Patent Number: 046438700
Section: claims

1. A nuclear reactor containment comprising: reactor vessel disposed in a metal cavity located partially or completely below the surface of the earth in a cavity,  a guard vessel, said reactor vessel being positioned within said guard vessel,  a thick metal basemat beneath the reactor vessel and guard vessel and at the bottom of the cavity,  means located below the basemat but adjacent to it for feeding water to a porous media situated in a zone immediately underneath the basemat, said water being converted to steam when the temperature of said zone exceeds the boiling point of water,  means for venting the steam so formed to the atmosphere, and  means in contact with said basemat for supporting same and for conducting heat therefrom.  a reactor vessel disposed in a cavity, said cavity having a thick metal sidewall,  a guard vessel positioned around said reactor vessel and sapced from said sidewall,  a thick metal basemat beneath the reactor vessel and guard vessel and at the bottom the cavity and extending beyond the perimeter of the cavity sidewall, and a bed of particulate, refractory material underlying the metal basemat,  means disposed in said bed for introducing water into the bed, said water being converted to steam when the temperature of the bed is above the boiling point of water,  means disposed in the bed for venting the steam so formed to the atmosphere, and  metal piling means contacting the basemat and extending downwardly through the bed, into the earth for supporting the basemat. 2. The reactor of claim 1 wherein the reactor vessel is disposed in a cavity having a thick metal sidewall. 3. The reactor of claim 2 wherein the metal cavity wall is integral with the metal basemat. 4. The reactor of claim 1 wherein said means for supporting the metal basemat comprises a plurality of metal piling means in contact with said basemat and which extend downwardly and outwardly into the earth, and additionally serve to conduct heat away from the reactor vessel and into underlying porous media and earth. 5. The reactor of claim 4 wherein the metal piling means are in the form of metal H-beams. 6. The reactor of claim 1 wherein the means for feeding water comprise a first series of perforated pipe means disposed horizontally under the metal basemat and the steam venting means comprise a second series of perforated pipe means disposed horizontally above the first series of pipe means. 7. The reactor of claim 6 wherein the first and second series of pipe means are buried in porous media. 8. A nclear reactor containment comprising: 9. The reactor of claim 8 wherein the metal basemat is integral with the metal cavity sidewall. 10. The reactor of claim 8, wherein said means for introducing water into the bed comprises a first series of perforated pipes, and wherein said means for venting the steam comprises a second series of perforated pipes located above said first series of perforated pipes. 11. The reactor of claim 8, wherein said metal piling means comprises a plurality of metal pilings in the form of H-shaped metal beams, each of said beams having one end thereof in contact with said basemat. 12. The reactor of claim 8, wherein said metal sidewall has a thickness of about eight inches, and wherein said basemat has a thickness of about three feet. 13. The reactor of claim 8, wherein said bed of material comprises an upper layer of fine material, an intermediate layer of coarse material, said intermediate layer being underlain by a layer of finer material having a thickness greater than said intermediate layer, and a lower layer of coarse material having a thickness greater than said layer of finer material.