Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A core catcher for use in a boiling water nuclear plant which has:a base mat;a reactor building built on a part of the base mat;a containment vessel provided in the reactor building, built on the base mat and having a total height of not exceeding 29.5 m to a lower end of a top slab;a core;a reactor pressure vessel holding the core;a dry well constituting a part of the containment vessel and holding the reactor pressure vessel;a pedestal connected to the base mat and supporting the reactor pressure vessel through a vessel skirt and a vessel support;a wet well constituting a part of the containment vessel, the wet well being provided around the pedestal, holding a suppression pool in a lower part thereof, and having a wet well gas phase at an upper part thereof;LOCA vent pipes provided in a sidewall of the pedestal and connecting the dry well to the suppression pool;a lower dry well which is a space in the dry well, is located below the vessel skirt and the reactor pressure vessel and is surrounded by the sidewall of the hollow cylindrical pedestal and the part of the base mat, which lies inside the sidewall of the pedestal;control rod drives provided in the lower dry well and connected to a lower part of the reactor pressure vessel; anda control rod drive handling equipment provided in the lower dry well and below the control rod drives;the core catcher comprising:a main body including:a distributor arranged on the part of the base mat in the lower dry well, a basin arranged on the distributor,cooling channels arranged on a lower surface of the basin, having inlets connected to the distributor and extending in radial directions, anda riser connected to outlets of the cooling channels and extending upward in vertical direction;a lid connected to an upper end of the riser and covering the main body;a cooling water injection pipe connected at an inlet end to the suppression pool, penetrating the sidewall of the pedestal, connected at an outlet end to the distributor, and configured to supply suppression pool water to the distributor; andchimney pipes connected at an inlet end to the riser, penetrating the sidewall of the pedestal, and having an outlet end located above the upper end of the riser and submerged in the suppression pool water at a level lower than a minimum water level at a time of an accident,wherein the upper ends of the main body and the lid are at heights lower than lower end of the control rod drive handling equipment, as measured from upper end of the base mat,wherein the cooling water injection pipe, the distributor, the cooling channels, the riser and the chimney pipes are kept communicated with the suppression pool at all times, and always filled with the suppression pool water, the core catcher further comprising:a sump; anda sump riser extending upward along a sidewall of the sump, whereinthe basin and parts of the cooling channels surround the peripheries of the sump in conformity with a shape of the sump. 2. The core catcher according to claim 1, whereina refractory layer is provided along an upper surface of the basin and along a side of the riser. 3. The core catcher according to claim 2, wherein a sacrificial layer is provided along the refractory layer. 4. The core catcher according to claim 1, wherein the upper ends of the main body and the lid are positioned lower than a level 1.7 m above the upper end of the base mat. 5. The core catcher according to claim 4, whereina refractory layer is provided along an upper surface of the basin and along a side of the riser. 6. The core catcher according to claim 5, wherein a sacrificial layer is provided along the refractory layer.