Operating element charging and withdrawal in a gas cooled high temperature reactor

A medium power, high temperature nuclear power reactor, said reactor comprising:

• a primary circuit arrangement for heating a gaseous substance, said primary circuit arrangement including:
• a prestressed concrete pressure vessel, said prestressed concrete pressure vessel having a bottom, and having a top remote from said bottom;
• foundation walls for supporting said prestressed concrete pressure vessel;
• a reactor protection building surrounding said prestressed vessel;
• a reactor auxiliary building in communication with said protection building;
• a pebble bed reactor core within said prestressed concrete pressure vessel, said pebble bed reactor core comprising operating elements being adapted to be passed once through said reactor core by force of gravity;
• means for introduction of said operating elements and withdrawing said operating elements, said means including charging conduits, first and second pebble tubes, exit conduits, and functional components for closing, metering, counting, distributing, and collecting of operating elements;
• and
• a plurality of armored ducts, each duct being arranged in such a way so as to operatively penetrate said prestressed concrete reactor vessel;
• means for introducing and withdrawing operating elements including:
• (a) at least two input stations, with each input station being arranged within said reactor protection building and above said prestressed concrete pressure vessel;
• and
• for each input station, at least one distributor block operatively connected thereto for distributing said operating elements;
• (b) a plurality of charging hatch blocks, with at least two charging hatch blocks being operatively connected to a corresponding distributor block, and each charging hatch block having
• means for containing functional components for closing, metering, and counting, said operating elements and said means being adapted to be positioned on said prestressed concrete pressure vessel ceiling;
• and
• means operatively connected within a corresponding armored duct for selecting;
• gating, and changing said operating elements, said means including charging conduits of helical shape and adapted to be followed beneath said prestressed concrete pressure vessel ceiling by at least one inlet conduit disposed in a non-straight configuration;
• (c) a plurality of exit conduits, scrap separators, and singularizers, with corresponding exit conduits being operatively connected in said prestressed concrete pressure vessel bottom to corresponding conduits in said armored ducts;
• (d) a first exit hatch block arranged outside of said prestressed concrete pressure vessel and within said foundation walls, said first exit hatch block connected to a corresponding scrap separator and a shielded exit hatch channel, said channel being adapted to pass through said reactor protection building, and said first exit hatch block being adapted to contain functional components for shutoff and counting;
• and
• (e) a second exit hatch block arranged outside of said foundation walls and inside said reactor protection building, and operatively connected to said exit hatch channel and at least one exit station operatively arranged in said reactor auxiliary building, said second exit hatch block being adapted to contain functional components for metering, counting, and shutoff.