Patent Number: 043953816
Section: claims

1. A confinement enclosure for a nuclear reactor, comprising: a housing in which a nuclear reactor is located, said housing consisting of a single wall formed of reinforced concrete;  containment means in said single wall for preventing flow of gas through said wall in the event of an accident involving the nuclear reactor, said containment means including a network of channels defined in said wall;  filter means located within said housing and fluidly connected to said channels to filter any fluid entering said channels from within said housing; and  pressurizing means for connecting said filter means to said containment means, said pressurizing means being fluidly connected to said channels and at all times maintaining a pressure on filtered fluid inside said channels at a level which is higher than the pressure inside said housing and higher than any fluid by-passing the filter means and passing through a crack in said wall;  whereby any fluid by-passing the filter means is prevented from entering any channel and only fluid passing through said filter means into said channels is permitted to reach the outside of said housing.  a housing in which a nuclear reactor is located, said housing consisting of a single wall formed of reinforced concrete;  containment means in said single wall for preventing flow of gas through said wall in the event of an accident involving the nuclear reactor, said containment means including a network of channels defined in said wall;  pressurizing means fluidly connected to said channels and at all times maintaining a pressure on fluid inside said channels at a level which is higher than the pressure inside said housing and higher than any fluid passing through a crack in said wall, said channels being located in a plurality of zones with each zone corresponding to a section of wall height, said channels being grouped according to said zones, and the channels of each zone being filled with water in communication with said pressurizing means constituted by a free level water reservoir located inside the enclosure at a higher level than the corresponding height section;  whereby any fluid passing through a crack in said wall is prevented from entering any channel and only fluid passing into said channels is permitted to reach the outside of said housing. 2. A confinement enclosure for a nuclear reactor, comprising: 3. A confinement enclosure according to claim 2, wherein said housing has a bottom provided with a drainage network filled with water from a free level reservoir inside the enclosure, the pressure in said drainage network being established by said reservoir.