Gas cooled nuclear reactor with improved fuel element arrangement

Claim 1

IN A GAS-COOLED NUCLEAR REACTOR HAVING A VERTICALLY DISPOSED PRESSURE VESSEL AND A TOP GRID PLATE SUPPORTED WITH SAID VESSEL, A FUEL ELEMENT ARRANGEMENT COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF INDIVIDUAL ELONGATED VERTICALLY DISPOSED FUEL ELEMENTS ARRANGED IN SIDE-BY-SIDE RELATION TO FORM A CLUSTER, MEANS TYING TOGETHER THE LOWER ENDS OF SAID FUEL ELEMENTS, A SUPPORTING FRAME STRUCTURE RELEASABLY SUPPORTED BY SAID TOP GRID PLATE, AN UPWARDLY ELONGATED HANGER AT THE TOP OF EACH OF SAID FUEL ELEMENTS WHICH CONNECTS SAID FUEL ELEMENT IN SPACED DEPENDING RELATION FROM SAID SUPPORTING FRAME STRUCTURE, AT LEAST A PORTION OF EACH OF SAID HANGERS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY SMALLER HORIZONTAL CROSS SECTION THAN THE CROSS SECTION OF SAID FUEL ELEMENT, SAID FUEL ELEMENT CLUSTE BEING UNENCLOSED BETWEEN SAID FRAME STRUCTURE AND THE TOPS OF SAID FUEL ELEMENTS THEREBY PROVIDING A TRANSVERSE PASSAWAY FOR GASEOUS COOLANT BETWEEN THE LOWER SURFACE OF SAID SUPPORTING FRAME STRUCTURE AND SAID FUEL ELEMENTS, AND MEANS GENERALLY CENTRALLY LOCATED ON SAID SUPPORTING FRAME STRUCTURE AFFORDING ENGAGEMENT BY FUEL HANDLING MECHANISM FOR TRANSPORT OF THE FUEL ELEMENT CLUSTERS AS A UNIT.