End plug weld for nuclear fuel rod

This patent describes a nuclear fuel rod. It comprises: a tube having a wall, a hollow interior portion and at least one end portion; an end plug having a cylindrical body portion with a pair of opposing plug end portions substantially perpendicular therewith, substantially all of the end plug being disposed within the tube hollow interior portion so that one of the end plug end portions is substantially flush with the tube end portion; and a girth weld defining a melt zone and extending circumferentially around the tube and the end plug for sealingly connecting the end plug within the tube hollow interior portion, the girth weld being spaced from the tube end portion by a distance L sufficient to provide that the melt zone extends arcuately through the tube wall and into the end plug at the end plug cylindrical body portion