Nuclear reactor with improved core arrangement facilitating loading and unloading of fuel assemblies and control rod assemblies

Claim 1

IN A MOBILE UNIT, A NUCLEAR REACTOR AFFORDING A SOURCE OF PROPELLING POWER FOR SAID UNIT AND COMPRISING AN ELONGATED HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED PRESSURE VESSEL MOUNTED TO EXTEND LENGTHWISE IN THE DIRECTION OF PROPULSION OF SAID UNIT AND HAVING AN ACCESS OPENING AT ITS TOP; A REACTOR CORE STRUCTURE MOUNTED WITHIN SAID PRESSURE VESSEL AND COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF ELONGATED FUEL ASSEMBLIES AND A PLURALITY OF ELONGATED FUEL ASSEMBLIES ADAPTED FOR GENERALLY ENDWISE INDIVIDUAL MOVEMENT THEREOF THROUGH SAID ACCESS OPENING; MEANS FOR RELEASABLY SECURING SAID FUEL ASSEMBLIES WITHIN SAID VESSEL IN STACKED CONDITION SO AS TO POSITION SAID FUEL ASSEMBLIES LENGTHWISE IN THE LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION OF SAID VESSEL; DRIVE MEANS FOR RECIPROCATING SAID CONTROL ROD ASSEMBLIES LENTHWISE IS PARALLEL RELATION TO SAID FUEL ASSEMBLIES; AND RELEASABLE CONNECTING MEANS BETWEEN SAID DRIVE MEANS AND CONTROL ROD ASSEMBLIES PERMITTING VERTICAL SEPARATION OF SAID CONTROL ROD ASSEMBLIES FROM SAID DRIVE MEANS.