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:
Jul. 14, 1998
Filed:
Oct. 08, 1996
Katsumasa Haikawa, Jyuou-machi, JP;
Akihiro Yamanaka, Hitachi, JP;
Akiko Kanda, Hitachi, JP;
Motoo Aoyama, Mito, JP;
Yoko Yuchi, Hitachi, JP;
Junichi Yamashita, Hitachi, JP;
Hitachi, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
In an initial core of the present invention, a low enrichment fuel assembly having the lowest average enrichment factor and three fuel assemblies having a higher average enrichment factor than that of the low enrichment fuel assembly are arranged in a square shape, control rods of a cross shape are arranged at each of four corners of the square shape to constitute a unit loading pattern, and a plurality of the unit loading patterns are provided in the central region of the core, the fuel assemblies having the higher average enrichment factor are divided by a diagonal line into a first region of the side of the control rods and a second region of the side opposite to the control rods, and the number of the gadolinia-containing fuel rods is greater in the second region by at least two than in the first region. The initial core having an enhanced average enrichment factor for accomplishing a high exposure, makes it possible to maintain thermal margin, to suitably suppress the excess reactivity and to improve fuel economy.