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:
May. 01, 1990
Filed:
Jun. 06, 1988
David A Boatwright, Columbia, SC (US);
Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Abstract
An end plug is welded to a nuclear fuel rod tube by a girth weld having a melt-zone arcuately extending through the tube wall and into the plug, wherein the melt-zone and the end of the tube are separated by a predetermined distance. The distance is chosen such that heat is dissipated from the weld-zone to prevent damage to the rod and to prevent damage to the weld end stop. This weld enables the use of a substantially solid cylindrical end plug having a first end disposed inside the tube, a second end, and a hollow cavity extending to the second end for axially aligning the cylinder and fuel rod with a frictionally engaging weld stop during formation of the girth weld.