Liquid cooled nuclear reactor with improved flow distribution means

Claim 1

A NUCLEAR REACTOR, COMPRISING: A LIQUID-TIGHT TANK; AN INLET PIPE CONNECTED TO SAID TANK FOR SUPPLYING A LIQUID COOLANT THERETO; AN OUTLET PIPE CONNECTED TO SAID TANK FOR WITHDRAWING COOLANT THEREFROM; A FIRST PLURALITY OF ELONGATED BODIES CENTRALLY MOUNTED WITHIN SAID TANK AND CONTAINING FISSILE MATERIAL THEREIN, EACH OF SAID ELONGATED BODIES BEING PROVIDED WITH PASSAGE MEANS FOR THE FLOW OF LIQUID COOLANT THERETHROUGH; A SECOND PLURALITY OF ELONGATED BODIES MOUNTED WITHIN SAID TANK IN RADIALLY OUTWARD RELATION WITH RESPECT TO SAID FIRST PLURALITY OF ELONGATED BODIES AND EACH BEING PROVIDED WITH PASSAGE MEANS FOR THE FLOW OF LIQUID COOLANT THERETHROUGH; FLOW RESTRICTOR MEANS MOUNTED IN THE PATHS OF FLOW THROUGH AT LEAST SOME OF SAID PASSAGE MEANS; ANNULAR BAFFLE MEANS MOUNTED IN THE PATH OF FLOW THROUGH SAID INLET PIPE AT A POINT UPSTREAAM OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND PLURALITY OF ELONGATED BODIES FOR DIVIDING THE FLOW OF LIQUID COOLANT FROM SAID INLET PIPE INTO TWO SEPARATE COAXIAL INNER AND OUTER LIQUID FLOW PATHS AND FOR DIRECTING THE RESPECTIVE PATHS DIVIDED THEREBY INTO THE PASSAGES OF THE FIRST AND SECOND ELONGATED BODIES, RESPECTIVELY; AND THROTTLING MEANS POSITIONED IN ONE OF SAID DIVIDED FLOW PATHS TO CONTROL THE RELATIVE RATE OF FLOW BETWEEN SAID INNER AND OUTER FLOW PATHS.