Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Hans Kropfl

Diethelm Knodler

Peter Rau

Alexander Steinke

Theodor Wittmann

A nuclear power reactor has an active zone in which a plurality of fuel elements containing a large number of fuel rods are held between two grid plates. A tension device is disclosed which is provided for each fuel element and holds the same between the grid plates. The tension device includes a resilient pressure arrangement disposed between one of the grid plates and the end portion of the fuel element facing the one grid plate for holding the fuel element against the other one of the grid plates.

Resilient tension device in nuclear reactors

A nuclear reactor fuel element comprised of a plurality of fuel rods disposed in a plurality of spacers in which the tubular casing for each fuel rod is designed without regard to the mechanical stress produced by the spacers and has a reinforced wall thickness adjacent to the spacers which is thicker than the wall thickness of the tubular casing in other areas not adjacent to the spacers. The spacers are arranged in a circular mesh with a center support rod.

Growing community of inventors

Erlangen, Germany

Hans Kropfl