Patent Number: 043437621
Section: description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1, the invention comprises a tungsten reinforced, refractory ceramic bottle 10. A fuel core assembly 12 is suspended in the top of neck 14 of bottle 10. A vertical array of baffle sets 16 extends from under the fuel core assembly to the base 17 of said bottle 10. Beginning with a first baffle set 26, the next with 2 or 3 baffles 19 and each baffle set therebelow has double the number of baffles as the one immediately above it (see FIGS. 2 or 3). The number of baffle sets 16 is determined by the amount of nuclear fuel in the core assembly 12 so as to divide it into the relatively safe fuel pellet masses in which nuclear fuel is shipped. Bottle 10 comprises a body 20 having a cylindrical lower part 22 and frustoconical upper part 24 fixed to the neck 14. Baffle sets 16 are supported and arranged in bottle 10 as shown in FIG. 1, with three baffle sets 26-28 supported in bottle neck 14, and three baffle sets 29-31 supported in the bottle body 20 on base 17, and which support neck baffle sets 26-28. All of the baffle sets 16 are cylindrical except for baffle set 31 which is annular in shape to define a center space 32 in which a heat exchanger (not shown) may be mounted. An impact plate 34 covers space 32 which is greater in diameter than the remainder of the baffle sets, and thus slopes upwardly to a center cone 36 that extends from the impact plate upwardly into baffle sets 30 and 29 which are adapted to engage therearound. Space 38, defined in the conical upper part 24 of bottle 10 by bottle baffle sets 29-30, center cone 36, and impact plate 34, provides for gas expansion and containment of radioactive gas products of the melt-down. Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the second baffle set 27 can be comprised of two or three baffles, depending on the available space and the mass of nuclear fuel in the core assembly. By doubling the number of baffles 19 begining with one baffle in the baffle set 29, there will be 32 baffles in set 31. If upper set 27 begins with three baffles, then lower set 31 will have 48 baffles in the same number of sets below. In use, the invention functions to divide a melt-down mass of nuclear fuel into twice the number of masses for each set of baffles, at least, thru which it passes, thereby rapidly reducing the separate masses to below criticality and fissioning, and at the same time to absorb neutrons necessary for chain reaction fissioning. Expansion for radioactive gaseous products is provide in space 38, and cooling is provided in space 32. Thus all radioactive products of a melt-down are contained in bottle 10 and prevented from contaminating the environment, and fission of nuclear fuel is halted by division into less than critical masses halted prior to a nuclear explosion. It should be noted that center cone 36 and impact plate 34 direct the melt outwardly and downwardly into the most multitudinous baffles of the bottom annular baffle set 31.