FUEL ELEMENT JACKET, FUEL ELEMENT AND FUEL ASSEMBLY Russian patent published in 2015 - IPC G21C3/02 G21C3/08 G21C3/30 

FIELD: atomic physics.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to nuclear power engineering and can be used to make fuel elements and fuel assemblies for heavy liquid metal cooled reactors and in making fuel element simulators for use in irradiation devices designed for investigating operation of real fuel elements. A fuel element jacket for heavy liquid metal cooled reactors is a one piece rolled tubular element with helically coiled fins on the outer surface of said element, made of ferritic-martensitic silchrome steel with ferrite grain size of not less than number 7 according to GOST 5639, wherein each fin has an opening angle of 22 to 40° (preferably 30 to 40°), and the cross-sectional shape of the fin is a trapezium section with rounded corners at the top of the trapezium and with smoothed corners at the base of the trapezium. A fuel element including said jacket and a fuel assembly are also disclosed.

EFFECT: improved performance of fuel elements and assemblies by providing durability of the jacket in the medium of a heavy liquid metal coolant such as lead or a eutectic alloy of lead and bismuth.

11 cl, 3 dwg