Induced nuclear reactions: processes – systems – and elements – Reactor structures – With particular control rod guide structure
Patent
1989-10-16
1991-10-01
Bentley, Stephen C.
Induced nuclear reactions: processes, systems, and elements
Reactor structures
With particular control rod guide structure
G21C 101
Patent
active
050531891
ABSTRACT:
A new system is provided for control rod guidance support with wear mitigating features in a nuclear reactor pressure vessel.
The upper guide tube and the lower guide tube structures house the control rod when it is withdrawn from the fuel core.
The upper guide tube has a top enclosure plate with a drive rod opening therethrough sized to provide a predetermined clearance space between the drive rod and the top enclosure plate and to direct coolant flow between the upper and outlet plenums and through the guide tube assembly to allow transmittal of upper plenum bypass cooling flow to the outlet plenum.
Structure is provided for restricting coolant flow through the top plate clearance space to reduce control rod wear. A coupler secures the drive and control rods in end-to-end relation within the guide tube assembly. The coupler is located just below the top guide tube enclosure plate with the control rod fully withdrawn. The coolant restricting structure includes a flow restricting sleeve secured to the coupler and extending upwardly over the drive rod through the top guide tube enclosure plate. A flow restrictor is located above and secured to the top guide tube enclosure plate, and it has an upper portion disposed about and spaced from the flow restricting sleeve to provide a flow gap having a flow area substantially equal to the clearance space. The flow restrictor is otherwise structured to provide at least one contraction-expansion loss above the top guide tube plate for guide tube coolant flow through the flow gap.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4707331 (1987-11-01), Sherwood et al.
patent: 4738023 (1988-04-01), Fabris
patent: 4842815 (1989-06-01), Cauquelin et al.
patent: 4857264 (1989-08-01), Veronesi et al.
Boyle David E.
Chrise James R.
Rex James A.
Schwirian Richard E.
Bentley Stephen C.
Panian M. G.
Westinghouse Electric Corp.
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