| abstract |
A spacer sleeve for positioning and restraining a nuclear fuel rod in a nuclear fuel assembly, having a thin walled tubular member having an inner wall and an outer end, and extending a height from a lower end to an upper end and being positioned around the fuel rod to form an unrestricted coolant flow passage along the height of the tubular member, the flow passage having a cross-sectional flow area formed between the fuel rod cladding and the inner wall of the tubular member, and a thin tab extending from the tubular member into the unrestricted flow area and secured to a portion of the cladding of the fuel rod. |