Spring apparatus and support apparatus usable in nuclear installation
A spring apparatus in accordance with the disclosed and claimed concept is usable in a nuclear installation. In one embodiment, the spring apparatus includes a plurality of springs that are in a compressed state and that are compressively engaged with an upper core plate of a nuclear reactor when the reactor is in a cold condition. However, when the reactor is in a hot condition, a spring of the plurality of springs is in a free state wherein a free end of the spring is in an uncompressed state and is disengaged from the upper core plate. In another embodiment, the spring apparatus employs a support apparatus that is also in accordance with the disclosed and claimed concept and that includes one or more bumpers that engage the springs of a spring pack from the underside.
1. A support apparatus that is usable with a number of springs of a spring apparatus of a nuclear installation, the spring apparatus having a plurality of elongated springs that are stacked together one upon the other and that are affixed at a location thereon to a nozzle of a fuel assembly of the nuclear installation, the number of springs at another location thereon that is spaced from the location being engaged with an upper core plate of the nuclear installation, the number of springs engaged between the nozzle and the upper core plate being deformed between a compressed state and another compressed state when the nuclear installation is operated between a cold condition and a hot condition, the compressed state and the another compressed state being different than one another, the support apparatus comprising:
a support that is structured to be stacked together with the number of springs and to be affixed to the nozzle; and
an abutment apparatus that comprises a bumper that is affixed to the support and that is spaced a first distance from an end of the support, the bumper protruding a second distance away from a surface of the support and being structured to engage the number of springs at a position on the number of springs disposed between the location and the another location during at least a portion of the deformation between the compressed state and the another compressed state.
2. The support apparatus of claim 1 wherein the abutment apparatus further comprises another bumper that is affixed to the support and that is spaced another first distance from the end, the another bumper protruding another second distance away from the surface of the support and being structured to engage the number of springs at another position on the number of springs disposed between the location and the another location during another portion of the deformation between the compressed state and the another compressed state.
3. The support apparatus of claim 2 wherein at least one of:
the another first distance is greater than the first distance; and
the another second distance is greater than the second distance.
4. The support apparatus of claim 2 wherein the another first distance is greater than the first distance, and the another second distance is greater than the second distance.
5. The support apparatus of claim 2 wherein:
the plurality of springs are in the compressed state at the cold condition and are in the another compressed state at the hot condition; and
the bumper and the another bumper are structured to simultaneously engage the number of springs during the deformation between the compressed state and an intermediate compressed state that is between the compressed state and the another compressed state, the compressed state and the another compressed state each being different than the intermediate compressed state.
6. The support apparatus of claim 5 wherein the bumper is structured to engage the number of springs and the another bumper is structured to be disengaged from the number of springs during the deformation between the intermediate compressed state and the another compressed state.
7. A spring apparatus that is structured for use in a nuclear installation, the spring apparatus comprising:
a number of elongated springs;
a support apparatus comprising a support and an abutment apparatus that is situated on the support;
the number of springs and the support being stacked together one upon the other and being structured to be affixed at a location thereon to a nozzle of a fuel assembly of the nuclear installation, the number of springs at another location thereon that is spaced from the location being structured to be engaged with an upper core plate of the nuclear installation, the number of springs engaged between the nozzle and the upper core plate being deformed between a compressed state and another compressed state when the nuclear installation is operated between a cold condition and a hot condition, the compressed state and the another compressed state being different than one another; and
the abutment apparatus comprising a bumper that is affixed to the support and that is spaced a first distance from an end of the support, the bumper protruding a second distance away from a surface of the support and being structured to engage the number of springs at a position on the number of springs disposed between the location and the another location during at least a portion of the deformation between the compressed state and the another compressed state.
8. A spring apparatus that is structured for use in a nuclear installation, the spring apparatus comprising:
a plurality of elongated springs that are stacked together one upon the other and that are affixed at a location thereon to a nozzle of a fuel assembly of the nuclear installation;
when the nuclear installation is in a cold condition, the plurality of springs being in a compressed state and each being compressively engaged at another location thereon that is spaced from the location with an upper core plate of the nuclear installation; and
when the nuclear installation is in a hot condition:
a subset of the plurality of springs consisting of fewer than all of the plurality of springs being in another compressed state and each being compressively engaged with the upper core plate, and
a spring of the plurality of springs being in a free state wherein the spring is uncompressed and is disengaged from the upper core plate.
9. The spring apparatus of claim 8 wherein another spring of the plurality of springs has a tail, and wherein the spring has an opening formed therein, the tail being movably received in the opening.
10. The spring apparatus of claim 9 wherein the spring in the free state is disengaged from the fuel assembly.
11. The spring apparatus of claim 8 wherein the spring is situated relatively closer to the nozzle than the other springs of the plurality of springs.
12. The spring apparatus of claim 8 wherein a portion of the spring in the free state is spaced from the other springs of the plurality of springs.
13. The spring apparatus of claim 8 wherein the spring in the free state is of a substantially unvarying thickness.