Westinghouse Electric Corporation

William E Edwards

Frank David Popa

Brian H Alsop

Elongated tubular elements containing burnable absorber material are clustered in an array to provide a burnable absorber assembly for insertion within one or more guide thimbles of a fuel assembly for controlling reactivity. The burnable absorber assembly, in alternative embodiments, include three tubular elements in triangular relationship and four tubular elements in rectangular relationship. The use of the burnable absorber assembly within the guide thimbles of a fuel assembly results in increased core thermal margin, minimization of end of cycle reactivity penalty, increase in operating cycle length before required refueling, and the ability to utilize burnable absorber assemblies having different strengths at different locations within the fuel assembly for controlling fuel assemblies having significant power gradients, as well as finer control of radial powered distribution and thus achieving lower peaking factors.

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Monroeville, PA, United States of America

William E Edwards