Patent ID: 8002314

Claim:
A T-shaped pipe work element for an auxiliary circuit of a nuclear reactor cooled by pressurized water, connected to a coolant system of the nuclear reactor in which cooling water of the reactor flows, the pipe work element comprising: a main tubular branch which has a first attachment end, for the connection thereof to a first pipe work portion of the auxiliary circuit, and a second attachment end, for the connection thereof to a second pipe work portion of the auxiliary circuit; a lateral branch which has an axis in an angular arrangement relative to the axis of the main branch and a free end for connection to a third pipe work portion of the auxiliary circuit; whereby the first, the second and the third pipe work portions of the auxiliary circuit, when the auxiliary circuit is operational, each carry out a function different from the other two portions; wherein the different functions include: supplying a first fluid at high temperature in the T-shaped pipe work element, providing a second fluid at a temperature which is lower than the temperature of the first fluid for the pipe work element, and discharging a mixture of the first and second fluids produced in the T-shaped pipe work element, the discharging function being carried out by the second pipe work portion; wherein the T-shaped pipe work element is produced from martensitic stainless steel; wherein the T-shaped pipe work element is produced in an asymmetrical T-shape, the lateral branch being connected to the main branch in a zone of the main branch which is not equidistant from the first and the second attachment ends of the main branch such that the length of a leg of the main tubular branch between the connection of the lateral branch and the second attachment end: is longer than the length of a leg between the connection of the lateral branch and the first attachment end, and is longer than the length of the lateral branch; further comprising austenitic stainless steel tubular connection elements which are connected end-to end to the first and second attachment ends of the main branch and to the free end of the lateral branch, respectively, of the martensitic stainless steel T-shaped tubular element; wherein said austenitic stainless steel tubular connection elements are each butt-welded to a respective attachment end of the main branch or alternatively to the lateral branch of the T-shaped tubular element.