Ultrahigh temperature vapor core nuclear reactor/MHD generator Rankine cycle space power system

Author

Dugan, Edward T. ; Welch, Gerard E. ; Kahook, Samer

Author_Institution

Innovative Nucl. Space Power Inst., Florida Univ., Gainesville, FL, USA

fYear

1989

fDate

6-11 Aug 1989

Firstpage

495

Abstract

Studies are being conducted on an innovative space power system that combines a uranium tetrafluoride (UF₄) ultrahigh-temperature vapor core reactor (UTVR) and a disk magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) generator to obtain closed-cycle burst-mode operation (hundreds of MWe power level for a few thousand seconds). Use of UF₄ as the vapor fuel and metal fluorides as the working fluid in the UTVR/MHD generator allows for operation on a direct, closed-Rankine-type cycle and leads to space power systems with high efficiency (≈20%), small radiator size (≈5 m⁵/MWe) and high specific power (≈10 kWe/kg)

Keywords

fission reactor theory and design; heat engines; magnetohydrodynamic convertors; nuclear power; space vehicle power plants; MHD generators; UF₄; closed-cycle burst-mode operation; efficiency; fuel; heat engines; nuclear power; space power; ultrahigh-temperature vapor core reactor; Fission reactors; Fuels; Inductors; Magnetic cores; Magnetohydrodynamic power generation; Nuclear power generation; Power systems; Space heating; Temperature; Turbines;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Energy Conversion Engineering Conference, 1989. IECEC-89., Proceedings of the 24th Intersociety

Conference_Location

Washington, DC

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/IECEC.1989.74510

Filename

74510