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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Nuclear reactor installation

Patent ·
OSTI ID:5835946

A nuclear reactor installation is described comprising a pressure vessel having a pair of concentric walls defining a peripheral chamber therebetween; a reactor core disposed within the pressure vessel for heating a primary coolant; a cooling circuit for conveying a secondary coolant in heat exchange relation with the primary coolant. The circuit includes at least one primary heat exchanger within the pressure vessel, at least one secondary heat exchanger outside the pressure vessel, coolant lines extending through the pressure vessel and connecting the heat exchanges together, and circulating means for circulating a secondary coolant through the heat exchangers; a heat sink extending around the pressure vessel; a source of at least one flowable heat-insulating agent outside the pressure vessel; a source of at least one flowable heat-conductive agent outside the pressure vessel; first means communicating the source of heat-insulating agent with the peripheral chamber during normal operation of the reactor core; and second means communicating the source of heat-conductive agent with the peripheral chamber to fill the chamber with heat-conductive agent in response to a disturbance in reactor core cooling.

Assignee:
Sulzer Brothers Limited, Winterthur
Patent Number(s):
US 4696791
OSTI ID:
5835946
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English