Bottom spacer grid of a nuclear fuel assembly

• Main Authors: NAM CHAE YOUNG, LEE JIN SUK, WOO HAN GIL, RYU JOO YOUNG
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; Korean
• Published: 08.03.2022
• Subjects: BLASTING; ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVEFUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; HEATING; LIGHTING; MEANS FOR DAMPING VIBRATION; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; NUCLEAR ENGINEERING; NUCLEAR PHYSICS; NUCLEAR REACTORS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; PHYSICS; SEPARATION; SHOCK-ABSORBERS; SPRINGS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL; TRANSPORTING; WEAPONS

The present invention relates to a bottom spacer grid of a nuclear fuel assembly with a foreign material filtering function, which can be manufactured by using three-dimensional printing with a high degree of design freedom while excluding sheet metal processing and welding processing. A bottom spacer grid (100) of a nuclear fuel assembly of the present invention allows square lattice cells (110) having an inner lattice surface to form a square lattice. The lattice cell (110) comprises: a spring (120) which is formed, to protrude in the longitudinal direction, on each of four inner lattice surfaces (111), to support a fuel rod (10); and a foreign material filtering unit (130) which is formed to protrude in at least one transverse direction within the range of a longitudinal section (h1) in which the spring (120) is formed. 본 발명은 판금 가공 및 용접 가공을 배제하고 설계 자유도가 높은 3D 프린팅을 이용하여 제작이 가능한 이물질 여과 기능을 갖는 핵연료 집합체의 하부 지지격자에 관한 것이다. 본 발명의 핵연료 집합체의 하부 지지격자(100)는, 내측 격자 면을 갖는 사각의 격자 셀(110)들이 정방형 격자(square lattice)를 이루며, 상기 격자 셀(110)은, 4개의 내측 격자 면(111) 각각에 종방향으로 돌출 형성되어 상기 연료봉(10)을 지지하도록 형성된 스프링(120)과; 상기 스프링(120)이 형성된 종방향의 구간(h1) 범위 내에 적어도 하나 이상의 횡방향으로 돌출 형성되는 이물질 여과부(130)를 포함한다.