Patent Number: 055815871
Section: abstract

A control rod driving apparatus adapted to drive a control rod assembly for a nuclear reactor is disposed in a housing mounted to a reactor pressure vessel of the nuclear reactor and includes a guide tube disposed in the housing, a connection pipe disposed inside the guide tube coaxially therewith and having one end to which a control rod assembly is connected, a ball spindle disposed inside the connection pipe and supported thereby so as to be rotatable by a ball nut assembly engaged with the ball spindle so as to be axially movable along the ball spindle, the ball nut assembly supporting another end of the connection pipe, a hydraulic drive operatively connected to the ball spindle to rotate the ball spindle, and a transmission mechanism operatively connected to the drive for transmitting a power of the drive to the ball spindle. When the hydraulic drive is driven, the ball spindle is rotated, the ball nut assembly engaged with the ball spindle is axially rotated, and the connection pipe supported by the ball nut assembly is then driven vertically to thereby drive the control rod assembly for inserting or withdrawing the control rod assembly into or from a reactor core. The reactor is a boiling water reactor.