Patent Number: 041994035
Section: claims

1. In a structure for a water-cooled and water-moderated nuclear reactor that includes fuel assemblies arranged in a core within a reactor vessel, thereby defining a core boundary, and a core barrel disposed around the core for confining coolant entering the vessel to the core barrel exterior until the coolant has reached the lower end of the core, a core shroud within the barrel for directing the coolant flow in a predetermined longitudinally upward direction through the fuel assemblies, comprising: a. a coolant boundary surrounding and spaced from the fuel assemblies, having an integral inner surface generally following the shape and extending the entire longitudinal length of the core boundary, for channeling the coolant through the fuel assemblies;  b. a plurality of longitudinally spaced, substantially cylindrical bands positioned inside the core barrel and surrounding the coolant boundary; and  c. a plurality of discrete support members for transferring loads from the coolant boundary to bands, including strut means extending between the coolant boundary and each band, the thicknesses of the strut means in the circumferential direction being smaller than the distance between proximate struts, whereby uninterrupted longitudinal flow between the coolant boundary and the core barrel may be maintained for cooling the coolant boundary. 2. A core shroud as recited in claim 1, wherein the support members are longitudinally oriented in the direction of the coolant flow. 3. A core shroud as recited in claim 2, wherein the core shroud is structurally independent of the core barrel. 4. A core shroud as recited in claim 1, wherein the core shroud is structurally independent of the core barrel.