Patent Number: 040452840
Section: summary

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In a nuclear reactor, there is a danger that the nuclear fuel might get hot enough to melt and escape its containment, which would cause the release of large amounts of deadly radiation into the environment. Ordinarily reactor's are provided with water cooling ducts and other apparatus for maintaining the temperature of the fuel of the reactor, however, in the event of a failure of the cooling system, the reactor fuel will elevate the temperature to a point where the fuel will become melted into a flowing mass. This fluid flowing mass, will in turn, tend to increase its own temperature while it continues as a mass. Such a mass of molten fuel is extremely radioactive and accordingly, causes its own temperature elevation to a point where primary and secondary containments will be breached and will thereby expose the radioactive material to the environment. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a means for preventing escape of radioactive material into the environment from a nuclear reactor in which a gross core melt down has occurred. In this regard, this invention provides a reactor shield having a fuel containment chamber adapted to contain an atomic reactor and the reactor fuel therein. However, in the event of a gross core melt down of the reactor, the reactor shield is provided with an exhaust passage means whereby the melt down fuel and general radioactive mass produced thereby, will pass from the reactor shield and into a deactivating containment base provided by this invention. The deactivating containment base is provided with a dispersal means for receiving the radioactive mass of the melt down as it flows from the reactor and to distribute the flowing mass to separate the fuel into a plurality of smaller masses, which are preferably subcritical, whereby nuclear interaction, heat production, and dangerous isotope production are thereby reduced, the containment base acting as shielding between the masses and also functioning as a heat sink. Another embodiment of the invention further provides fuel fluxing material in the base dispersion means whereby the dangerously temperature elevated fuel mass, which is dispersed within the base, will be further cooled by the action of dissolving fluxing material with the fuel mass being dispersed within the base and thereby further provide for means for cooling the fuel. The fluxing and control material are maintained in a position apart from the core to eliminate uncertainties involving prolonged exposure of such materials to the core.