Fuel bundle and spacer tape

Abstract

Spacer grid (26) for a nuclear reactor fuel bundle (14), the spacer grid (26) comprising: several space-forming divider devices (30) forming an arrangement of cells (34), each cell (34) being structured to hold a respective individual of several fuel rods (18) to form an arrangement of uniformly spaced fuel rods (18), and an outer boundary band (38) surrounding the divider devices (30) at its edge, the boundary band (38) comprising several spring tongues (46) formed along an edge (50) of the boundary band (38), each of the spring tongues (46) extending from the edge (50) of the boundary band (38) at an angle away from the divider devices (30) and having a proximal end section (52) and a distal end section (54) with a rounded end (56) which is configuredto be in contact with an inner surface (58) of a respective individual of several walls (62) of a channel (22) into which the arrangement of fuel rods (18) can be inserted to form the fuel bundle (14) and to exert a spring force on it, wherein the several spring tongues are arranged such that each of the distal end sections (54) is in contact with the inner surface and exerts a spring force on it, wherein the arrangement of cells (34) has four sides and at least one chamfered corner (66) is formed by the limiting band (38) and the spring tongues (46) include at least one corner spring tongue (54A) which extends at an angle from an associated chamfered corner (66) of the arrangement of cells (34), wherein the at least one corner spring tongue (46A) has a straight longitudinal extension and is profiled over a longitudinal axis of the at least one corner spring tongue (46A),wherein the contour fits a contour of a corner of the channel (22) such that the distal end (54) of the at least one corner spring tongue (46A) lies flush in the corner of the channel (22) when the arrangement of fuel rods (18) is inserted into the channel (22).

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