Containment for a nuclear reactor

A nuclear containment system including a nuclear reactor vessel, the nuclear containment system comprising:

• a plurality of metallic rings, each of the metallic rings comprising an inner wall and an outer wall, wherein the plurality of metallic rings are stacked axially to comprise a nuclear containment structure;
• a central chamber within the nuclear containment structure, wherein the central chamber comprises a volume enclosed by the inner wall of each of the plurality of metallic rings;
• the central chamber configured to enclose the nuclear reactor vessel, wherein the inner wall of one or more of the plurality of metallic rings is configured to be flush against the nuclear reactor vessel;
• a plurality of auxiliary chambers within the nuclear containment structure, wherein the plurality of auxiliary chambers comprise a first set of cylindrical voids between the inner wall and the outer wall of one or more of the plurality of metallic rings, wherein one or more of the plurality of auxiliary chambers contains a lead or a lead-alloy compound for increasing the nuclear containment structure's ability to attenuate gamma radiation;
• and
• a plurality of cooling channels containing a liquid coolant within the nuclear containment structure, the cooling channels comprising a second set of cylindrical voids between the inner wall and the outer wall of one or more of the plurality of metallic rings, wherein the cooling channels are configured to direct the liquid coolant throughout the nuclear containment structure,
• wherein the nuclear containment structure is configured to shield the nuclear reactor vessel from kinetic events originating externally from the nuclear containment structure and to shield an external environment from kinetic events within the nuclear reactor vessel.