Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. Nuclear power station comprising:a plurality of high temperature reactors (2), each comprising a core (4) in which a plurality of fuel elements (5) are arranged;for each reactor (2), a dedicated storage installation (14, 16, 18, 20, 22) for the fuel elements (5) for said reactor (2);means (32) for transferring the fuel elements (5) between the core (4) and the storage installation (14, 16, 18, 20, 22);wherein the transfer means (32) comprise:a tunnel (34), of which a first portion (36) is situated near the core (4) and a second portion (38) is situated in or near the storage installation (14, 16, 18, 20, 22);first transfer means (48, 58) suitable for transferring at least one fuel element (5) between the core (4) and the first portion (36);second transfer means (78) suitable for transferring at least one fuel element (5) between the second portion and the storage installation (14, 16, 18, 20, 22);means (66) for transferring at least one fuel element (5) along the tunnel (34) between the first and second portions (36, 38); andmeans (86, 88) for moving the tunnel (34) between a plurality of service positions each corresponding to one of the reactors (2), the first portion (36) of the tunnel (34) being situated in each service position near the core of the corresponding reactor and the second portion (38) of the tunnel (34) being situated in or near the dedicated storage installation (14, 16, 18, 20) for said reactor (2). 2. Nuclear power station according to claim 1, wherein the first portion (36) is situated above the core (4). 3. Nuclear power station according to claim 1, wherein the first transfer means (48, 58) comprise first connection means substantially sealed between the core (4) and the first portion (36), the second transfer means (78) comprise second connection means (74) substantially sealed between the second portion (38) and the storage installation (14, 16, 18, 20, 22), the tunnel (34) forming with the first and second connection means a continuous sealed path for the fuel elements (5) from the core (4) to the storage installation (14, 16, 18, 20, 22). 4. Nuclear power station according to claim 1, wherein it comprises a first biological protection slab (26) situated above the reactor core (4), the tunnel (34) being arranged at least in part beneath or in the first biological protection slab (26). 5. Nuclear power station according to claim 4, wherein the first biological protection slab (26) comprises an aperture (40) perpendicular to the core (4), the power station comprising a support stopper (42) arranged removably in the aperture (40), the first portion (36) of the tunnel (34) being arranged in the support stopper (42). 6. Nuclear power station according to claim 4, wherein it comprises a second biological protection slab (29) situated above the storage installation (14, 16, 18, 20, 22), the second portion (38) of the tunnel (34) being situated at a lower elevation than that of the second biological protection slab (29). 7. Nuclear power station according claim 1, wherein it comprises a first biological protection slab (26) situated above the reactor core (4), the tunnel (34) being arranged at least in part above the first biological protection slab (26). 8. Nuclear power station according to claim 7, wherein the first biological protection slab (26) comprises an aperture (40) perpendicular to the core (4), the power station comprising a support stopper (42) arranged removably in the aperture (40), the first portion (36) of the tunnel (34) being arranged above the support stopper (42). 9. Nuclear power station according to claim 7, wherein it comprises a second biological protection slab (29) situated above the storage installation (14, 16, 18, 20, 22), the second portion (38) of the tunnel (34) being situated above the second biological protection slab (29). 10. Nuclear power station according to claim 1, wherein it comprises:a plurality of connection tunnels (110) connecting each two storage installation (14, 16, 18, 20) to each other, each connection tunnel (110) comprising a first portion situated near one of the two corresponding storage installations (14, 16, 18, 20) and a second portion situated in or near the other of the two corresponding storage installations (14, 16, 18, 20);for each connection tunnel (110), first transfer means suitable for transferring at least one fuel element (5) between the corresponding storage installation (14, 16, 18, 20) and the first portion;for each connection tunnel (110), second transfer means suitable for transferring at least one fuel element (5) between the second portion and the corresponding storage installation (14, 16, 18, 20);for each connection tunnel (110), means for transferring at least one fuel element (5) along the connection tunnel (110) between the first and second portions. 11. Nuclear power station according to claim 10, wherein it comprises a biological protection slab (29) situated above each storage installation (14, 16, 18, 20), the first and second portions of each connection tunnel (110) being situated at respective elevations lower than those of the biological protection slabs (29) of the corresponding storage installations (14, 16, 18, 20). 12. Nuclear power station according to claim 10, wherein the storage installations (14, 16, 18, 20) are arranged in a line, each connection tunnel (110) connecting two adjacent storage installations (14, 16, 18, 20) along the line. 13. Nuclear power station according to claim 1, wherein the core contains a given number of fuel elements, the storage installation having a storage capacity of at least one sixth of said given number of fuel elements.