Patent Number: 050376071
Section: abstract

The present invention provides a structural component for constituting a reactor core comprising one and the other metallic members arranged adjacent to each other in a reactor, and reduction means for reducing a difference in the swelling between the metallic members due to neutron irradiation thereto; a core of the reactor comprising a plurality of such constructural element; and a method for operating a reactor having metallic tubular members arranged in a core of the reactor and each enclosing a plurality of metallic cladding tubes in each of which substance heated by neutron irradiation thereto and cooled by passing coolant through the reactor core is filled, wherein the reactor is operated under a condition that an average used temperature of the cladding tubes is higher than an irradiation temperature that the swelling rate of the cladding material due to neutron irradiation thereto becomes maximum and an average used temperature of the tubular members is lower than an irradiation temperature that the swelling rate of the tubular material due to neutron irradiation thereto becomes maximum. According to the structural component and the reactor core, since the difference in the swelling between the metallic members due to neutron irradiation thereto can be decreased, any mechanical interactions can be prevented or reduced. According to the present method, since the difference in the swelling between the metallic members due to neutron irradiation thereto can be decreased due to the above operation temperature condition, any mechanical interactions can be prevented or reduced.