Exploring in aerospace rocketry. 19 - Nuclear rockets
Summary of nuclear reactors, fuels and operating principles of nuclear rockets
Lietzke, A. F.↗
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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.
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Method for calculating allowable creep stress in linearly increasing stress environment
Constant creep data accumulation for design stress analysis on cladding material thickness around cylindrical reactor fuel element
Whitmarsh, C. L., Jr.↗
Performance of low-pressure thermionic converters is evaluated
Experiments, evaluating the performance of low-pressure thermionic converters, were conducted with cesium, potassium, and sodium-metal vapors. The results of the investigation are useful in the selection of favorable conditions for the design of thermionic reactor fuel elements, including RF output for special applications.
Richards, H. K.↗
Remote balance weighs accurately amid high radiation
Commercial beam-type balance, modified and outfitted with electronic controls and digital readout, can be remotely controlled for use in high radiation environments. This allows accurate weighing of breeder-reactor fuel pieces when they are radioactively hot.
Eggenberger, D. N.↗
Induction probe determines levels of liquid metals
Mutual-inductance probe accurately measures liquid levels in a variety of liquid metals at elevated temperatures. It can be used in pyrochemical processes for the recovery of spent reactor fuel.
Johnson, T. R.↗
Fluoride-volatility processing
Fluidized bed processing of fluorinated irradiated reactor fuels
Source record↗
A sweep gas facility for fission gas release studies at the NASA Plum Brook Reactor
Helium sweep gas facility design and operation for analysis of reactor fission gas-isotope release rates for space power reactor fuel element design
Kirchgessner, T. A.↗
Lasers from fission
The feasibility of the nuclear pumping of lasers was demonstrated in three experiments conducted independently at three different laboratories. In this context nuclear pumping of lasers is understood to be the excitation of a laser by the kinetic energy of the fission fragments only. A description is given of research concerned with the use of nuclear energy for the excitation of gas lasers. Experimental work was supplemented by theoretical research. Attention is given to a nuclear pumped He-Xe laser, a nuclear pumped CO laser, and a neon-nitrogen laser pumped by alpha particles. Studies involving uranium hexafluoride admixture to laser media are discussed along with research on uranium hexafluoride-fueled reactors.
Schneider, R. T.↗
Materials considerations for the gas core breeder reactor
The selection of materials for gas core breeder reactor fuel, blanket, core liner, pressure vessel, system piping, and turbine blades was discussed. System design properties are summarized.
Source record↗
Space and energy
Potential contributions of space to energy-related activities are discussed. Advanced concepts presented include worldwide energy distribution to substation-sized users using low-altitude space reflectors; powering large numbers of large aircraft worldwide using laser beams reflected from space mirror complexes; providing night illumination via sunlight-reflecting space mirrors; fine-scale power programming and monitoring in transmission networks by monitoring millions of network points from space; prevention of undetected hijacking of nuclear reactor fuels by space tracking of signals from tagging transmitters on all such materials; and disposal of nuclear power plant radioactive wastes in space.
Bekey, I.↗
Heat pipe nuclear reactor for space power
A heat-pipe-cooled nuclear reactor has been designed to provide 3.2 MWth to an out-of-core thermionic conversion system. The reactor is a fast reactor designed to operate at a nominal heat-pipe temperature of 1675 K. Each reactor fuel element consists of a hexagonal molybdenum block which is bonded along its axis to one end of a molybdenum/lithium-vapor heat pipe. The block is perforated with an array of longitudinal holes which are loaded with UO2 pellets. The heat pipe transfers heat directly to a string of six thermionic converters which are bonded along the other end of the heat pipe. An assembly of 90 such fuel elements forms a hexagonal core. The core is surrounded by a thermal radiation shield, a thin thermal neutron absorber, and a BeO reflector containing boron-loaded control drums.
