Thermal column for a reactor

Claim 1

IN A NEUTRONIC REACTOR HAVING A CENTRAL REACTIVE CORE, A REFLECTOR SURROUNDING THE CORE, A SHIELD ENCLOSING THE REFLECTOR AND CORE, AND CONTROL MEANS EXTENDING THROUGH THE SHIELD AND REFLECTOR INTO THE CORE FOR REGULATING THE REACTION OF THE CORE, AN IMPROVED THERMAL COLUMN COMPRISING A PRIMARY THERMAL COLUMN FORMED OF A NEUTRON MODERATING MATERIAL EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM THE REFLECTOR SURROUNDING THE REACTIVE CORE AND IN A GENERALLY RADIAL DIRECTION WITH RESPECT TO THE CENTER OF THE CORE, SAID PRIMARY THERMAL COLUMN HAVING A NEUTRON CAVITY THEREIN WHICH IS SPACED FROM THE REACTIVE CORE A DISTANE SUFFICIENT TO THERMALIZE MOST OF THE NEUTRONS FLOWING TO SAID CAVITY FROM THE REACTIVE CORE THROUGH SAID PRIMARY COLUMN, AND A SECONDARY THERMAL COLUMN FORMED OF A NEUTRON MODERATING MATERIAL EXTENDING FROM SAID NEUTRON CAVITY IN A DIRECTION GENERALY TRANSVERSE TO THE DIRECTION OF SAID PRIMARY THERMAL COLUMN.