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US 4,481,164 AGranted
Reactivity control assembly for nuclear reactor
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
InventorLawrence R. Bollinger
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Reactivity control assembly for nuclear reactor comprises supports stacked above reactor core for holding control rods. Couplers associated with the supports and a vertically movable drive shaft have lugs at their lower ends for engagement with the supports.
Claims7
A latch assembly comprising:
- a first body through which extends an aperture including (1) a first cylindrical bore located at one end thereof, (2) a slot extending axially along the wall of said first bore, (3) a second middle bore having a diameter larger than the diameter of said first bore, and (4) a third cylindrical bore located at the other end of said aperture in coaxial relation with said first bore and having a diameter smaller than the diameter of said second bore;
- a coupler comprising (1) a cylindrical connector portion rotatably fitted in said third bore of said first body and projecting outward therefrom (2) a detent portion projecting radially outward from one end of said connector portion and rotatably held in said second bore of said first body, (3) a cylindrical cavity formed in said detent portion in coaxial relation with said connector portion and extending axially of said detent portion from the end thereof remote from said connector portion, (4) a slot extending axially along the wall of said cavity, and (5) a connecting lug projecting radially from said connector portion and spaced from said detent portion;
- a second body having therein an aperture including (1) a first cylindrical bore located at one end of said aperture and sized to slidably receive said connector portion of said coupler, the length of said first bore being less than the spacing between said detent portion and said connecting lug of said coupler, (2) a slot extending axially along the wall of said first bore and sized to slidably receive said connecting lug on said coupler, and (3) a second bore having a diameter larger than the diameter of said first bore, said connecting lug on said coupler being held in said second bore when said first and second bodies are coupled together;
- means for holding said first and second bodies so that (1) said apertures therein are centered on the same axis and (2) said slots therein face in the same direction relative to said axis and are located at different angular positions thereabout;
- and
- a shaft located on the side of said first body remote from said second body and coaxial with said apertures in said bodies, and said shaft being movable toward and away from said bodies and rotatable about its longitudinal axis and a connecting lug projecting radially from the end of said shaft adjacent said first body, said connecting lug being sized to slide in said slot in said first body and being held in said second bore of said first body when said shaft is coupled to said first body.
3 more elements
A reactivity control assembly for a nuclear reactor, comprising:
- a plurality of interconnectible supports disposed in stacked relation above the core of said reactor and each comprising (1) a hub having an aperture extending between upper and lower ends thereof, said aperture including a first cylindrical bore at its upper end, a slot extending axially across the wall of said first bore, and a second cylindrical bore coaxially disposed below said first bore and having a diameter larger than the diameter of said first bore, (2) a retainer plate attached to and extending transversely of the lower end of said hub, said retainer plate having a cylindrical aperture extending between the upper and lower sides thereof, said aperture being coaxial with said first and second bores and having a diameter smaller than the diameter of said second bore, (3) a plurality of support arms attached to and radiating from said hub, and (4) a coupler including a cylindrical connector portion rotatably fitted in the aperture in said retainer plate and projecting downward therefrom, a connecting lug attached to and projecting radially outward from the lower end of said connector portion, and a cylindrical flange attached to and projecting radially outward from the upper end of said connector portion and rotatably held in said second bore of said hub, a cavity extending downwardly from the upper surface of said flange portion in coaxial relation with the aperture in said hub and a slot extending axially along the wall of said cavity;
- a plurality of vertically disposed control rods connected in groups at their upper ends to respective ones of said support arms of said supports and extending downward therefrom for insertion into the core of said reactor when in a lowered position;
- aligning means for holding said supports so that said apertures in said hubs thereof are centered on the same vertical axis and said slots in said first bores of said apertures are located at different angular positions about said axis;
- a vertically disposed shaft positioned above said supports in coaxial relation with said apertures therein, a connecting lug being attached to and projecting radially from the lower end of said shaft:
- and
- drive means for rotating said shaft about its longitudinal axis and moving it in opposite directions along said axis.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.