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Brake assembly for a control rod drive

  • US 5,131,510 A
  • Filed: 07/30/1990
  • Issued: 07/21/1992
  • Est. Priority Date: 07/30/1990
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A brake assembly for a control rod drive for selectively preventing travel of a control rod in a nuclear reactor vessel comprising:

  • a shaft having a longitudinal centerline axis;

    means for translating said control rod upon rotation of said shaft;

    means for selectively rotating said shaft in a first direction and in a second direction, opposite to said first direction;

    a stationary base having a central aperture receiving said shaft;

    a rotor disc fixedly connected to said shaft for rotation therewith and having at least one rotor tooth extending therefrom, said rotor tooth having a locking surface and an inclined surface extending therefrom;

    a brake member disposed adjacent to said rotor disc and having at least one braking tooth having a locking surface and an inclined surface extending therefrom, said rotor tooth and said braking tooth being complementary to each other;

    said brake member further including an annular base having a central aperture receiving said shaft, a first surface facing said rotor disc, and a second surface facing away from said rotor disc, and said braking tooth being disposed on said base first surface with said locking surface extending outwardly therefrom and in a radial direction relative to said shaft centerline axis, and with said inclined surface extending in a circumferential direction;

    means for selectively positioning said brake member in a deployed position abutting said rotor disc for allowing said braking tooth locking surface to contact said rotor tooth locking surface for preventing rotation of said shaft in a first direction, and in a retracted position spaced away from said rotor disc for allowing said rotor disc and said shaft to rotate without restraint from said brake member;

    said positioning means being effective for resiliently supporting said braking tooth for allowing said rotor tooth inclined surface to displace said braking tooth inclined surface to intermittently free said rotor tooth locking surface from said braking tooth locking surface for allowing said shaft to rotate in said second direction opposite to said first direction when said brake member is in said deployed position; and

    said positioning means comprising;

    a plurality of circumferentially spaced guide holes in said brake member;

    a plurality of guide rods fixedly joined to said stationary base and extending parallel to said shaft centerline axis, each guide rod being slidably disposed in a respective one of said guide holes;

    an electromagnet spaced from said braking member second surface and fixedly joined to said plurality of guide rods;

    a plurality of springs disposed around said guide rods for providing a deploying force on said brake member for positioning said brake member in said deployed position against said rotor sic; and

    wherein said guide rods are effective for preventing rotational movement of said brake member relative to said shaft centerline axis and for allowing longitudinal movement relative thereto.

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