Nuclear reactor with a temperature made homogeneous by combining coolant flow from different zones

Localised areas at extremely high temperature inside the core of a reactor can raise the temperature of the coolant crossing such a localised area to temperatures substantially higher than that of the mean temperature of the coolant leaving the reactor core. These hot flows, called 'hot streams' may have an adverse effect on the jackets of high pressure chambers, on the cladding of transversal pipes and on heat exchanger coils. The need to allow for the possibility of hot streams is one of the important restrictive factors in the design of reactors. On of the aims of this invention is to build a nuclear reactor that will reduce the presence of hot streams by combining the coolant flows coming from neighbouring fuel areas in a manner resulting in the establishment of a mean coolant temperature