Heat pipe nuclear reactors for space applications
Description
A heat pipe nuclear reactor design concept is being investigated for space power applications. The reactor can be coupled to a variety of high-temperature (1200--1700 K) electrical conversion systems such as thermoelectric, thermionic, and Brayton cycle converters. It is designed to operate in the power range 0.1--3 MW/sub t/ for lifetimes of about 10 years. The reactor is a fast spectrum, compact assembly of hexagonal fuel elements, each cooled by an axial molybdenum heat pipe and loaded with fully enriched UC-ZrC or Mo-UO2. Reactor control is provided in the radial reflector. A comparison of several power plants employing the heat pipe reactor concept is presented for an output power level of 50 kW/sub e/
Availability note (English)
MF available from INIS under the Report Number; Available from NTIS., PC A02/MF A01.
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Additional details
Publishing Information
- Imprint Pagination
- 8 p.
- Report number
- LA-UR--78-643
INIS
- Country of Publication
- United States
- Country of Input or Organization
- United States
- INIS RN
- 9408772
- Subject category
- S21: SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS;
- Descriptors DEI
- FAST REACTORS; FUEL ELEMENTS; HEAT PIPES; HEXAGONAL CONFIGURATION; MOLYBDENUM OXIDES; PLANNING; SPACE POWER REACTORS; SPECIFICATIONS; URANIUM CARBIDES; URANIUM DIOXIDE; ZIRCONIUM CARBIDES
- Descriptors DEC
- ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS; CARBIDES; CARBON COMPOUNDS; CHALCOGENIDES; CONFIGURATION; EPITHERMAL REACTORS; MOBILE REACTORS; MOLYBDENUM COMPOUNDS; OXIDES; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; POWER REACTORS; REACTOR COMPONENTS; REACTORS; TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS; URANIUM COMPOUNDS; URANIUM OXIDES; ZIRCONIUM COMPOUNDS