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: 19.05.2022
• Subjects: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY; ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OFTHREE-DIMENSIONAL [3-D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVEAGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3-D PRINTING,STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING; 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 supporting lattice of a nuclear fuel assembly, which can be manufactured by using 3D printing with high design freedom, excluding sheet metal processing and welding processing, and is equipped with a foreign substance filtering function. The bottom supporting lattice (100) of a nuclear fuel assembly, of the present invention, is configured such that square lattice cells (110) each having an inner lattice surface (111) form a square lattice. The lattice cell (110) comprises: a spring formed to protrude in a longitudinal direction on each of the four inner lattice surfaces (111) and formed to support a fuel rod (10); and a foreign substance filtering unit (130) having a mesh structure that is curved outward from a lower open end and surrounds the fuel rod (10). 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 면(111)을 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; 하측 개구단에서 바깥으로 만곡 형성되되, 연료봉(10)의 주변을 감싸게 되는 메쉬 구조의 이물질 여과부(130)를 포함한다.