Patent Number: 041860497
Section: claims

1. A heat exchanger integrated into the main vessel of a molten combustible salt reactor comprising a reactor vessel containing the active core, a main vessel surrounding said reactor vessel, pumps and primary exchanges, an outer vessel spaced from said main vessel, a coolant between said main and said outer vessel maintaining said main vessel wall at a temperature below the melting temperature of a nuclearly inactive coating of solid salt on and protecting an inner surface of said main vessel, a plurality of autonomous heat transfer modules for removing heat from the core, each of said modules comprising a primary exchanger and a pump, each of said modules being suspended in the space between said main vessel and said reactor vessel, the improvement comprising a first bearing surface at the base of each of said modules, a horizontally extending plate secured around the lower end of said reactor vessel extending toward and spaced from said main vessel and ending in said coating of solid salt, an opening in said plate for each of said modules and a second bearing surface around each of said openings supporting the adjacent one of said first bearing surfaces. 2. A heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein each of said opening sealingly cooperates with a lower part of said core by a delivery pipe for salt from the pump to the base of the reactor core. 3. A heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein each of said openings communicates directly with a space in a lower part of said main vessel and beneath said reactor vessel, direct passages in said space for the return of the cold salt to the reactor core, the sealing of said space on the main vessel side being provided by said solid salt coating. 4. A heat exchanger according to claim 3, wherein a free end of said plate is tapered and underlies an annular boss on said main vessel within said solid salt coating. 5. A heat exchanger according to claim 4, wherein said free end of said plate supports on an upper face a graphite sealing element engaging a lower surface of said boss. 6. A heat exchanger according to claim 4 wherein said free end of said plate has on assembly and when cold an external diameter less than the internal diameter of said boss.