The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 16, 1988
Filed:
May. 16, 1986
Robert K Gjertsen, Monroeville, PA (US);
John F Wilson, Murrysville, PA (US);
Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Abstract
A coolant-displacement rod for a nuclear reactor including a stack of zirconium-oxide pellets in cladding of ZIRCALOY-4 alloy. The outer surfaces of certain of the pellets spaced at intervals along the stack are depressed. The cladding grows permanently when exposed to neutron flux but the zirconium oxide is dimensionally stable. Under the hoop stress impressed by the coolant on the cladding, the part of the cladding encircling each of the pellets with the depressed outer surface engages the outer surface compartmentalizing the pellets into sub-stacks. The formation of a long unsupported gap under the cladding which might collapse under the pressure and at the temperature coolant is prevented by forming a plurality of short unsupported gaps instead of one long gap.