Search NASA⌕ Search

Engineering topics

Kunze, J. F.

Publications and source records attributed to Kunze, J. F..

15 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1973

Feasibility study of full-reactor gas core demonstration test

Separate studies of nuclear criticality, flow patterns, and thermodynamics for the gas core reactor concept have all given positive indications of its feasibility. However, before serious design for a full scale gas core application can be made, feasibility must be shown for operation with full interaction of the nuclear, thermal, and hydraulic effects. A minimum sized, and hence minimum expense, test arrangement is considered for a full gas core configuration. It is shown that the hydrogen coolant scattering effects dominate the nuclear considerations at elevated temperatures. A cavity diameter of somewhat larger than 4 ft (122 cm) will be needed if temperatures high enough to vaporize uranium are to be achieved.

Kunze, J. F.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Flowing gas, non-nuclear experiments on the gas core reactor

Variations in cavity wall and injection configurations of the gas core reactor were aimed at establishing flow patterns that give a maximum of the nuclear criticality eigenvalue. Correlation with the nuclear effect was made using multigroup diffusion theory normalized by previous benchmark critical experiments. Air was used to simulate the hydrogen propellant in the flow tests, and smoked air, argon, or Freon to simulate the central nuclear fuel gas. Tests were run both in the down-firing and upfiring directions. Results showed that acceptable flow patterns with volume fraction for the simulated nuclear fuel gas and high flow rate ratios of propellant to fuel can be obtained. Using a point injector for the fuel, good flow patterns are obtained by directing the outer gas at high velocity long the cavity wall, using louvered injection schemes. Recirculation patterns were needed to stabilize the heavy central gas when different gases are used.

Kunze, J. F.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Gamma heating in reflector heat shield of gas core reactor

Heating rate measurements made in a mock-up of a BeO heat shield for a gas core nuclear rocket engine yields results nominally a factor of two greater than calculated by two different methods. The disparity is thought to be caused by errors in neutron capture cross sections and gamma spectra from the low cross-section elements, D, O, and Be.

Lofthouse, J. H.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Flowing gas, non-nuclear experiments on the gas core reactor

Flow tests were conducted on models of the gas core (cavity) reactor. Variations in cavity wall and injection configurations were aimed at establishing flow patterns that give a maximum of the nuclear criticality eigenvalue. Correlation with the nuclear effect was made using multigroup diffusion theory normalized by previous benchmark critical experiments. Air was used to simulate the hydrogen propellant in the flow tests, and smoked air, argon, or freon to simulate the central nuclear fuel gas. All tests were run in the down-firing direction so that gravitational effects simulated the acceleration effect of a rocket. Results show that acceptable flow patterns with high volume fraction for the simulated nuclear fuel gas and high flow rate ratios of propellant to fuel can be obtained. Using a point injector for the fuel, good flow patterns are obtained by directing the outer gas at high velocity along the cavity wall, using louvered or oblique-angle-honeycomb injection schemes.

Kunze, J. F.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Benchmark gas core critical experiment.

A critical experiment with spherical symmetry has been conducted on the gas core nuclear reactor concept. The nonspherical perturbations in the experiment were evaluated experimentally and produce corrections to the observed eigenvalue of approximately 1% delta k. The reactor consisted of a low density, central uranium hexafluoride gaseous core, surrounded by an annulus of void or low density hydrocarbon, which in turn was surrounded with a 97-cm-thick heavy water reflector.

Kunze, J. F.↗
NASA NTRS1971

Flow and criticality in the open cycle gas core.

A series of flowing gas experiments using air, argon, and freon has been conducted in Idaho. The purpose is to study methods of obtaining flow patterns which would create maximum possible system reactivity consistent with an acceptably low uranium to coolant-gas loss ratio. These have been conducted on both ?two-dimensional' and truly three-dimensional spherical configurations of diameters 18 to 42 inches. The larger diameter is that proposed for a minimum cost flowing gas critical experiment, and the size extremes make extrapolations to the large 6 and 8 foot diameter configurations more reliable. Results show that large enough inner gas (fuel) volume fractions can be achieved to attain criticality.

Kunze, J. F.↗
NASA NTRS1969

Cavity reactor critical experiments.

Cavity reactor consisting of dilute fuel core surrounded by moderating reflector to attain very high temperatures in gaseous cores

Hyland, R. E.↗