Gas cooled nuclear reactor with im-proved coolant flow path arrangement and fuel assembly therefor

Claim 1

AN IMPROVED REACTOR CORE ASSEMBLY FOR A GAS COOLED HIGH TEMPERATURE NUCLEAR REACTOR, SAID ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A REACTOR PRESSURE VESSEL WITHIN WHICH ARE DISPOSED A CORE, A HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING GRID PLATE FOR SUPPORTING SAID CORE, A SIDE REFLECTOR FABRICATED OF NEUTRON MODERATING MATERIAL AND DISPOSED ALONG THE SIDE OF SAID CORE, THERMAL SHIELDING DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID SIDE REFLECTOR AND THE SIDE WALL OF SAID PRESSURE VESSEL, A BOTTOM REFLECTOR BELOW THE FUEL-CONTAINING PORTION OF SAID CORE AND FABRICATED OF NEUTRON MODERATING MATERIAL, A TOP REFLECTOR ABOVE THE FUEL-CONTAINING PORTION OF SAID CORE AND FABRICATED OF NEUTRON MODERATING MATERIAL, SAID TOP REFLECTOR COMPRISING A LOWER PORTION AND AN UPPER PORTION POSITIONED ABOVE AND SPACED FROM SAID LOWERE PORTION TO DEFINE AN EXHAUST GAS SPACE, AN EXHAUST GAS OUTLET DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID LOWER AND SAID UPPER PORTIONS OF SAID TOP REFLECTOR AND IN DIRECT COMMUNICATION WITH SAID EXHAUST GAS SPACE, SAID UPPER PORTION OF SAID TOP REFLECTOR AND THE PORTION OF SAID PRESSURE VESSEL ABOVE SASID UPPER PORTION OF SAID TOP REFLECTOR DEFINING AN UPPER SPACE, A COOLANT GAS INLET IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID UPPER SPACE AND WITH SAID GRID PLATE, WHEREBY A PORTION OF THE FLOW OF GAS FROM SAID INLET IS FED INTO SAID UPPER SPACE AND SAID CORE IS ADAPTED TO BE MAINTAINED IN HYDRODYNAMIC BALANCE.