SODIUM COOLED GRAPHITE REACTOR CORE

Patent · Mon Jun 27 04:00:00 EDT 1960

OSTI ID:4795907

A sodium-cooled reactor comprises a reactor tank filled with liquid sodium, this tark being divided by a horizontal wall into a lower smaller portion at the bottom, constituting the entrance header for the sodium flow and an upper major portion enclosing the container for the reactor core. A plurality of vertical reactor tubes crossing this core container give accommodation for the fuel elements, these tubes communicating at their lower ends with the entrance header and at their upper ends with the upper portion of the reactor tark. The core container, completely immersed in the liquid sodium, is supported via end pieces of the reactor tubes by the said dividing wall. The core container encloses unheated graphite moderator elements and conserves free spaces near its top and bottom. Bellows are provided at the upper end of each reactor tube in order to form a gas-tight connection with the top wall of said container and to allow axial expansion or contraction of the reactor tabes. In the core container which is free from sodium, the reactor tubes are enclosed by protecting tubes delimiting annular protecting spaces with the outer surfaces of the reactor tubes. These protecting spaces are in communication with said free spaces near the top and the bottom of the core container. (NPO)

• Research Organization: Originating Research Org. not identified
• NSA Number: NSA-16-015838
• OSTI ID: 4795907
• Report Number(s): FR 1237970
• Country of Publication: France
• Language: English

Related Subjects

EXPANSION
FUEL ELEMENTS
GRAPHITE MODERATOR
LIQUID FLOW
LIQUID METAL COOLANT
PATENT
REACTOR CORE
REACTOR TECHNOLOGY
REACTORS
SODIUM
TUBES
VESSELS
ZONES