Nuclear reactor, core vessel intercept construction

A pressurized-water nuclear reactor including a pressure vessel having a substantially cylindrical side wall and a substantially hemispherical bottom wall above which a core vessel is positioned by its top, with its lower end spaced above this bottom wall, and means extending upwardly from the latter towards said lower end for intercepting said core vessel if it accidentally falls, said pressure vessel having a cover and pressurized-water coolant connections;

• wherein the improvement comprises said means being formed by a structural metal framework inside of said vessel and supported by said bottom wall at a plurality of interspaced positions, said framework extending upwardly until at least adjacent to the core vessel's said lower end, at least some of said interspaced locations being adjacent to the peripheral portion of said bottom wall, said framework including a plurality of substantially vertical interspaced columns extending upwardly from said locations adjacent to said peripheral portion, a central substantially vertical column extending upwardly from substantially the center of said bottom, and struts extending laterally from this central column to said plurality of columns and positioning them on said peripheral portions.