Abb Atom Ab

Westinghouse Electric Company LLC

Westinghouse Electric Sweden Ab

Mats Dahlback

John P Foster

Lars Hallstadius

Anand M Garde

Robert J Comstock

Guirong Pan

Jonna Partezana Mundorff

Gunnar Vesterlund

Andrew J Mueller

Andrew Atwood

Peter Rudling

Anders Soderlund

Michael A McClarren

Penney File

Britta Helmersson

Elena Calota

James A Boshers

Hsiang Ken Yueh

Dianna Lynn Svec Nuhfer

Ronald Kesterson

Terrence Cook

David Colburn

Anand Garde

Michael Mcclarren

Ken Yueh Hsiang

The invention relates to zirconium-based alloys and articles produced therefrom, such as tubing or strips, which have at least one of excellent corrosion resistance to water or steam and creep resistance at elevated temperatures in a nuclear reactor. The alloys include from about 0.2 to 1.5 weight percent niobium, from about 0.01 to 0.6 weight percent iron, from about 0.0 to 0.8 weight percent tin, from about 0.0 to 0.5 weight percent chromium, from about 0.0 to 0.3 weight percent copper, from about 0.0 to 0.3 weight percent vanadium, and from about 0.0 to 0.1 weight percent nickel with the balance at least 97 weight percent zirconium, including impurities. Further, the articles are formed by processes that include final heat treatment of (i) SRA or PRXA (0-33% RXA), or (ii) RXA or PRXA (80-100% RXA).

Zirconium alloys with improved corrosion/creep resistance

Articles, such as tubing or strips, which have excellent corrosion resistance to water or steam at elevated temperatures, are produced from alloys having 0.2 to 1.5 weight percent niobium, 0.01 to 0.6 weight percent iron, and optionally additional alloy elements selected from the group consisting of tin, chromium, copper, vanadium, and nickel with the balance at least 97 weight percent zirconium, including impurities, where a necessary final heat treatment includes one of i) a SRA or PRXA (15-20% RXA) final heat treatment, or ii) a PRXA (80-95% RXA) or RXA final heat treatment.

Zirconium alloys with improved corrosion/creep resistance due to final heat treatments

A fuel assembly for a nuclear boiling water reactor is provided. The reactor comprises a plurality of such fuel assemblies and a plurality of control rods. Each control rod is insertable between the fuel assemblies. The fuel assembly has a longitudinal center axis and includes a plurality of elongated fuel rods and an elongated channel box. The channel box has inner sides, facing the fuel rods, and outer sides. Each inner and outer side has a longitudinal center line extending in parallel with the center axis and along the length of the channel box. A number of protrusions are distributed along the center line of at least two of the outer sides. The protrusions are configured to ensure a minimum distance between the outer side and an adjacent control rod and to enable the control rod to easily slide over and on top of the protrusions.

Fuel assembly

The invention relates to a final, ready to use, spacer grid for a nuclear boiling water reactor. The final spacer grid comprises: i) a spacer grid structure made of an alloy that has been formed and assembled such that it constitutes a spacer grid, and ii) an outer oxide coating on the surface of the spacer grid structure. Said alloy is a Ni base alloy that consists of the following: (table) The invention also relates to a method of manufacturing the final spacer grid according to the invention.

Spacer grid

A water reactor fuel cladding tube () is described. The tube () comprises an outer layer () of a first zirconium based alloy and has metallurgically bonded thereto an inner layer () of a second zirconium based alloy. The inner layer protects () the cladding tube () against stress corrosion cracking. The second zirconium based alloy comprises tin as an alloying material, and each one of the zirconium based alloys comprises at least 96 percent by weight zirconium. The first zirconium based alloy comprises at least 0.1 percent by weight niobium. A method of manufacturing the cladding tube () is also described and comprises the step of co-extruding two tubes of different zirconium based alloys to produce the cladding tube ().

Water reactor fuel cladding tube

Fuel boxes and a method for manufacturing fuel boxes

Nuclear fuel element for pressurized-water reactors

The invention relates to a fuel element for a pressurized-water reactor comprising a number of fuel rods arranged in a square lattice and wherein certain positions in the lattice contain guide tubes for receiving control rods, wherein the fuel element can be used for higher burnup by manufacturing the guide tubes of the element such that their irradiation-induced growth is reduced and their corrosion resistance is increased compared with conventionally manufactured guide tubes. This is achieved by finally heat-treating the guide tubes in two steps, the first step being a beta quenching and the second step a heat treatment in the alpha-phase region.

Fuel element for pressurized-water reactor with guide tubes finally

Fuel element for pressurized--water reactor with guide tubes finally

Growing community of inventors

Vasteras, Sweden

Mats Dahlback