Nuclear reactor plant

Claim 1

A NUCLEAR REACTOR LOCATED IN AN UNDERGROUND SPACE FORMED IN ROCK AND COMPRISING A REACTOR BODY COOLED BY A CIRCULATING MEDIUM UNDER PRESSURE, COLLECTING AND DISTRIBUTING MEANS FOR SAID CIRCULATING MEDIUM, FUEL HANDLING EQUIPMENT ABOVE SAID BODY INCLUDING HOISTING MEANS AND MANIPULATORS FOR FUEL RODS, AND A REACTOR VESSEL ENCLOSING SAID REACTOR BODY AND SAID MEANS AND EQUIPMENT, THE INNER WALL OF THE REACTOR VESSEL BEING SUBJECTED TO A SUBSTANTIAL PRESSURE DURING NORMAL OPERATION OF THE REACTOR, SAID ROCK HAVING ATLEAST ONE EXIT TO THE OUTSIDE MEANS EXTENDING THROUGH ONE SUCH EXIT TO TRANSMIT THE THERMAL ENERGY ABSORBED BY THE COOLING MEDIUM TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE ROCK SPACE, MEANS TO BRING A FLUID COOLING MEDIUM IN HEAT EXCHANGE RELATION WITH SUBSTANTIALLY THE WHOLE OF THE WALL OF THE VESSEL, SAID WALL BEING OF A THICKNESS INSUFFICIENT TO WITHSTAND SAID SUBSTANTIAL PRESSURE, A SUBSTANTIALLY INCOMPRESSIBLE PRESSURE TRANSMITTING MEDIUM CAPABLE OF TRANSMITTING PRESSURE SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE PRESSURE ON THE INNER WALL OF THE VESSEL CONFINED IN AND COMPLETELY FILLING THE SPACE BETWEEN THE BOTTOM, TOP AND SIDE WALLS OF THE VESSEL AND THE SURROUNDING ROCK, AND SUBJECTED TO PRESSURE BY THE PRESSURE EXERTED ON THE INTERIOR OF THE WALL OF THE REACTOR VESSEL, AND MEANS SEALING ALL EXITS THROUGH THE ROCK FROM SUCH SPACE AND THE INCOMPRESSIBLE MEDIUM EXTENDING TO SUCH SEALING MEANS.