Control rod drive mechanism with drive shaft hold out mechanism

Abstract

Techniques for latching a shaft assembly with an integrated system are discussed herein. The integrated system including a nuclear reactor configured to raise a stem of the shaft assembly into a hold out. The hold out can include a sleeve, and metallic balls, the metallic balls being positioned in openings of the sleeve. The hold out can include a housing positioned around the sleeve and the metallic balls. The housing can include a gap that is narrower than a chamber of the housing. The hold out can include a spring coupled to the sleeve. The hold out can include an electromagnetic coil configured to engage the spring and the sleeve to raise the stem until the metallic balls are moved from positions between the gap of the housing and the stem, to positions between the chamber of the housing and the stem.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.