienting the flow of coolant fluid and corresponding assembly

The nuclear fuel assembly having nuclear fuel rods and a support skeleton having two nozzles, guide tubes interconnecting the nozzles, and spacer grids for holding the rods, the grids being secured to the guide tubes. The assembly further has at least one lattice reinforcing device for reinforcing the support skeleton. The reinforcing device is placed between two spacer grids and is secured to the guide tubes. The invention is applicable to fuel assemblies for pressurized water reactors.

Nuclear fuel assembly comprising a reinforcing mesh device and the use of one such device in a nuclear fuel assembly

A resilient bush for frictionally engaging a centering pin of the fuel assembly is fixed in each of the through-holes of at least one of the end-pieces of the fuel assembly. The resilient bush comprises an annular member which has a portion for fixing in the hole of the end-piece and resilient arms which are separated by apertures. The flexible arms of the resilient bush comprise, in a free end portion, a supporting surface which projects radially inside the bush whose diameter is smaller than the diameter of a centering pin of the fuel assembly.

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Lyons, France

Angelo Beati