摘要:
A second fuel rod positioned at each corner of a channel box and second fuel rods adjacent to the former are formed to have a smaller outer diameter than that of ordinary first fuel rods, so that a pitch between the second fuel rods is narrower than a pitch between the first fuel rods. Making the outer diameter of the second fuel rods smaller than that of the first fuel rods reduces the power per unit length of the second fuel rods. The narrower pitch between the second fuel rods than the pitch between the first fuel rods provides two effects. First, a unit lattice cell becomes so small as to avoid an increase in the H/U ratio. Secondly, a new moderator region is formed between the second fuel rods and the first fuel rods adjacent thereto, the moderator region acting to intensify thermal neutron flux around those first fuel rods. These two effects enable a further reduction in the power per unit length of the second fuel rods. As a result, a fuel assembly intended for higher burn-up can be realized by increasing enrichment, while suppressing an increase in the local power peaking factor at corners of the fuel assembly.
摘要:
Each of short-length fuel rods 3 is arranged at a position other than in 3.times.3 corner regions 6 to 9 in such a manner as not to be simultaneously adjacent to a water rod 5 and others of the short-sized fuel rods. Gd fuel rods 4 are arranged at positions excluding the outer periphery, and the number of those of the Gd fuel rods 4 adjacent to the short-length fuel rods 3 is one-half or less the total number of the Gd fuel rods. At a transverse cross-section of a region upward from upper ends of the short-sized fuel rods 3, the amount of burnable poison contained in a polygonal region 10 whose vertexes are located at centers of those of the first fuel rods 3 arranged at the outermost layer is smaller than the amount of burnable poison outside the region 10. With this configuration, a critical power can be improved in consideration of both a distribution of the flow of coolant and a distribution of a thermal power in the fuel assembly.
摘要:
Each of short-length fuel rods 3 is arranged at a position other than in 3×3 corner regions 6 to 9 in such a manner as not to be simultaneously adjacent to a water rod 5 and others of the short-sized fuel rods. Gd fuel rods 4 are arranged at positions excluding the outer periphery, and the number of those of the Gd fuel rods 4 adjacent to the short-length fuel rods 3 is one-half or less the total number of the Gd fuel rods. At a transverse cross-section of a region upward from upper ends of the short-sized fuel rods 3, the amount of burnable poison contained in a polygonal region 10 whose vertexes are located at centers of those of the first fuel rods 3 arranged at the outermost layer is smaller than the amount of burnable poison outside the region 10. With this configuration, a critical power can be improved in consideration of both a distribution of the flow of coolant and a distribution of a thermal power in the fuel assembly.
摘要:
The lower end of each of a plurality of fuel rods is supported by a fuel supporting portion of a lower tie plate. The fuel supporting portion includes a plurality of second coolant paths for supplying a coolant from below the fuel supporting portion to a first coolant path defined above the fuel supporting portion and between the fuel rods. The total cross-sectional area of all the second coolant paths is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the first coolant path. A water rod disposed between the fuel rods each includes an ascending tube path having therein a coolant ascending path having a coolant inlet port opening to a region below the fuel supporting portion, for guiding upward the coolant supplied through the coolant inlet port, and a descending tube having therein a coolant descending path having a coolant delivery port opening to said first coolant path, for guiding downward the coolant guided by said coolant ascending path and discharging the coolant through the coolant delivery port to the first coolant path. The descending tube path is so disposed outside the ascending tube path as to define a gap, through which the coolant inside the first coolant path flows, between it and the ascending tube path.
摘要:
A fuel assembly included a plurality of fuel rods, fuel spacers for maintaining gaps between the fuel rods and a channel box. The channel box includes spacer support portions projecting inwardly from an inner surface of the channel box and supporting the fuel spacer in a transverse direction and creep deformation inhibition portions disposed at the lower end portion of the channel box and projecting inwardly. The distance between the spacer support portions disposed to oppose one another in a horizontal direction is smaller than the distance between the creep deformation inhibition portions opposing one another in the horizontal direction.
摘要:
A fuel assembly is provided with a coolant ascending path for making coolant rise and a water rod having a coolant descending path for conducting the coolant.A ratio of a flow area in a coolant inlet port of the smallest in coolant ascending path 13 on the downstream side than large diameter tube portion 3E to a flow area of the largest in the axial direction of coolant ascending path 13 in large diameter tube portion 3E is set to be 0.2-20%.In the normal operation, the declination degree from the liquid level in the coolant ascending path, corresponding to the coolant flow rate of the liquid level formed in the coolant ascending path can be controlled. Further, at the time of the excess the change speed of the liquid level can also be controlled.
摘要:
A fuel assembly comprises a plurality of fuel rods, tie plates for holding both ends of these fuel rods, and spacers which support these fuel rods. The spacer comprises a plurality of cells into which the fuel rods are inserted respectively, the adjacent cells being joined to each other at axial ends thereof, whereby a space between these cells being held or retained, and a plurality of loop springs held respectively on the cells. Each of the loop springs has a pair of resilient members which are located within the pair of adjacent cells and which urge the fuel rods in a radial direction, and a pair of connections which connect axial ends of the resilient members to each other. Each of the connections have a passage through which coolant flows axially and which is defined by a closed peripheral wall. The closed peripheral wall is not uniform in thickness. The pair of adjacent cells have at axial end portions of peripheral walls openings for accommodating or receiving the connections of the loop spring.
摘要:
The lower end of each of a plurality of fuel rods is supported by a fuel supporting portion of a lower tie plate. The fuel supporting portion includes a plurality of second coolant paths for supplying a coolant from below the fuel supporting portion to a first coolant path defined above the fuel supporting portion and between the fuel rods. The total cross-sectional area of all the second coolant paths is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the first coolant path. A water rod disposed between the fuel rods each includes an ascending tube path having therein a coolant ascending path having a coolant inlet port opening to a region below the fuel supporting portion, for guiding upward the coolant supplied through the coolant inlet port, and a descending tube having therein a coolant descending path having a coolant delivery port opening to said first coolant path, for guiding downward the coolant guided by said coolant ascending path and discharging the coolant through the coolant delivery port to the first coolant path. The descending tube path is so disposed outside the ascending tube path as to define a gap, through which the coolant inside the first coolant path flows, between it and the ascending tube path.
摘要:
A fuel assembly includes a plurality of fuel rods placed in a square lattice array of 9-rows/9-columns and at least one water rod. In this fuel assembly, the fuel rod pitch of the plurality of fuel rods is in a range of 14.15 mm to 14.65 mm, and means for offsetting and holding a fuel bundle composed of the fuel rods and the water rod is provided in such a manner that the center in a cross section of the fuel bundle is offset from the center in a cross section of the lower tie plate toward the channel fastener side. With this configuration, it is possible to provide a fuel assembly for a D-lattice core, which is capable of achieving the fuel economy comparable to that of a C-lattice core without reducing the thermal margin, and of using the existing fuel spacers.
摘要:
A fuel assembly has a water rod which consists of a coolant ascending path and a coolant descending path, the coolant ascending path opening below a fuel support of a lower tie plate, the coolant descending path opening above the fuel support and adapted to guide downwardly the coolant that has flowed up the coolant ascending path to the upper portion of the water rod. The lateral cross section of the coolant ascending path is more than 25 times that of the coolant descending path.The nuclear reactor with these fuel assemblies loaded in the core is operated as follows. After startup of the reactor when the reactor power is low, all the control rods inserted in the core are withdrawn completely. Then, the reactor power is controlled by regulating a liquid level formed in the water rods. This reactor operation method prolongs the lifetime of the control rods, thereby reducing the number of times they have to be replaced.