An improved water cooled nuclear reactor with a diaphragm pressuriser for low pressures and temperatures

A pressuriser for a water cooled reactor is described. It comprises a pressure vessel divided into a water space and a gas space by a movable diaphragm sealingly secured to the pressure vessel. The pressuriser may be arranged as an integral unit in a reactor pressure vessel. In this case, the pressure vessel is divided into an upper chamber and a lower chamber by a casing. The reactor core and primary coolant circuit are arranged in the lower chamber and the pressuriser is arranged in the upper chamber. The diaphragm may be loaded by springs and dampers to prevent its oscillation or it may be an elastic membrane. Alternatively, the pressuriser may be a unit separate from the reactor pressure vessel. (author)