Experimental liquid metal fuel reactor

Claim 1

IN A LIQUID METAL FUEL NEUTRONIC REACTOR, A GRAPHITE SEGMENTED REACTIVE CORE, TOP AND BOTTOM GRAPHITE REFLECTORS FOR SAID CORE FORMING A CENTRAL CORE ASSEMBLY, AN ANNULAR REFLECTOR SURROUNDING AND CONTACTING SAID CENTRAL CORE ASSEMBLY CONSTRUCTED OF SEGMENTED GRAPHITE MEMBERS, MAIN FLOW PASSAGEWAYS FORMED IN SAID CORE ASSEMBLY FOR PERMITTING PRIMARY LIQUID FLOW THROUGH SAID REACTIVE CORE IN CRITICAL AMOUNTS OF SAID FUEL, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID ASSEMBLY AND SAID ANNULAR REFLECTOR TO PERMIT RELATIVE MOVEMENT THEREBETWEEN DUE TO DIFFERENCE IN THERMAL EXPANSION THEREBY RELIEVING TENSILE STRESSES IN SAID CORE ASSEMBLY AND ANNULAR REFLECTOR, THE LATTER SAID MEANS INCLUDING A CORE SUPPORT PLATE HAVING A THICKENED ANNULAR RING WITH AN INNER ANNULAR SHOULDER AND A THIN CENTRAL SECTION, A PLURALITY OF STACKED ANNULAR RING PLATES SET WITHIN SAID RING ON SAID SUPPORT PLATE WITH THE OUTER EDGE OF THE BOTTOM RING PLATE SUPPORTED BY SAID INNER SHOULDER AND THE INNER EDGE OF THE TOP ANNULAR RING PLATE HAVING A LIP IN CONTACT WITH AND SUPPORTING SAID CENTRAL CORE ASSEMBLY TO CONTAIN PRIMARY LIQUID FLOW WITHIN SAID CENTRAL CORE ASSEMBLY, SAID STACKED RING PLATES BEING MOUNTED TO FLEX INDEPENDENTLY OF EACH OTHER TO SUPPORT SAID CORE ASSEMBLY WITHOUT INDUCING EXCESSIVE STRESSES IN SAID CORE ASSEMBLY AND RING PLATES, AND AN ANNULAR FLEXIBLE METALLIC DIAPHRAGM EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID LIP AND SAID THICKENED ANNULAR RING TO FORM A POSITIVE SEAL AT THE JUNCTURE OF SAID STACKED RING PLATES AND THICKENED ANNULAR RING.