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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7995701 | Nuclear core component hold-down assembly A plate mounted fuel assembly hold-down system that provides a defined channel for both the insertion and removal of reactor head mounted, fixed in-core detector instrumentation, provides a guided path for the fixed in-core detector during insertion, and shields the... | 08/09/2011 |
| 7577229 | Method for limiting the maintenance loads applied to a fuel assembly of a nuclear reactor and fuel assembly A resilient bush for frictionally engaging a centering pin of the fuel assembly is fixed in each of the through-holes of at least one of the end-pieces of the fuel assembly. The resilient bush comprises an annular member which has a portion for fixing in the hole of... | 08/18/2009 |
| 7231333 | Method and arrangement for developing core loading patterns in nuclear reactors In the method, a set of limits applicable to a core may be defined, and a test core loading pattern design, to be used for loading the core, may be determined based on the limits. Reactor operation on at least a subset of the core may be simulated to produce a plura... | 06/12/2007 |
| 7200541 | Method and arrangement for determining nuclear reactor core designs In the method, a set of limits are defined and a reference core design is generated based on the limits, and includes an initial loading pattern of current fresh fuel bundles arranged in a plurality of fuel locations. A unique subset of fresh fuel bundles is selecte... | 04/03/2007 |
| 7070375 | Clamping fastener grip length indicator A temporary fastener includes a grip length indicator. By machining a flattened area into a body of the temporary fastener, by engraving an scale into the flattened area, and by attaching an indicator dot visible in the groove to a moving part of an internal assembl... | 07/04/2006 |
| 6950486 | Delay apparatus and method A delay apparatus delays a rising edge and a falling edge of a digital signal. The delay apparatus includes a first edge detection circuit which detects a first edge or rising edge of the digital signal and generates a detection signal; a set circuit that includes a... | 09/27/2005 |
| 6934351 | Boiling water reactor fuel assembly An fuel assembly with a connection between a fuel channel and a lower tie plate to allow the fuel channel to be removed from an internal fuel rod assembly without the necessity of moving interior fuel rods during removal of the fuel channel. ... | 08/23/2005 |
| 6888912 | Device for positioning and axially aligning a fuel assembly and process and apparatus for restoring a positioning element The apparatus for positioning a fuel assembly (10) comprises, on a respective side of the core support plate (19) and the upper core plate (9) directed towards an endpiece (15, 14) of the fuel assembly (10) at least two projecting ... | 05/03/2005 |
| 6738447 | High energy absorption top nozzle for a nuclear fuel assembly A high energy absorption top nozzle for a nuclear fuel assembly that employs an elongated upper tubular housing and an elongated lower tubular housing slidable within the upper tubular housing. The upper and lower housings are biased away from each other by a plural... | 05/18/2004 |
| 6370214 | Radiation induced growth indication apparatus for pressurized water reactor nuclear fuel assemblies Apparatus for the determination of radiation induced growth due to burnup of a nuclear reactor fuel assembly in a reactor core.... | 04/09/2002 |
| 6310931 | Device and method for locking rods in a bottom tie plate of a fuel assembly The present invention relates to a fuel assembly (1) and a method therefor. The fuel assembly is intended for a light-water cooled nuclear reactor and comprises a first and a second locking member (9a, 9b, 10), a plurality of elongated elements (3, 3a) wh... | 10/30/2001 |
| 6178219 | Holder for fuel elements and method for repairing such a holder A holder for fuel elements in a reactor, in particular in a boiling water reactor, is provided, as well as a method for repairing such a holder. A core grid is demounted from a core shroud and replaced by a new forged core grid for the purpose of repairin... | 01/23/2001 |
| 6154514 | Nuclear reaction fuel assembly for a nuclear reactor fuel assembly An upper hold-down spring structure for a nuclear reactor fuel assembly. A hold down spring 20 mounted on an upper surface of an upper nozzle 11 of a fuel assembly for a pressurized water reactor is composed of an upper plate spring 21 having plastic spri... | 11/28/2000 |
