Applicability of space power liquid metal technology to fluid power
Liquid metal pump design and performance in SNAP 8 Mercury Rankine and Advanced Rankine fluid power systems, including containment materials and corrosion effects
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Liquid metal pump design and performance in SNAP 8 Mercury Rankine and Advanced Rankine fluid power systems, including containment materials and corrosion effects
Liquid-metal magnetohydrodynamic power conversion system without rotating parts
Liquid magnetohydrodynamic power conversion
Liquid metal MHD power plant system tested under open and closed loop conditions for liquid circulation
Liquid metal magnetohydrodynamic power generation for space vehicle use
Nonrotating Rankine cycle for liquid metal magnetohydrodynamic power conversion
Two-phase flow and material attrition problems for Rankine cycle liquid metal power plants
Two-phase flow and material attrition problems for Rankine cycle liquid metal power plants
Liquid-metal magnetohydrodynamic power conversion is being investigated for nuclear-electric propulsion. A liquid-metal MHD converter has no moving mechanical parts and requires a heat source temperature of only 1300 K. Cycle efficiencies of 5% to 8% for single-stage converters and 10% for multistage converters appear attainable. The specific weight of a 240 kWe MHD power plant has been estimated as 30 kg/kWe with shielding for unmanned science missions.
Proposed closed-loop system for transfer of thermal power operates at relatively high differential pressure between vapor and liquid phases of liquid-metal working fluid. Resembles "capillary-pumped" liquid-metal heat-transfer loop except electric field across permselective barrier of beta alumina keeps liquid and vapor separate at heat-input end. Increases output thermal power, contains no moving parts, highly reliable and well suited to long-term unattended operation.
Proposed thermoelectromagnetic pump for liquid metal powered by waste heat; needs no battery, generator, or other external energy source. Pump turns part of heat in liquid metal into pumping energy. In combination with primary pump or on its own, thermoelectric pump circulates coolant between reactor and radiator. As long as there is decay heat to be removed, unit performs function.
A power source converts .alpha.-particle energy to electricity for use in electrical systems. Liquid gallium or other liquid medium is subjected to .alpha.-particle emissions. Electrons are freed by collision from neutral gallium atoms to provide gallium ions. The electrons migrate to a cathode while the gallium ions migrate to an anode. A current and/or voltage difference then arises between the cathode and anode because of the work function difference of the cathode and anode. Gallium atoms are regenerated by the receiving of electrons from the anode enabling the generation of additional electrons from additional .alpha.-particle collisions.
In many liquid metal MHD power, cycles, it is necessary to separate the phases of a high-speed liquid-gas flow. The usual method is to impinge the jet at a glancing angle against a solid surface. These surface separators achieve good separation of the two phases at a cost of a large velocity loss due to friction at the separator surface. This report deals with attempts to greatly reduce the friction loss by impinging two jets against each other. In the crude impinging jet separators tested to date, friction losses were greatly reduced, but the separation of the two phases was found to be much poorer than that achievable with surface separators. Analyses are presented which show many lines of attack (mainly changes in separator geometry) which should yield much better separation for impinging jet separators).
DC liquid-metal MHD generator tested with cold NaK to determine power efficiency
Comparison of liquid metal magnetohydrodynamic power conversion cycles
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DC liquid-metal MHD generator tested with cold NaK to determine power efficiency