Title of article
SpacereactorpowersystemswithnosinglepointfailuresOriginalResearchArticle
Author/Authors
MohamedS.El-Genk، نويسنده ,
Issue Information
روزنامه با شماره پیاپی سال 2008
Pages
11
From page
2245
To page
2255
Abstract
NuclearreactorpowersystemscouldrevolutionizespaceexplorationandsupporthumanoutpostonthemoonandMars.Thispaperreviewsvariousenergyconversiontechnologiesforuseinspacereactorpowersystemsandprovidesestimatesofthesystemʹsnetefficiencyandspecificpower,andthespecificareaoftheradiator.Thesuitablecombinationsoftheenergyconversiontechnologiesandthenuclearreactors,classifiedbasedonthecoolanttypeandcoolingmethod,forbestsystemperformanceandhighestspecificpower,arealsodiscussed.Inaddition,anumberofpowersystemconceptswithbothstaticanddynamicenergyconversion,butwithnosinglepointfailuresinreactorcooling,energyconversionandheatrejection,andfornominalelectricalpowersupto110kWe,arepresented.Thefirsttwopowersystemsemployreactorscooledwithlithiumandsodiumheatpipes,SiGethermoelectric(TE)andalkali-metalthermal-to-electricconversion(AMTEC),andpotassiumheatpipesradiators.Thereactorsheatpipesoperateatafractionoftheprevailingcapillaryorsoniclimit,andinthecaseofamultipleheatpipesfailure,thoseintheadjacentmodulesremovetheadditionalheatload,thusmaintainingthereactoradequatelycooledandthepowersystemoperatingatareducedpower.ThethirdpowersystememploysSiGeTEconvertersandaliquidmetalcooledreactorwithadividedcoreintosixsectorsthatareneuroticallyandthermallycoupled,buthydraulicallydecoupled.Eachsectorhasaseparateenergyconversionloop,aheatrejectionloop,andarubidiumheatpipesradiatorpanel.Whenacoresectorexperiencesaloss-of-coolant,thefissionpowerofthereactorisreduced,andthatgeneratedinthesectorinquestionisremovedbythecirculatingcoolantintheadjacentsectors.Thefourthpowersystememploysagascooledreactorwithacoredividedintothreeidenticalsectors,andeachsectoriscoupledtoaseparateClosedBraytonCycle(CBC)loopwithHe–Xebinarymixture(40g/mol)workingfluid,asecondaryloopwithcirculatingliquidNak-78,andtwowaterheatpipesradiatorpanels.
Journal title
Nuclear Engineering and Design Eslah
Serial Year
2008
Journal title
Nuclear Engineering and Design Eslah
Record number
895180
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