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Title: Control rod drive

Abstract

A control rod drive uses gravitational forces to insert one or more control rods upwardly into a reactor core from beneath the reactor core under emergency conditions. The preferred control rod drive includes a vertically movable weight and a mechanism operatively associating the weight with the control rod so that downward movement of the weight is translated into upward movement of the control rod. The preferred control rod drive further includes an electric motor for driving the control rods under normal conditions, an electrically actuated clutch which automatically disengages the motor during a power failure and a decelerator for bringing the control rod to a controlled stop when it is inserted under emergency conditions into a reactor core.

Inventors:
 [1]
  1. Solana Beach, CA
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
GA TECHNOLOGIES INC
OSTI Identifier:
865839
Patent Number(s):
4587084
Assignee:
United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
G - PHYSICS G21 - NUCLEAR PHYSICS G21C - NUCLEAR REACTORS
Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02E - REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
DOE Contract Number:  
AT03-76SF70046
Resource Type:
Patent
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
control; rod; drive; gravitational; forces; insert; rods; upwardly; reactor; core; beneath; emergency; conditions; preferred; vertically; movable; weight; mechanism; operatively; associating; downward; movement; translated; upward; electric; motor; driving; normal; electrically; actuated; clutch; automatically; disengages; power; failure; decelerator; bringing; controlled; stop; inserted; rod drive; control rod; electric motor; reactor core; control rods; upward movement; normal conditions; vertically movable; electrically actuated; downward movement; power failure; normal condition; emergency conditions; gravitational force; /376/185/976/

Citation Formats

Hawke, Basil C. Control rod drive. United States: N. p., 1986. Web.
Hawke, Basil C. Control rod drive. United States.
Hawke, Basil C. Wed . "Control rod drive". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/865839.
@article{osti_865839,
title = {Control rod drive},
author = {Hawke, Basil C},
abstractNote = {A control rod drive uses gravitational forces to insert one or more control rods upwardly into a reactor core from beneath the reactor core under emergency conditions. The preferred control rod drive includes a vertically movable weight and a mechanism operatively associating the weight with the control rod so that downward movement of the weight is translated into upward movement of the control rod. The preferred control rod drive further includes an electric motor for driving the control rods under normal conditions, an electrically actuated clutch which automatically disengages the motor during a power failure and a decelerator for bringing the control rod to a controlled stop when it is inserted under emergency conditions into a reactor core.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1986},
month = {Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1986}
}