公开(公告)号：WO2009134497A3

公开(公告)日：2009-11-05

申请号：PCT/US2009/033131

申请日：2009-02-05

Applicant: WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC COMPANY LLC

Inventor： HONE, Michael, J. ,  LONG, Carroll, J., Jr. ,  POMIRLEANU, Radu ,  GOLDENFIELD, Mark, P.

IPC: G21C7/10

Abstract: The present invention provides a gray rod control assembly (GRCA) containing an improved neutron absorber comprised of a porous matrix of refractory metal infused with a neutron absorbing metal or metal alloy for a nuclear reactor The reactor has a plurality of fuel assemblies, including numerous elongated fuel rods supported in an organized array by substantially transverse gπds, and a plurality of guide thimbles disposed through the support grids and along the fuel rods The ORCA includes a spider assembly structured to control insertion of gray rod assemblies within the thimbles of the fuel assembly, thereby controlling the rate of power produced by the reactor Delta-power of the reactor is improved by the relatively small percentage of neutron absorbing metal infused in the porous matrix of the refractory metal of the neutron absorber and by distributing the neutron absorber in segments among a plurality of rods of the GRCA