Patent Number: 046577300
Section: claims

1. A nuclear reactor, comprising: a reactor pressure vessel, having a vertically oriented cylindrical tubular shell portion, the bottom of which is closed by a hemispherical shell portion having upper sidewalls;  a core barrel disposed internally within said reactor pressure vessel;  means mounted upon said reactor pressure vessel for engaging the periphery of said core barrel, comprising a cross beam member, and a pair of brackets connected to the opposite ends of said crossbeam member, said pair of brackets extending radially outwardly of said crossbeam member and engaging said reactor pressure vessel at the upper sidewalls of said hemispherical shell portion so as to radially space said crossbeam member from said reactor pressure vessel; recess means defined within said crossbeam member of said engaging means; key means secured to said core barrel and disposed within said recess means and  vertically oriented channel means defined within the confines of said crossbeam member and said brackets of said engaging means for providing a vertically directed fluid conduit for coolant flow through said engaging means.  means for transmitting radial load forces from said core barrel to said reactor pressure vessel as radially directed compression load forces, comprising said pair of brackets in the form of radially oriented and relatively divergent brackets, and  whereby said radially directed compression load forces include oppositely directed, balanced force components.  said core barrel comprises a bottom support plate; and  said engaging means engage the outer periphery of said bottom support plate.  shock absorber means disposed within said recess means and interposed between said engaging means and said key means.  means defined upon the brackets of said engaging means for converting horizontal bending moments into circumferential shear and radial compression forces under horizontally disposed tangentially oriented force loads, wherein said brackets are radially oriented and relatively divergent.  shock absorbing means mounted upon said crossbeam member of said engaging means.  said shock absorbing means comprises vertically disposed plastically collapsible stainless steel cylinders.  means defined upon the brackets of said engaging means for eliminating vertical bending moments under horizontally disposed tangentially directed force loading.  means defining the center of gravity of said engaging means relative to said reactor pressure vessel within a plane extending perpendicular to said reactor pressure vessel and including the center of load of said engaging means under said horizontally disposed tangentially directed force loading conditions.  means defined upon the brackets of said engaging means for converting vertical bending moments into circumferential shear and radial compression forces under vertical force loading.  lower support surfaces on said brackets inclined with respect to both horizontal and vertical planes within said reactor vessel.  said lower support surfaces are inclined at an angle .phi. of 60.degree. with respect to said vertical plane. 2. A nuclear reactor as set forth in claim 1, further comprising: 3. A nuclear reactor as set forth in claim 1, wherein: 4. A nuclear reactor as set forth in claim 1, further comprising: 5. A nuclear reactor as set forth in claim 1, further comprising: 6. A nuclear reactor as set forth in claim 1 wherein four said engaging means are provided, equiangularly disposed about the inner periphery of said pressure vessel. 7. A nuclear reactor as set forth in claim 1, further comprising: 8. A nuclear reactor as set forth in claim 7, wherein: 9. A nuclear reactor as set forth in claim 1, further comprising: 10. A nuclear reactor as set forth in claim 9, wherein said eliminating means comprises: 11. A nuclear reactor as set forth in claim 1, further comprising: 12. A nuclear reactor as set forth in claim 11, wherein said converting means comprises: 13. A nuclear reactor as set forth in claim 12, wherein: