Steam-cooled nuclear reactor power plant

Claim 1

IN COMBINATION A STEAM-COOLED NUCLEAR REACTOR FOR PRODUCING HIGH-PRESSURE SUPERHEATED STEAM, A MULTI-STAGE STEAM TURBINE CONSTRUCTED TO PARTIALLY EXPAND HIGH-PRESSURE STEAM WHICH IS REHEATED AND THEN FURTHER EXPANDED FOR PRODUCTION OF USEFUL POWER, A STEAM CONDENSER CONNECTED TO SAID TURBINE, SAID REACTOR HAVING NUCLEAR FUEL ASSEMBLIES AND TUBULAR PASSAGE MEANS FORMING PART OF AND IN HEAT EXCHANGE RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID FUEL ASSEMBLIES, SAID TUBULAR PASSAGE MEANS RECEIVING HIGH-PRESSURE SATURATED STEAM, A CLOSED PRESSURE VESSEL DISPOSED OUTSIDE OF SAID REACTOR, SAID VESSEL BEING PARTLY FILLED WITH WATER, FIRST CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTING SAID PRESSURE VESSEL WITH THE INLETS TO SAID TUBULAR PASSAGES, SECOND CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTING THE OUTLETS OF SAID TUBULAR PASSAGES WITH SAID PRESSURE VESSEL, THUS FORMING A CLOSED CIRCUIT PATH THROUGH SAID TUBULAR PASSAGES AND BACK TO THE SAID CLOSED VESSEL, A STEAM PUMP INTERPOSED IN SAID CONDUIT MEANS, A MOTOR DISPOSED TO DRIVE SAID PUMP, SAID PUMP REGULATABLY MOVING SATURATED STEAM FROM SAID CLOSED VESSEL THROUGH SAID TUBULAR PASSAGE MEANS AND BACK TO SAID VESSEL, THUS TRANSFERRING NUCLEAR HEAT FROM THE FUEL ASSEMBLIES TO THE SATURATED STEAM, THE RESULTING SUPERHEATED STEAM BEING DESUPERHEATED ON RE-ENTRY TO SAID VESSEL BY CONTACT WITH THE WATER IN SAID VESSEL, THEREBY EVAPORATING SOME OF THE WATER IN SAID VESSEL, THIRD CONDUIT MEANS BRANCHING OFF SUPERHEATED STEAM FROM SAID SECOND CONDUIT MEANS AND CONNECTING IT TO THE HIGH-PRESSURE INLET OF SAID STEAM TURBINE, FOURTH CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTING A FIRST INTERMEDIATE PRESSURE STAGE OF SAID TURBINE LEADING THE PARTLY EXPANDED STEAM TO RE-ENTER SAID TURBINE AT AN INTERMEDIATE TURBINE STAGE OF LOWER PRESSURE THAN SAID FIRST INTERMEDIATE STAGE FOR FURTHER EXPANSON IN THE TURBINE, CONVECTION-TYPE HEAT EXCHANGER MEANS INTERPOSED ON THE HEATING SIDE IN SAID SECOND CONDUIT MEANS AT A POINT BETWEEN THE OUTLETS FROM THE TUBULAR PASSAGES OF THE RECTOR AND THE INLET TO SAID PRESSURE VESSEL, THE HEEATED SIDE OF SAID HEAT EXCHANGER BEING INTERPOSED IN SAID THIRD CONDUIT MEANS FOR REHEATING THE STEAM ISSUING FROM THE FIRST INTERMEDIATE TURBINE STAGE BY THE SUPERHEATED STEAM, THEREBY REDUCING PARTLY THE SUPERHEAT OF THE STEAM IN THE SECOND CONDUIT MEANS BEFORE IT ENTERS THE PRESSURE VESSEL, FIFTH CONDUIT MEANS WITH INTERPOSED PUMPING MEANS LEADING THE CONDENSATE FROM THE CONDENSER BACK INTO SAID PRESSURE VESSEL, SIXTH VALVED CONDUIT MEANS BY-PASSING THE HEATED SIDE OF SAID HEAT EXCHANGER FOR REGULATING THE QUANTITY OF STEAM BEING REHEATED IN SAID HEAT EXCHANGER, TEMPERATURE SENSING MEANS IN SAID SECOND CONDUIT MEANS INTERPOSED IN SAID SECOND CONDUIT MEANS AT A POINT NEAR THE OUTLETS FROM SAID TUBULAR PASSAGES AND MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE VALVE IN SAID SIXTH CONDUIT MEANS IN RESPONSE TO CHANGES IN THE STEAM TEMPERATURE IN SAID SECOND CONDUIT MEANS INDICATED BY THE SAID TEMPERATURE SENSING MEANS.