General Electric Company

Mark C Clark

Kevin L Ledford

James E Holden

Richard D Wittmeier

Justin L Banks

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

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.

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Wilmington, NC, United States of America

Mark C Clark