NUCLEAR REACTOR FUEL ELEMENT Russian patent published in 2000 - IPC

FIELD: water-moderated power reactors. SUBSTANCE: fuel element is designed to organize core in water-moderated power reactor of thermal capacity higher than 2600 MW. Thermal element is proposed to have cylindrical spring to hold down fuel pile. Spring has locking, damping, and compensating groups of turns at definite ratio of compensating and buffer groups to total length of spring in released state. With relatively short length of fuel element space for locating the spring, number of compensating and damping turns is strictly regulated; turn wire diameter is 1.4 to 1.6 mm. EFFECT: improved service life and fuel burn-up, reduced specific stresses on spring. 9 cl, 2 dwg