Reactor core with removable core elements

Claim 1

In a reactor core, hexagonally cross-sectioned core elements stacked in a plurality of adjacent, vertical columns, said uppermost core elements in each column having an outer metal jacket and an inner block of moderator material, said core elements having vertically extending projections on a horizontally disposed face thereof and having sockets on another horizontally disposed face, said sockets in one core element receiving said projections in another core element and aligning said core elements within said columns, keyways formed in some of the vertically disposed sides of said metal jackets and aligned with similar keyways in core elements in adjacent columns, removable keys projecting into pairs of aligned keyways to interlock adjacent columns to each other, said removable keys being fitted in said keyways for sliding vertically from the keyway of an adjacent core element with removal of an associated core element, and fixed keys secured to other sides of the core elements and projecting in other keyways formed in core elements of adjacent columns, said fixed keys being removed only with removal of the core element to which it is secured.