US3175956A - Electric connectors for nuclear fuel cartridges - Google Patents

Electric connectors for nuclear fuel cartridges Download PDF

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Publication number
US3175956A
US3175956A US270676A US27067663A US3175956A US 3175956 A US3175956 A US 3175956A US 270676 A US270676 A US 270676A US 27067663 A US27067663 A US 27067663A US 3175956 A US3175956 A US 3175956A
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
cartridges
stud
studs
cartridge
central
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US270676A
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English (en)
Inventor
Liermann Jean
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Commissariat a lEnergie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives CEA
Original Assignee
Commissariat a lEnergie Atomique CEA
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Commissariat a lEnergie Atomique CEA filed Critical Commissariat a lEnergie Atomique CEA
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3175956A publication Critical patent/US3175956A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G21—NUCLEAR PHYSICS; NUCLEAR ENGINEERING
    • G21C—NUCLEAR REACTORS
    • G21C17/00—Monitoring; Testing ; Maintaining
    • G21C17/10—Structural combination of fuel element, control rod, reactor core, or moderator structure with sensitive instruments, e.g. for measuring radioactivity, strain
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G21—NUCLEAR PHYSICS; NUCLEAR ENGINEERING
    • G21C—NUCLEAR REACTORS
    • G21C17/00—Monitoring; Testing ; Maintaining
    • G21C17/10—Structural combination of fuel element, control rod, reactor core, or moderator structure with sensitive instruments, e.g. for measuring radioactivity, strain
    • G21C17/102—Structural combination of fuel element, control rod, reactor core, or moderator structure with sensitive instruments, e.g. for measuring radioactivity, strain the sensitive element being part of a fuel element or a fuel assembly
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E30/00—Energy generation of nuclear origin
    • Y02E30/30—Nuclear fission reactors

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a device for transmitting an electric potential difference from one nuclear fuel cartridge to the next when these two cartridges are in contact by their ends and approximately aligned.
  • thermoelectric probe It is applicable more especially to the transmission along a stack of cartridges of a potential diiference corresponding to a measurement, for example a temperature measurement obtained by means of a thermoelectric probe.
  • Known devices of this type include notably those in which each cartridge end is provided with a central contact stud (of which the axis is identical with that of the cartridge) and With an annular stud concentric with the first and electrically insulated therefrom.
  • the central studs and the opposed peripheral studs respectively, set up the necessary electric connections.
  • these arrangements have a number of disadvantages. More especially, they require fairly considerable changes in the structure of the plugs by which the ends of the cartridges are closed, since their adoption involves a considerable increase in the length of the cartridges, which results in certain modifications in the very operation of the reactor and throughout the subsequent course of treatment of the fuel.
  • the invention resides mainly in disposing on the end plug of each cartridge a fixed central contact stud and a peripheral stud supported by the upper edge of a resilient annular cup, which is slightly curved and substantially equal in diameter to the plug, the said cup being ixed to the plug concentrically with the central stud, in such manner that in the absence of stress the peripheral stud projects beyond the apparent contour of lthe remainder of the cartridge.
  • FIGURE 1 is a vertical sectional View of a nuclear reactor channel, Within which is stacked a set of fuel cartridges.
  • FIGURE 2 is a sectional view to a larger scale illustrating the details of the construction of the contact device according to the invention.
  • thermoelect'ric probe of small dimensions which can be introduced into or secured to the very thin walls of the cartridge without any danger of breakage of the canning of the cartridge.
  • Such a probe generally requires leading-out wires of very sroall diameter and it is diiicult to connect these to appropriate conductors which are capable of passing through a sealing system to the outside of the enclosed space of the reactor for an appropriate utilisation of the measurement.
  • the particular conditions due to the circulation of the cooling iluid and to the effect of radiation during operation are incompatible with a simple connection of the wires of the probe to the said conductors. It is necessary to provide various systems, which are generally complex and diiiicult to produce with members of simple form which consist of materials capable of behaving correctly in the presence of the neutron liux.
  • the device according to the invention permits obviating the aforesaid disadvantages while aiording particularly appreciable reliability of operation.
  • FIGURE 1 there is illustrated by way of example a nuclear reactor channel extending through the moderator structure 2 of the reactor.
  • the invention could be applied in the same way in other reactor types, and notably in cases where the cartridges are stacked inside a tube in a reactor channel.
  • the upper portion 3 of the channel which is closed by a iluid-tight plug 4, extends, between the moderator structure 2 and the protective shield 5, through a free space 6 through which the cooling liquid circulating within the channel 1 can escape after having passed through apertures such as 7.
  • Stacked in the channel under consideration is a number of cartridges such as 8 constituting what is conventionally called a train of cartridges.
  • the end of this train comprises a false cartridge 9, i.e. an element having the same dimensions and geometrical characteristics as the cartridges 8, but containing no issile material.
  • the Contact device proper comprises a central stud 25 secured along the axis of the cartridge by a screw 26 to the support 24 and a peripheral stud 27 secured by means of rivets such as 29 to a flexible cup 28 coaxially maintained around the stud 2S and bearing against the support 24 by means of a tubular casing 30 screwed on to the latter.
  • Two ceramic cross-members or spacing members 31 and 32 provide appropriate electric insulation between the two studs 2S and 27 on the one hand and the studs and the canning on the other hand.
  • the conductors 33 and 34 are disposed within insulating sheathings such as 35 maintained in contact with a longitudinal supporting lug 36 xedly mounted between the fins 37 of the canning 20 by any appropriate means, notably by welding.
  • the sheathings 35 are aligned along the lug 36 by grooved guides 38 (FIGURE 3) situated at regular intervals along its length.
  • the device according to the invention makes it possible to transmit very reliably the items of information received from the thermoelectric probe, even if the alignment of the various cartridges is not perfect.
  • the resilience of the cup 28 constantly ensures appropriate contact between the successive peripheral studs Y 27, the contact between the central studs 25 may also be further improved by forming them with a male profile and a female profile respectively which can slide one with respect to the other regardless of the relative disalignment of the cartridges.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Plasma & Fusion (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • High Energy & Nuclear Physics (AREA)
  • Monitoring And Testing Of Nuclear Reactors (AREA)
US270676A 1962-04-10 1963-04-04 Electric connectors for nuclear fuel cartridges Expired - Lifetime US3175956A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR893925A FR1329632A (fr) 1962-04-10 1962-04-10 Dispositif pour la transmission d'une différence de potentiel entre deux cartouchessuccessives empilées dans un canal de réacteur nucléaire

