Gas turbine engines

Claim 1

A closed-cycle gas turbine engine power plant comprising: compressor means; nuclear reactor means disposed within a pressure vessel and connected to receive and heat working fluid compressed by the compressor means; turbine means connected to receive and be driven by working fluid heated by the nuclear reactor means; and heat exchange means connected to receive and cool working fluid expanded in the turbine means and to return cooled working fluid to be compressed in the compressor means, the compressor means and the turbine means being removably disposed within a first recess in the pressure vessel and the heat exchange means being removably disposed within a second recess in the pressure vessel; said heat exchange means comprising a recuperator having a first flow path connected to receive the working fluid expanded in the turbine means in heat exchange relationship with a second flow path connected for the flow of the working fluid passing from the compressor means to the nuclear reactor means, and a cooler connected to receive working fluid from the first flow path and to return it to be compressed in the compressor means, said cooler comprising first and second substantially co-axial part-circular manifolds which are positioned adjacent one end thereof and which respectively communicate with the coolant inlet and outlet, and first and second annular arrays of pipes which communicate with and extend substantially axially from the first and second manifolds respectively, the ends of pipes of the first array remote from the manifolds communicating with the ends of the pipes of the second array remote from the manifolds, and a substantially cylindrical baffle within said first and second arrays of pipes, said baffle being arranged to sealingly engage the bottom of the second recess under its own weight so as to separate the first flow path of the recuperator from the working fluid flow path of the cooler.