Selecting and using materials for a nuclear rocket engine reactor

Lanin, Anatolii G; Fedik, I. I.

doi:10.3367/ufne.0181.201103f.0319

Cited by 12 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…For example, the fuel rod length in the proposed TWR variant (see the "ideal" case in Table1) is predetermined by the nuclear burning wave speed, which in a given case equals to 0.254 cm/day≡ 85 cm/year, i.e. 20 years of TWR operation requires the fuel rod length ∼ 17 m. On the other hand, it is known [78] that for a twisted fuel rod form with two-or four-bladed symmetry, the tension emerging from the fuel rod surface cooling is 30% lower than that of a round rod with the same diameter, other conditions being equal. The same reduction effect applies to the hydraulic resistance in comparison to a round rod of the same diameter.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

On Some Fundamental Peculiarities of the Traveling Wave Reactor

Rusov

Tarasov

Sharph

et al. 2015

Science and Technology of Nuclear Installations

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On the basis of the condition for nuclear burning wave existence in the neutron-multiplicating media (U-Pu and Th-U cycles) we show the possibility of surmounting the so-called dpaparameter problem, and suggest an algorithm of the optimal nuclear burning wave mode adjustment, which is supposed to yield the wave parameters (fluence/neutron flux, width and speed of nuclear burning wave) that satisfy the dpa-condition associated with the tolerable level of the reactor materials radioactive stability, in particular that of the cladding materials.It is shown for the first time that the capture and fission cross-sections of 238 U and 239 Pu increase with temperature within 1000-3000 K range, which under certain conditions may lead to a global loss of the nuclear burning wave stability. Some variants of the possible stability loss due to the so-called blow-up modes (anomalous nuclear fuel temperature and neutron flow evolution) are discussed and are found to possibly become a reason for a trivial violation of the traveling wave reactor internal safety.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

On Some Fundamental Peculiarities of the Traveling Wave Reactor

Rusov

Tarasov

Sharph

et al. 2015

Science and Technology of Nuclear Installations

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“…The components of the reactor/thermally driven carbon dioxide laser are the high temperature core, the nitrogen flow channels and the laser/mixing cavity. The reactor fuels that were examined for the high temperature core were ZrC, UC and NbC (Table 5.20) based on their potential operating temperatures of 2000 K and beyond [84]. The second part of the design was the flow of nitrogen gas from the reactor core to the laser cavity.…”

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confidence: 99%

Reactor and Laser Coupling

Prelas

2016

Nuclear-Pumped Lasers

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This chapter discusses the design of how nuclear reactors are coupled to lasers. The design is complex in that there are many ways to interface the reactor, which serves as a neutron source, to the laser medium. There are issues with the fuel interface to the laser that includes the phase, the type of fuel, how the fuel is put into proximity to the laser medium and the potential chemical interactions of the fuel with the laser medium. The coupling of the optics to the laser medium is also an important consideration and how radiation damage may impact the optical components, structural materials and subsystems. There are also cooling and control issues as well.

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Niobium Carbides

Shabalin¹

2019

Ultra-High Temperature Materials II

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Selecting and using materials for a nuclear rocket engine reactor

Abstract: This paper provides a historical account of how the nuclear rocket engine reactor was created and discusses the problem of selecting materials for a gas environment at the temperature up to 3100 K and energy release 30 MW per liter.

Cited by 12 publications

References 22 publications

On Some Fundamental Peculiarities of the Traveling Wave Reactor

On Some Fundamental Peculiarities of the Traveling Wave Reactor

Reactor and Laser Coupling

Niobium Carbides

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