Inverted steam generator

A steam generator is described with liquid metal in the heat transfer tubes and water and steam in the inter-tube space. This is an inverted generator in the shape of capital Greek letter sigma. Its design makes possible an easy arrangement of a greater number of steam generators in one heat exchange section of the nuclear power plant because in view of their good economizing capability they may be connected to inlet and outlet chambers firmly attached to the support structure. In order to obtain a suitable ratio of the area of throughflow cross-sections of liquid metal and to that of water and steam, and with regard to the possibility of attaching the tubes to tube plates it is suitable to reduce the diameter of the heat transfer tubes near the tube plates and to build structures reducing the throughflow cross-section of the water and steam in the straight steep part and all straight oblique parts. A suitable adjustment will allow the steam generator to be used for natural circulation. The described design makes it possible to use double tube plates. (J.B.)