SPACE NUCLEAR POWER UNIT Russian patent published in 2006 - IPC G21D1/00 G21C11/00 

FIELD: power supplied for space equipment.

SUBSTANCE: safety rod drive is disposed on one end of reactor relative to radiation shading shield in region most distant from reactor and is coupled with safety rod by means of flexible section such as steel wire. Compression spring is located inside guiding shell between safety rod end facing the drive and drive shell; mushroom-shaped bottom nozzle designed for fixing safety rod in lock is disposed on opposite end of the latter. Lock shell is joined with tube sheet of reactor core and position detectors are disposed on lock and in safety rod shell. In addition, safety rod drive is placed in pressurized housing and has drum with flexible section secured thereon and kinematically coupled with electric motor through electromagnetic clutch, freewheel clutch, such as ratchet-and-pawl gear, and reduction unit; drive housing and safety rod shell form single pressurized cavity. Safety rod lock has pressurized housing and spring-loaded pusher separated from working gas cavity of lock by means of flexible sealed member such as bellows; working cavity of lock communicates via pipeline with compressed gas filled cylinder incorporating starting valve; pipeline is provided with drain valve and auxiliary pipe union.

EFFECT: reduced mass of radiation shading shield, enhanced safety due to reliable fixation of safety rod in core till complete destruction of reactor due to its burning or fall on earth.

1 cl, 2 dwg