Refuelling means for nuclear reactors

Claim 2

A fast nuclear reactor comprising a core submerged in a pool of liquid coolant contained in a vessel, an annular store for fuel elements, disposed concentrically relative to said reactor core and submerged in said pool of liquid coolant, said store being in lateral register with the core and being rotatable about the axis of the core, said store having positions for supporting fuel elements therein, said positions being disposed around at least most of its annular extent and fuel element handling means being provided for moving fuel elements to said store and from the store to the core and vice versa, said fuel element handling means including straight lift means for loading and unloading said store and disposed at a position which is fixed relative to said store and able to register with at least one fuel element supporting position thereof, rotation of said store bringing the other fuel element supporting positions progressively into register therewith.

Claim 3

A fast nuclear reactor comprising a core submerged in a pool of liquid coolant contained in a vessel, an annular store for fuel elements disposed concentrically relative to said reactor core and submerged in said pool of liquid coolant, said store being in lateral register with the core and being rotatable about the axis of the core, said store having positions for supporting fuel elements therein, said positions being disposed around at least most of its annular extent and fuel element handling means being provided for moving fuel elements to said store and from the store to the core said fuel element handling means comprising first means for loading and unloading said store and disposed at a position which is fixed relative to said store and able to register with at least one fuel element supporting position thereof, rotation of said store bringing the other fuel element supporting positions progressively into register therewith, and further includes second, separate, means for transferring fuel elements from said store to said core and vice versa and itself translatable laterally relative to the axis of said core for being registrable in turn with any core position and any fuel element supporting position of the store.

Claim 4

A fast nuclear reactor comprising a core submerged in a pool of liquid coolant contained in a vessel, an annular store for fuel elements disposed concentrically relative to said reactor core and submerged in said pool of liquid coolant, said store being in lateral register with the core and being rotatable about the axis of the core, said store having positions for supporting fuel elements therein, said positions being disposed around at least most of its annular extent and fuel element handling means being provided for moving fuel elements to said store and from the store to the core said fuel element handling means comprising first means for loading and unloading said store and disposed at a position which is fixed relative to said store and able to register with at least one fuel element supporting position thereof, rotation of said store bringing the other fuel element supporting positions progressively into register therewith, and further includes second, separate, means for transferring fuel elements from said store to said core and vice versa and itself translatable laterally relative to the axis of said core for being registrable in turn with any core position and any fuel element supporting position of the store.

Claim 5

A nuclear reactor according to claim 2, wherein said second means comprises a transfer machine mounted on a rotatable shield itself mounted eccentrically in another rotatable shield disposed concentrically relative to and above the reactor core, and a bearing flange of the concentric shield, said bearing flange being eccentrically extended for providing a bearing surface for the eccentrically mounted shield carrying said transfer machine.

Claim 6

A nuclear reactor according to claim 3, wherein said transfer machine has associated with it means for flooding the machine with liquid coolant for enabling transfer of an irradiated fuel element from core to store to be carried out entirely in liquid coolant.

Claim 7

A nuclear reactor according to claim 2, wherein said first means is a charge/discharge machine for operating, in conjunction with said store, with buckets for containing a liquid coolant medium for a fuel element.

Claim 8

A nuClear reactor according to claim 2, wherein said store is suspended from a rotary carriage journaled in a fixed structural part of the reactor installation.