General Electric Company

Global Nuclear Fuel - Americas, LLC

Kevin L Ledford

Eric B Johansson

Paul Everett Cantonwine

Yang-Pi Lin

Richard D Wittmeier

Yuk-Chiu Lau

Robert B Elkins

David W White

James E Holden

Timothy W Clark

Mark C Clark

Justin L Banks

Nicholas R Gullette

Bruce Matzner

Harold B King

Thomas G Dunlap

Richard A Wolters

Jaime A Zuloaga, Jr

David W Danielson

Jeffrey A Wilson

Paul W Sick

Nuclear reactor components are treated with thermal methods to increase wear resistance. Example treatments include thermal treatments using particulate or powderized materials to form a coating. Methods can use cold spray, with low heat and high velocities to blast particles on the surface. The particles impact and mechanically deform, forming an interlocking coating with the surface and each other without melting or chemically reacting. Materials in the particles and resultant coatings include metallic alloys, ceramics, and/or metal oxides. Nuclear reactor components useable with methods of increased wear resistance include nuclear fuel rods and assemblies containing the same. Coatings may be formed on any desired surface, including fuel rod positions where spacer contact and fretting is most likely.

Fuel rods with wear-inhibiting coatings

Nuclear reactor components are treated with thermal methods to increase wear resistance. Example treatments include thermal treatments using particulate or powderized materials to form a coating. Methods can use cold spray, with low heat and high velocities to blast particles on the surface. The particles impact and mechanically deform, forming an interlocking coating with the surface and each other without melting or chemically reacting. Materials in the particles and resultant coatings include metallic alloys, ceramics, and/or metal oxides. Nuclear reactor components usable with methods of increased wear resistance include nuclear fuel rods and assemblies containing the same. Coatings may be formed on any desired surface, including fuel rod positions where spacer contact and fretting is most likely.

Fuel rods with wear-inhibiting coatings and methods of making the same

A method and apparatus for a fret resistant fuel rod for a Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) nuclear fuel bundle. An applied material entrained with fret resistant particles is melted or otherwise fused to a melted, thin layer of the fuel rod cladding. The applied material is made of a material that is chemically compatible with the fuel rod cladding, allowing the fret resistant particles to be captured in the thin layer of re-solidified cladding material to produce an effective and resilient fret resistant layer on an outer layer of the cladding.

Method and apparatus for a fret resistant fuel rod for a light water reactor (LWR) nuclear fuel bundle

A control rod assembly for a nuclear reactor, wherein a plurality of absorber tubes are arranged and welded in a side-by-side array, the improvement wherein each absorber tube is formed with an elongated slot extending substantially the entire length of the absorber tube on one side of the tube, and with an elongated tab extending substantially the entire length of the absorber tube on a diametrically opposed side of the tube such that, for adjacent absorber tubes, a joint is formed wherein the tab of one tube is located within the slot of the other.

Self-aligning absorber tube for a control rod in a nuclear reactor

The control rod includes a plurality of elongated tubes containing neutron-absorbing material in a planar array to form wings on opposite sides of a central axis of the control rod. Each tube is formed with a plurality of protuberances in excess of four such that the tubes can be welded to adjacent tubes with the weld lines disposed inwardly of the side surfaces of the wings to improve the flexibility of the control rod. The wings of each planar array have connecting elements of each other planar array thereof, enabling lateral movement of the planar arrays of wings relative to one another to further enhance flexibility and movement of the control rod between the fuel channels of the nuclear core.

Control rod for a nuclear reactor

A control rod for a nuclear reactor incorporates a plurality of neutron absorber tubes containing neutron absorbing materials. The absorber tubes are substantially rectangular inside and outside, each tube containing at least one axial stack of substantially round neutron absorbing material segments or capsules.

Rectangular absorber tube for a control rod in a nuclear reactor

A window in the control rod for a nuclear reactor has flanges along its opposite sides. A latch handle has slots along its opposite sides. The latch handle is sized and configured such that in a first angular orientation, the latch handle may be received within the plane and peripheral confines of the window and, upon rotation of the latch handle through 90.degree. into a second orientation, engages the slotted sides of the latch handle with the flanges of the window to capture the latch handle within the window while simultaneously enabling linear vertical movement of the latch handle relative to the window. The latch handle is then attached to a shaft for operating a coupling mechanism between the control rod and the control rod drive.

Latch handle for a control road in a nuclear reactor

In a boiling water reactor fuel bundle, a three dimensional debris catching grid construction is placed within the flow volume defined by the lower tie plate assembly between the inlet nozzle and upper fuel rod supporting grid. A perforated plate is utilized having round holes as small consistent with the prevention of inadvertent closure due crudding and a hole pitch consistent with mechanical integrity requirements. The perforated plate is placed in a three dimensional construction such as a dome, cylinder, pyramid, inverted pyramid or corrugated construction spanning the flow volume of the lower tie plate assembly. As a consequence of this three dimensional grid construction, the total flow through area of the perforations in the metal plate does not introduce appreciable pressure drop in the lower tie plate assembly between the inlet nozzle and the rod supporting grid. Fluid movement at the debris restraining holes of the grid construction has a low flow velocity and a change in flow direction before passing through the holes to discourage debris from finding its way through the grid holes. Finally, it is possible to incorporate debris traps within the flow volume of the lower tie plate assembly that can cause trapping and subsequent removal of trapped debris upon fuel bundle replacement. A double corrugated plate having large holes in the lower plate and smaller holes in the upper plate is utilized to trap debris.

Lower tie plate strainers including double corrugated strainers for

A two part lower tie plate assembly is disclosed for use with a fuel bundle of a boiling water nuclear reactor. The two parts include a rod supporting grid section and nozzle section. Both the rod supporting grid section and the nozzle section are constructed asymmetrically. The rod supporting grid section contains one half of the total offset required for a D lattice lower tie plate and the nozzle section contains one half of the total offset required for a D lattice lower tie plate. When a D lattice lower tie plate is required, assembly occurs so that the offsets are additive. When a C lattice lower tie plate is required, assembly occurs that the offsets are subtractive. Assembly of the lower tie plate is provided be either bolting or welding. There results on single rod supporting grid and nozzle section components capable of assembly to fit either a C or a D lattice.

Two part tie plate adapted to D & C lattice

In a boiling water nuclear reactor fuel bundle, a debris catching arrangement is disclosed for incorporation within the flow plenum up stream or below the rod supporting grid of the lower tie plate assembly. The device is preferably placed within the lower tie plate flow plenum between the fuel bundle inlet orifice and the rod supporting grid structure supporting the fuel rods; alternate placement can include any inlet channel upstream of the fuel rods including the fuel support casting. Paired plates defining offset holes and bosses are utilized. The bosses are supported at plate webbing between the respective holes. The holes are preferably square in plan with appropriately relieved and rounded corners defining the edges of the webbing. The bosses may be cylindrical, square or rectangular in cross-section. In confrontation of plates to form the debris catching grid, each boss from one plate confronts a hole from the remaining plate. A system of edge ridges in conjunction with the bosses at each plate edge maintains the plates spatially separated with the bosses of each plate spaced from the webbing of the opposite plate. In the preferred embodiment, the plates are captured in the flow plenum of a two part tie plate. There results a three dimensional and sturdy debris catching construction which has low flow resistance through the continuum of defined flow passages while maintaining excellent debris entraining properties.

Growing community of inventors

Wilmington, NC, United States of America

Kevin L Ledford