High converter reactor in pressurised water reactor vessel - occupies lower core zone and has absorber rods with common drive

摘要

A high converter reactor with heavy water in the primary circuit is installed in a pressure vessel for a conventional pressurised water (light water) reactor. The reactor core (20) occupies at most 0.7 times the height of the pressurised water reactor core and is located in the lowest portion of same; the steel- cased fuel rods are assembled to hexagonal fuel elements (22) and each fuel element has an absorber rod, all the absorber rods being connected to a common drive by spider-shaped connection pieces (21). Each connection piece pref. has a detachable coupling at the connection to the drive and also a detachable coupling to each absorber element. Used for the conversion of a pressurised water reactor to a reactor operating with heavy water on a plutonium recycle.