Kilopower Project: The KRUSTY Fission Power Experiment and Potential Missions

Abstract

The Kilopower Project was initiated by NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate/ Game Changing Development Program in fiscal year 2015 to demonstrate subsystem-level technology readiness of small space fission power in a relevant environment (Technology Readiness Level 5) for space science and human exploration power needs. The Kilopower Project centerpiece is the Kilowatt Reactor Using Stirling TechnologY (KRUSTY) test, which consists of the development and testing of a ground technology demonstrator of a 1-kW(electric)-class fission power system (FPS). The technologies to be developed and validated by KRUSTY are extensible to space FPSs from 1 to 10 kW(electric), which can enable modular surface FPSs for human exploration as well as higherpower future potential deep space science missions. The KRUSTY demonstration is cofunded by NASA and the U.S. Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration. The KRUSTY demonstration in the National Critical Experiment Research Center's Device Assembly Facility was completed in the first quarter of 2018.

Parametric Study of a Lunar Base Power Systems

“…These solutions are reliable and able to work continuously for years, regardless of environmental conditions. In particular, space-rated, compact nuclear reactors are not dependent on the availability of solar radiation and thus are able to continuously supply power to a lunar base without a need for a massive, highcapacity energy storage system (ESS) [27,[33][34][35][36]. Nonetheless, when using a nuclear reactor to power a manned lunar base, the issue of radiation protection must be addressed.…”

“…The space solar cells currently used have a PMR as high as 350 W/kg [38]. When the balance of a plant is considered, the PMR of a complete PV system for a lunar surface may be reduced to the region of 130 W/kg [27], which is still significantly more than the PMR of space-rated nuclear fission reactors (NFR), which offer approximately5 W/kg [27,36]. Solar cells are, however, susceptible to cosmic radiation-a single strong solar proton event (SPE) may permanently reduce the energy efficiency of monocrystalline silicon solar cells by about 20-25% and the efficiency of the contemporary multijunction PV cells by about 5-10%.…”

“…The purpose of the project is to develop a new class of safe, efficient and reliable compact nuclear reactors with rated electrical power ranging between 1 kW and 10 kW. The very first Kilopower Reactor Using Stirling Technology (KRUSTY) was successfully tested in 2019, as reported by McClure 2020 [36]. This study assumes using KRUSTY reactors to power a lunar base.…”

“…Considering the limited amount of fissile material in the reactor core, total power system masses were calculated for 10 years of continuous lunar base operation [27,36].…”

Results of the KRUSTY Nuclear System Test

“…The Kilowatt Reactor Using Stirling TechnologY (KRUSTY) was designed to be representative of a 5-kW(thermal) Kilopower space reactor. 1 KRUSTY was designed, developed, manufactured, and tested for <$20 million, with final testing completed in March 2018.…”