Commissariat a L'energie Atomique

Electricite De France

Henri Venobre

Dominique Limouzin

Pierre Marmonier

Jean Vayra

Roland Jacquelin

Jean Skok

Bernard Mesnage

Georges Clottes

Andre Cayol

Jean Teulon

Eric Martin

Jean-Pierre Praizey

Andre Chalony

In an installation for handling assemblies between the main vessel of a fast neutron nuclear reactor and an adjoining vessel, use is made of a transfer hood formed by a thick tube whose inclined axis can be moved alternatively into the prolongation of the axes of two inclined ramps opening into the main vessel and adjoining vessel respectively, by the rotation of a platform of vertical axis bearing the hood and also two flaps which close the ramps when the reactor is operating, so that an assembly-transferring pot can be guided isostatically inside the ramps and the hood, the platform also possibly comprising a spare flap. Application to all assemblies forming a reactor core, such as fuel assemblies, lateral neutron screening assemblies and absorbing assemblies.

Installation for handling assemblies forming the core of a fast neutron

A supporting member for an array of parallel rails each carrying one row of slidably mounted pins of a fuel cluster is placed coaxially at the lower end of a vertical fuel assembly wrapper. Each parallel rail is provided at each end with a downward extension and terminal lug which engages in a lateral groove formed in the periphery of the supporting member in order to lock and maintain the rails and the fuel pins in uniformly spaced relation within the fuel assembly wrapper.

Device for supporting a fuel pin cluster within a nuclear reactor fuel

A nuclear fuel sub-assembly comprises a bundle of fuel pins provided with helical spacers and located within a shroud for the coolant. The sub-channels at the periphery of the bundle are restricted in order that the rate of flow matches the heat transfer surfaces in all sub-channels. For this purpose the spacers of the outer pins project radially by an extent smaller than the spacers of the inner pins. In addition longitudinal ribs may be provided in the outer sub-channels.

Nuclear fuel subassembly

Growing community of inventors

Vinon-sur-Verdon, France

Henri Venobre