Mpr Associates, Inc.

Thomas E Greene

Sterling J Weems

In a nuclear reactor including a reactor vessel and a core shroud disposed within the reactor vessel in laterally spaced relation, a seismic support includes a spacer extending between laterally opposed surfaces of the reactor vessel and the core shroud to limit lateral movement of the core shroud relative to the reactor vessel and a deformable member carried by the spacer and having a configuration to deform substantially elastically in response to impacts caused by an operating basis earthquake and substantially plastically at relatively constant load in response to impacts caused by a design basis earthquake. The deformable member can be carried at an end of the spacer adjacent the reactor vessel or between the spacer and a bearing plate, and can be formed of a material having a yield strength less than that of the spacer and/or be of reduced cross-sectional area as compared with the spacer to yield under a desired seismic load. In a preferred embodiment, the seismic support defines a bearing surface in spaced relation with an interior surface of the reactor vessel to define a clearance gap that minimizes the frequency and magnitude of impacts between the core shroud and the reactor vessel.

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Alexandria, VA, United States of America

Thomas E Greene