Koening, D. R.↗
Partially Ionized Plasmas, Including the Third Symposium on Uranium Plasmas
Fundamentals of both electrically and fission generated plasmas are discussed. Research in gaseous fuel reactors using uranium hexafluoride is described and other partially ionized plasma applications are discussed.
Krishnan, M.↗
Research on fission induced plasmas and nuclear pumped lasers at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory
A program of research on gaseous uranium and uranium plasmas is being conducted at The Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory under sponsorship of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The objective of this work is twofold: (1) to demonstrate the proof of principle of a gaseous uranium fueled reactor, and (2) pursue fundamental research on nuclear pumped lasers. The relevancy of the two parallel programs is embodied in the possibility of a high-performance uranium plasma reactor being used as the power supply for a nuclear pumped laser system. The accomplishments in the two above fields are summarized
Helmick, H. H.↗
Overview of high-temperature materials for high-energy space power systems
The current state of technology and some of the more pressing research needs and challenges associated with the possible use of high temperature materials in future high energy space power systems are discussed. Particularly, emphasis is on the need to improve and quantify the fundamental understanding of the effects of the following: (1) fast neutron radiation on the properties and behavior of nuclear reactor fuels and claddings; and (2) long term, high temperature, space (vacuum) exposure on the properties of refractory metals considered for use as structural materials in various power conversion systems.
Saunders, N. T.↗
U.S. program assessing nuclear waste disposal in space - A 1981 status report
Concepts, current studies, and technology and equipment requirements for using the STS for space disposal of selected nuclear wastes as a complement to geological storage are reviewed. An orbital transfer vehicle carried by the Shuttle would kick the waste cannister into a 0.85 AU heliocentric orbit. One flight per week is regarded as sufficient to dispose of all high level wastes chemically separated from reactor fuel rods from 200 GWe nuclear power capacity. Studies are proceeding for candidate wastes, the STS system suited to each waste, and the risk/benefits of a space disposal system. Risk assessments are being extended to total waste disposal risks for various disposal programs with and without a space segment, and including side waste streams produced as a result of separating substances for launch.
Rice, E. E.↗
Advanced refractory metals and composites for extraterrestrial power systems
Concepts for future space power systems include nuclear and focused solar heat sources coupled to static and dynamic power-conversion devices; such systems must be designed for service lives as long as 30 years, despite service temperatures of the order of 1600 K. Materials are a critical technology-development factor in such aspects of these systems as reactor fuel containment, environmental protection, power management, and thermal management. Attention is given to the prospective performance of such refractory metals as Nb, W, and Mo alloys, W fiber-reinforced Nb-matrix composites, and HfC precipitate-strengthened W-Re alloys.
Titran, R. H.↗
Thermal management for a Mach 5 cruise aircraft using endothermic fuel
The present thermal management system for a carrier-based Mach 5 cruise-capable aircraft whose propulsion system does not entail cryogenic fuels is predicated on the use of the catalytic endothermic reaction of a petroleum-derived hydrocarbon fuel as the heat sink for engine cooling. The insulation of engine flowpath surfaces reduces cooling requirements. The primary elements of this closed-cycle cooling system are a fuel preheater, a catalytic fuel reactor, and engine wall-cooling panels; a silicone-based liquid polymer is used as the coolant. Structural, weight, and thermal analysis results are presented for each of the primary components.
Petley, Dennis H.↗
Updated solid-core nuclear thermal propulsion engine trades
This study examined the application of state-of-the-art propulsion and reactor technologies to a near-term solid-core NERVA-based nuclear thermal propulsion system. Updated reactor performance and weight scaling laws were initially derived and input into a nuclear rocket engine system cycle design analysis code. Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) engine system weight, size, and performance are presented here for a large range of chamber pressures, nozzle area ratios, and thrust levels for three reactor fuel types operating at their corresponding temperatures. Operational characteristics and design features of representative NTP engine concepts are also presented.
Pelaccio, Dennis G.↗