| 6115440 | Quick release, removable top nozzle assembly The adaptor plate of a top nozzle assembly is removably secured to selected thimble tubes in a nuclear fuel assembly by quick release couplings. The openings in the adaptor plate aligned with the selected thimble tubes are counterbored from above to form ... | 09/05/2000 |
| 6097779 | Fuel bundle and control rod assembly for a nuclear reactor Fuel bundle and control rod assemblies for a nuclear reactor are described. In one embodiment of the apparatus, the nuclear reactor includes several conventional size fuel bundles and at least one large control rod. The large control rod includes four fue... | 08/01/2000 |
| 5812624 | Core of a pressurized water nuclear reactor and top nozzle of a fuel assembly of the core Each of the square top nozzles (26) of the fuel assemblies of the core includes four locating openings (40) in the vicinity of the vertices of the nozzle. The set of locating pins (35) of the upper core plate (32) includes four pins at each of the positio... | 09/22/1998 |
| 5600694 | Nuclear fuel upper end fitting quick disconnect joint A fuel assembly for use in a pressurized water nuclear reactor includes an assembly having guide tubes joined at their upper ends to posts having heads against which is biased a holddown plate spaced from a flow plate. The holddown plate is slidably mount... | 02/04/1997 |
| 5574760 | Method and apparatus for supporting a shroud in a nuclear reactor In order to eliminate the need to weld, drill or otherwise machine a shroud structure which is used to surround a plurality of fuel assemblies in a nuclear reactor, a plurality of upper hanger rods interconnect a structure above the shroud to a support ri... | 11/12/1996 |
| 5490190 | Alignment pin and method for aligning a nuclear fuel assembly with respect to a core plate disposed in a nuclear reactor pressure vessel Self-locking alignment pin and method for aligning a nuclear fuel assembly with respect to a core plate disposed in a nuclear reactor pressure vessel. The fuel assembly has a top nozzle having a first bore formed therein. The core plate has a second bore ... | 02/06/1996 |
| 5479464 | Expandable top nozzle and device for securing same to a nuclear fuel assembly An expandable top nozzle for a nuclear fuel assembly having zircaloy thimble tubes has a cylindrical barrel and an assembly slidable in the barrel which includes a hub and a thin rod ejection plate fixed in spaced relation to the hub by support tubes thro... | 12/26/1995 |
| 5452334 | Pressurized water reactor nuclear fuel assembly with disengaging upper tie plate corner post A new configuration of a pressurized water reactor nuclear fuel assembly having a disengaging upper tie plate corner portion (60) which will disengage if the fuel assembly is unintentionally lifted, thus precluding the lifting of the fuel assembly from th... | 09/19/1995 |
| 5390222 | Fuel assembly or control assembly with releasable locking between the case and the upper or lower end part of the assembly An fuel or control assembly for a nuclear reactor includes an elongated case having a longitudinal axis, side walls extending parallel to the axis and defining an interior with a polygonal cross section, two ends, a rim, and at least one case opening bein... | 02/14/1995 |
| 5347560 | Fuel assembly with secured rod ends at the foot In a fuel assembly, lower end pieces of fuel rods, guide tubes and coolant pipes, etc., are inserted and/or screwed into a base plate and secured against lifting by a bolt. In the case of fuel rods, in particular fuel rods which do not extend over the ent... | 09/13/1994 |
| 5309491 | Fuel assembly with secured rod ends at the foot In a fuel assembly, lower end pieces of fuel rods, guide tubes and coolant pipes, etc., are inserted and/or screwed into a base plate and secured against lifting by a bolt. In the case of fuel rods, in particular fuel rods which do not extend over the ent... | 05/03/1994 |
| 5297176 | Remotely replaceable fuel assembly alignment pin The guide pin aligning a top nozzle of a nuclear fuel assembly to an upper core plate of a nuclear reactor, is replaced working exclusively from below the upper core plate. The replacement guide pin has a shaft portion engaged with the upper core plate an... | 03/22/1994 |
| 5289514 | Fuel assembly for a boiling water reactor with a sealing spring between the foot part and the fuel assembly channel A gap between a foot part and a channel of a boiling water fuel assembly is sealed against a coolant flow by a spring being supported by a central part thereof against the channel and by sides thereof against the foot part and being clipped and/or clamped... | 02/22/1994 |
