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

Core catcher for nuclear reactor core meltdown containment. [BWR; PWR]

Patent ·
OSTI ID:6495771

A bed of graphite particles is placed beneath a nuclear reactor core outside the pressure vessel but within the containment building to catch the core debris in the event of failure of the emergency core cooling system. Spray cooling of the debris and graphite particles together with draining and flooding of coolant fluid of the graphite bed is provided to prevent debris slump-through to the bottom of the bed.

Assignee:
Massachusetts Inst. of Tech.
Patent Number(s):
US 4113560
OSTI ID:
6495771
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English