Westinghouse Electric Company LLC

Joonhyung Choi

Yuriy Aleshin

Paul M Evans

Zeses E Karoutas

Robert W Flammang

Yu Chung Lee

Melissa M Walter

Michael S Norrell

Zeses Karoutas

Sabryna D Henze

Robert W Flamming

A spacer grid specifically designed for accident tolerant fuel utilizing fuel rods with SiC cladding for implementation in pressurized water reactors. The spacer grid design allows for ease of SiC fuel rod insertion during the fuel assembly fabrication process by providing a smooth contact geometry. The co-planar support allows the fuel rods to be rotated axially more freely at the grid location than a conventional six-point contact geometry used in existing fuel assembly designs. The fuel rod support cells are attached at their corners which are shared between adjacent support cells.

Spacer grid using tubular cells

The invention relates to a multi-component cladding for a nuclear fuel rod that includes a combination of ceramic and metal components. More particularly, the invention is directed to a cladding that includes a ceramic composite having a zirconium composition deposited thereon to form a zirconium coated ceramic composite. The ceramic composite includes a ceramic matrix and a plurality of ceramic fibers. The cladding is effective to protect the contents of the cladding structure from exposure to high temperature environments during various load conditions of a nuclear reactor.

Zirconium-coated silicon carbide fuel cladding for accident tolerant fuel application

A spacer grid specifically designed for accident tolerant fuel utilizing fuel rods with SiC cladding for implementation in pressurized water reactors. The spacer grid has a generally square design that allows for ease of SiC fuel rod insertion during the fuel assembly fabrication process by providing a smooth contact geometry. The co-planar support allows the fuel rods to be rotated axially more freely at the grid location than a conventional six-point contact geometry used in existing fuel assembly designs.

Spacer grid using tubular cells with mixing vanes

A spring apparatus in accordance with the disclosed and claimed concept is usable in a nuclear installation. In one embodiment, the spring apparatus includes a plurality of springs that are in a compressed state and that are compressively engaged with an upper core plate of a nuclear reactor when the reactor is in a cold condition. However, when the reactor is in a hot condition, a spring of the plurality of springs is in a free state wherein a free end of the spring is in an uncompressed state and is disengaged from the upper core plate. In another embodiment, the spring apparatus employs a support apparatus that is also in accordance with the disclosed and claimed concept and that includes one or more bumpers that engage the springs of a spring pack from the underside.

Spring apparatus and support apparatus usable in nuclear installation

A method includes detecting on an ongoing basis the currently existing dose rates while a worker is performing a maintenance or other operation within the RCA, and visually outputting information that pertains to the ionizing radiation to which the worker is being exposed during the operation. The information that is visually output can include information such as the current dose rate and the overall dose to which the worker has been subjected, but can additionally include information such as the time remaining before which the worker will have been exposed to the maximum allowable dose. Furthermore, it is possible for the visual display to output visual indicia that represent a comparison the exposure to ionizing radiation that had been planned as a function of time prior to the operation being commenced with the actual exposure to ionizing radiation as the operation is performed.

Method of detecting and outputting radiation dose rate information

A nuclear fuel assembly having a plurality of multi-leaf hold down spring sets extending from a top nozzle. Each spring set consists of a multiple number of springs leafs in order to provide a large working range of spring deflection. Each spring leaf has a straight, flat base section followed by a straight, flat tapered beam with a secondary spring set having a curvature at its peripheral end.

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Lexington, SC, United States of America

Joonhyung Choi