| 5276721 | Nuclear reactor fuel assembly A nuclear reactor fuel assembly includes two end plates having inner and outer surfaces Elongated, nuclear fuel-filled fuel rods are disposed between the inner surfaces and have longitudinal axes perpendicular to the inner surfaces. A leaf spring is dispo... | 01/04/1994 |
| 5274685 | Non-levitating PWR fuel assembly An arrangement for supporting a fuel assembly of a nuclear reactor has upper and lower reactor core support plates, upper and lower tie plates for supporting fuel rods and a coolant path through the assembly. The improvement comprises a redesigned lower t... | 12/28/1993 |
| 5272742 | Upper end fitting An upper end fitting for a nuclear fuel assembly. A main body portion that is square in section has a base rigidly attached thereto. A combined pedestal and holddown spring assembly received in the main body portion is formed from leaf springs attached to... | 12/21/1993 |
| 5271053 | Holddown leaf spring assembly A holddown leaf spring for a nuclear fuel assembly (10) with an upper end fitting (12) having spring retaining slots (30). Two spring stacks (20, 24 and 22, 26), respectively, are made up of unitary elongated metal bar springs having two substantially tap... | 12/14/1993 |
| 5267287 | Holddown leaf spring assembly having a lubricant coating In a method for fabricating an end fitting (12,200) for a nuclear fuel assembly (10), wherein the end fitting includes at least one spring member (24,202) having an active external surface (32,206) for contacting rigid core support structure (100) in the ... | 11/30/1993 |
| 5259010 | Replacement spacer pin with locking keys The spacer pin of this invention is preferably threadably secured to a thermal shield normally found within reactor vessels. It comprises a main body having a cavity therein which houses a locking assembly that alternately engages or disengages the thread... | 11/02/1993 |
| 5213757 | Method for fixing a spring package to a top nozzle in a fuel assembly of a nuclear power reactor A method for fixing a spring package (7) to a top nozzle (6) in a fuel assembly of a nuclear reactor wherein the fuel assembly comprises fuel rods, guide tubes and spacers arranged in a bundle between a top nozzle (6) and a bottom nozzle (5) wherein a T-s... | 05/25/1993 |
| 5211907 | Assembly for securing a centering pin within a bore of a nuclear reactor core plate A method and assembly for securing a cylindrical centering pin in a bore formed in a plate includes introducing an end of a centering pin to be secured to a plate into a bore formed in the plate until at least part of a coaxial, radially deformable wall p... | 05/18/1993 |
| 5207980 | Top nozzle-mounted replacement guide pin assemblies A replacement guide pin assembly is provided for aligning a nuclear fuel assembly with an upper core plate of a nuclear reactor core. One embodiment of the guide pin assembly includes an elongated guide pin body, a ferrule, and a lock screw. The guide pin... | 05/04/1993 |
| 5200142 | Nuclear fuel assembly top nozzle with improved peripheral hold-down assembly A fuel assembly has a top nozzle which includes a lower adapter plate and a plurality of guide structures thereon. The lower adapter plate has a peripheral edge. The guide structures are attached to and extend upwardly from the lower adapter plate at loca... | 04/06/1993 |
| 5180549 | Nuclear fuel assembly having double enclosure top nozzle subassembly A double enclosure top nozzle subassembly for a nuclear fuel assembly includes an upper structure having a top plate and an outer depending peripheral sidewall enclosure, a lower structure having a lower adapter plate and an inner upstanding peripheral si... | 01/19/1993 |
| 5164154 | Apparatus for replacing a fuel guide pin in a nuclear fuel assembly A method and apparatus for replacing an existing fuel guide pin in an upper core plate of a nuclear fuel assembly. The existing guide pin is removed to the level of the bottom of the core plate and inside the bore in the core plate to a point adjacent the... | 11/17/1992 |
| 5141701 | Bottom nozzle to lower grid attachment Bottom end fuel assembly reconstitution is permitted by elimination of weld of Inconel lower grid perimeter strip to stainless steel lower end fitting. Slots in 2 or 3 sides of L.E. Fitting capture ribbed sections of grid perimeter strip, locking screws h... | 08/25/1992 |
| 5133926 | Extended burnup top nozzle for a nuclear fuel assembly A fuel assembly includes an array of fuel rods and guide thimbles disposed in laterally spaced relation to one another. The guide thimbles have upper ends extending above the upper ends of the fuel rods. The fuel assembly also includes a top nozzle define... | 07/28/1992 |
