Framatome Gmbh

Cogema, Inc.

Compagnie Generale Des Matieres Nucleaires

Jean-Claude Leroux

Pascal Burfin

Joseph Leclerco

The fuel assembly includes an arrangement for quickly fixing the guide thimble into an opening passing through the adaptor plate of a dismountable nozzle of the assembly. This arrangement includes at least two bearing stops inside the opening of the nozzle, a bearing sleeve integral with the end of the guide thimble and a locking ring which includes stops for bearing on bearing surfaces of the stops inside the opening of the nozzle and deformable elastic parts capable of being accommodated in cavities of the opening of the adaptor plate or of the bearing sleeve, in order to place the ring in a position in which the guide thimble is locked or unlocked. The sleeve includes a rim for bearing on a bearing surface of the adaptor plate at the periphery of the opening.

Dismountable fuel assembly of a nuclear reactor cooled by light water

The lower connector (10) comprises a transverse element (12) having a box-shaped structure. The transverse element (12) comprises a reticular structure (13) resistant to bending and limited externally by a frame (14), the cross-section of which corresponds substantially to the cross-section of the assembly. The structure (13) has large-size cells. The transverse element comprises, furthermore, a retaining plate (20) pierced with small-size orifices and superposed on and fastened to the recticular structure (13) parallel to the latter and with a spacing (b), to form the upper part of the connector (10) and delimit a free space for steadying the cooling water of the reactor and for recovering debris carried along by the water, forming the hollow central part of the box-shaped structure.

Lower connector of a fuel assembly of a nuclear reactor cooled by light

A machine for handling nuclear fuel assemblies includes a horizontally movable platform having a vertical telescopic mast whose lower part has a gripper for gripping the upper end piece of the assembly. The mast has several vertical rigid elements ending with segments which bear laterally each on a face of the lower part of the assembly to be inserted. The shoes are independently retractable. They index and center the assembly during reloading already irradiated assemblies. The machine may be used for reloading fuel assemblies into a nuclear reactor.

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Villeurbanne, France

Jean-Claude Leroux