Nuclear reactor construction with bottom supported reactor vessel
- Bullskin Township, Fayette County, PA
An improved liquid metal nuclear reactor construction has a reactor core and a generally cylindrical reactor vessel for holding a large pool of low pressure liquid metal coolant and housing the core within the pool. The reactor vessel has an open top end, a closed flat bottom end wall and a continuous cylindrical closed side wall interconnecting the top end and bottom end wall. The reactor also has a generally cylindrical concrete containment structure surrounding the reactor vessel and being formed by a cylindrical side wall spaced outwardly from the reactor vessel side wall and a flat base mat spaced below the reactor vessel bottom end wall. A central support pedestal is anchored to the containment structure base mat and extends upwardly therefrom to the reactor vessel and upwardly therefrom to the reactor core so as to support the bottom end wall of the reactor vessel and the lower end of the reactor core in spaced apart relationship above the containment structure base mat. Also, an annular reinforced support structure is disposed in the reactor vessel on the bottom end wall thereof and extends about the lower end of the core so as to support the periphery thereof. In addition, an annular support ring having a plurality of inward radially extending linear members is disposed between the containment structure base mat and the bottom end of the reactor vessel wall and is connected to and supports the reactor vessel at its bottom end on the containment structure base mat so as to allow the reactor vessel to expand radially but substantially prevent any lateral motions that might be imposed by the occurrence of a seismic event. The reactor construction also includes a bed of insulating material in sand-like granular form, preferably being high density magnesium oxide particles, disposed between the containment structure base mat and the bottom end wall of the reactor vessel and uniformly supporting the reactor vessel at its bottom end wall on the containment structure base mat so as to insulate the reactor vessel bottom end wall from the containment structure base mat and allow the reactor vessel bottom end wall to freely expand as it heats up while providing continuous support thereof. Further, a deck is supported upon the side wall of the containment structure above the top open end of the reactor vessel, and a plurality of serially connected extendible and retractable annular bellows extend between the deck and the top open end of the reactor vessel and flexibly and sealably interconnect the reactor vessel at its top end to the deck. An annular guide ring is disposed on the containment structure and extends between its side wall and the top open end of the reactor vessel for providing lateral support of the reactor vessel top open end by limiting imposition of lateral loads on the annular bellows by the occurrence of a lateral seismic event.
- Research Organization:
- Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AM02-76CH94000
- Assignee:
- United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4681731
- OSTI ID:
- 866315
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
reactor
construction
bottom
supported
vessel
improved
liquid
metal
core
cylindrical
holding
pool
pressure
coolant
housing
top
closed
flat
wall
continuous
interconnecting
concrete
containment
structure
surrounding
formed
spaced
outwardly
base
mat
below
central
support
pedestal
anchored
extends
upwardly
therefrom
apart
relationship
annular
reinforced
disposed
periphery
addition
plurality
inward
radially
extending
linear
connected
supports
allow
expand
substantially
prevent
lateral
motions
imposed
occurrence
seismic
event
bed
insulating
material
sand-like
granular
form
preferably
density
magnesium
oxide
particles
uniformly
supporting
insulate
freely
heats
providing
deck
serially
extendible
retractable
bellows
extend
flexibly
sealably
interconnect
guide
limiting
imposition
loads
reactor vessel
metal nuclear
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