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:
Mar. 07, 2006
Filed:
Jun. 07, 2002
Sture Helmersson, Kolbäck, SE;
Sture Helmersson, Kolbäck, SE;
Westinghouse Atom AB, Västerås, SE;
Abstract
The present invention relates to a fuel rod for a nuclear plant and a plenum spring arranged to be provided in a fuel rod. The fuel rod () comprises a cladding tube () sealed at its ends by end plugs (), a plurality of fuel pellets () stacked on each other inside the cladding tube () such that they form a column of pellets and said plenum spring () arranged to hold with a spring force the column of pellets against the lower second end of the cladding tube () during operation. The plenum spring () comprises a first length variable part () which abuts the uppermost located fuel pellet () in the column of pellets with an end portion (), a second part () which allows engagement of the plenum spring () against an inner surface of the cladding tube () by a radially outwardly directed pressure and a third part () which allows releasing of the second part () of the plenum spring () in the cladding tube () during operation of the nuclear plant.