Emergency deployable core catcher

Claim 1

An emergency deployable core catcher for a nuclear reactor core containment vessel having predetermined pressure and temperature ranges for normal safe operation and adapted to pass coolant therethrough comprising particulate holding vessel having an internal pressure less than said pressure of said core containment vessel but greater than the pressure outside said core containment vessel for normally containing substances therein, said holding vessel outside said core containment vessel and being connected to said core containment vessel to allow the transfer of said substances into said vessel, said holding vessel substances including particle transferring fluid and particles of solid eutectic solute material to be transferred by said fluid, said solid particle material being heavier than said transferring fluid, and valve means operable with said holding vessel to normally prevent passage of said contents of said holding vessel into said core containment vessel and being responsive to a predetermined pressure differential between said core containment vessel and said holding vessel wherein said core containment vessel pressure is less than said holding vessel pressure to cause the release of the contents of said eutectic solute holding vessel into said core containment vessel, whereby said solid material will tend to settle out of said transporting fluid by sedimentation in the bottom of said core containment vessel beneath said core, as said holding vessel contents pass through said core vessel, forming a body of material in the bottom of said core vessel to catch and react to molten fuel of said core, in the event of a melt down of said core, to tend to neutralize said molten fuel of said core.