Means for supporting fuel elements in a nuclear reactor

Fuel elements are elastically supported within a reactor by supporting means which comprise a plurality of individual supporting sections suitably stacked and joined together. Each individual supporting section includes a surrounding member such as a regular hexagonal frame rigidly assembled about rows of connected fuel element insertion rings having elastic supporting members for providing elastic support radially of the inserted fuel elements. The completed supporting mechanism comprises a number of the individual supporting sections stacked and joined together with insertion rings properly aligned and each successive supporting section having been rotated through an angle of 600. Large numbers of fuel elements thus may be reliably supported so as to elastically suppress radial movement and permit longitudinal expansion without deformation. (Owens, K. J.)