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3175956A true US3175956A (en) 1965-03-30

Family

ID=8776501

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US270676A Expired - Lifetime US3175956A (en) 1962-04-10 1963-04-04 Electric connectors for nuclear fuel cartridges

Country Status (8)

Country Link
US (1) US3175956A (fr)
BE (1) BE630883A (fr)
CH (1) CH397096A (fr)
DE (1) DE1194073B (fr)
FR (1) FR1329632A (fr)
GB (1) GB954777A (fr)
LU (1) LU43483A1 (fr)
NL (1) NL291384A (fr)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3441897A (en) * 1965-06-23 1969-04-29 Commissariat Energie Atomique Device for transmitting electrical measurements

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR1252173A (fr) * 1959-12-17 1961-01-27 Electricite De France Appareillage pour la mesure de températures par contacts thermo-couples
CA614279A (en) * 1961-02-07 United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority Fuel elements for nuclear reactors
GB875462A (en) * 1957-02-04 1961-08-23 Rateau Soc Improvements in nuclear reactors
US3104215A (en) * 1957-03-15 1963-09-17 Atomic Energy Authority Uk Method of equipping a nuclear reactor fuel element with a thermocouple

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CA614279A (en) * 1961-02-07 United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority Fuel elements for nuclear reactors
GB875462A (en) * 1957-02-04 1961-08-23 Rateau Soc Improvements in nuclear reactors
US3104215A (en) * 1957-03-15 1963-09-17 Atomic Energy Authority Uk Method of equipping a nuclear reactor fuel element with a thermocouple
FR1252173A (fr) * 1959-12-17 1961-01-27 Electricite De France Appareillage pour la mesure de températures par contacts thermo-couples

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3441897A (en) * 1965-06-23 1969-04-29 Commissariat Energie Atomique Device for transmitting electrical measurements

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB954777A (en) 1964-04-08
DE1194073B (de) 1965-06-03
LU43483A1 (fr) 1963-06-04
NL291384A (fr)
FR1329632A (fr) 1963-06-14
CH397096A (fr) 1965-08-15
BE630883A (fr)

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