Control rod damping system

Patent · 01 June 2021

OSTI ID:1824030

Snuggerud, Ross Douglas

A damping area or “dash pot” on the upper ends of control rods absorb energy from dropped control rod assemblies without narrowing the diameter of guide tubes. As a result, coolant can freely flow through the guide tubes reducing boiling water issues. The dampening area reduces a separation distance between an outside surface of the control rod and an inside surface of the guide tubes decelerating the control rods when entering a top end of the guide tubes. In another example, the dampening area may be located on a drive shaft. The dampening area may have a larger diameter than an opening in a drive shaft support member that decelerates the drive shaft when dropped by a drive mechanism.

• Research Organization: NuScale Power, LLC, Corvallis, OR (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: NE0000633
• Assignee: NuScale Power, LLC (Corvallis, OR)
• Patent Number(s): 11,024,433
• Application Number: 15/858,073
• OSTI ID: 1824030
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English