Hitachi, Ltd.

Sadayuki Izutsu

Junichi Yamashita

Yasunori Bessho

Yukihisa Fukasawa

Hideo Soneda

Taro Ueki

Koki Yamauchi

A plurality of fuel rods containing fissile material are arranged in triangle lattices. A plurality of water rods groups are arranged among the fuel rods. Each of the water rods groups includes no fuel rod but a plurality of water rods which are arranged adjacently each other in triangle lattices having substantially same pitch as the fuel rods. The water rods groups are arranged not adjacently each other, and are surrounded with the fuel rods. the outer diameter of the water rod is smaller than the pitch. The fuel assembly is able to suppress increment of pressure loss because of formation of coolant path among adjacent water rods. Further, void reactivity coefficient is able to be small.

Fuel assembly

The fuel assembly has fuel arrangement of a square lattice of 10 lines by 10 rows. Four water rods having a large diameter are arranged in central region of horizontal cross section wherein arrangement of 12 fuel rods is possible. The four water rods having a large diameter are so arranged adjacently in a circle as to form an internal between each other. First coolant flow path which is extended toward axial direction is formed by surrounded with the water rods having a large diameter. The first coolant flow path leads to third coolant flow path which is formed around the fuel rods through second coolant flow path which is the interval between the water rods having a large diameter. The fuel assembly is able to optimize the moderator to fuel atom number density ratio and to reduce the pressure loss because a portion to be an excessively moderated region is utilized as the first coolant flow path.

Fuel assembly and upper tie plate thereof

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Hitachi, Japan

Sadayuki Izutsu