Patent ID: 8670515

Claim:
A nuclear control rod control system for controlling the movement of a plurality of drive rod drive system groups, each associated with a plurality of control rod assemblies, at least some of which have a lift coil, a moveable gripper and a stationary gripper comprising: a moving unit configured to control multiplexed electrical power to the lift coils of the plurality of the control rod assembly drive rod drive system groups; a plurality of selecting units, each associated with one drive rod drive system group and configured to (i) respectively receive the electrical power from the moving unit and communicate the electrical power from the moving unit to the corresponding lift coils of the corresponding control rod drive system group, (ii) respectively receive electrical power from an electrical power source through a corresponding first power control module within the selecting unit and selectively communicate the electrical power from the corresponding first power control module to corresponding moveable grippers of the corresponding control rod drive system group, and (iii) respectively receive electrical power from the electrical power source through a corresponding second power control module within the selecting unit and selectively communicate the electrical power from the corresponding second power control module to corresponding stationary grippers of the corresponding control rod drive system group; and a logic unit configured to coordinate electrical power to the lift coils, the moveable grippers and the stationary grippers of the plurality of control rod assembly drive rod drive system groups.