Small Reactor Designs Suitable for Direct Nuclear Thermal Propulsion: Interim Report

Schnitzler, Bruce G.

doi:10.2172/1042384

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 13 publications

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“…This section focuses on benchmarking the capabilities implemented in this research against the publicly available NTP models developed by the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC). A specific comparison [7] relies on the Large Nuclear Engine for Rocket Vehicle Application (NERVA) system [30] that utilizes fuel elements made from the ZrC-graphite composite. The components include two RL-60 hydrogen turbopumps, 564 fuel elements, 241 tie tubes (moderating elements), shown in Figure 8, with a length of 132.1 cm, and a reactor power rating of 555 MW, produced in the core, nozzle, and reflector.…”

Section: Comparison Against Large Nerva Published Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Integrated Steady-State System Package for Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Analysis Using Multi-Dimensional Thermal Hydraulics and Dimensionless Turbopump Treatment

Myers,

DeHart,

Kotlyar

2024

Energies

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Nuclear thermal propulsion is an evolving technology that can be utilized for long-distance space travel. This technology yields the advantage of a high thrust and specific impulse, but requires an examination of the potential design adjustments necessary to enhance its feasibility. The development of nuclear thermal propulsion requires a comprehensive understanding of the system-level behavior during transient and steady-state operation. This paper extends our previous research by including the proper handling of turbomachinery with multi-channel thermal hydraulic simulations only for steady-state solutions. The system-level approach presented here enables the treatment of the turbopump components through non-dimensional analysis that eliminates the assumption of constant efficiencies. All the other components within the system (e.g., reflector and core) can be discretized to multiple channels and layers, in which the full thermal hydraulic solution is established. The approach chosen here enables the realistic modeling of the propellant flow within the expander cycle by capturing the pressure losses, mass flow rate splits, and enthalpy gain for various operational conditions. The verification of the package is completed through point comparisons of previous investigations into similar system designs. Furthermore, sensitivity studies are used to benchmark the capabilities of the package and investigate solution variations due to the perturbation of operational conditions and regimes. The sensitivity studies performed here are important to capture variation in flow characteristics (e.g., temperature, pressure, mass flow rates) for different design objectives such as the thrust and specific impulse. This work demonstrates that system-level simulations lacking multi-channel capability and proper turbomachinery treatment may yield higher uncertainties in understanding the engine’s response and characteristics to changing various requirements. This is extremely important when screening the design space of such propulsion systems and when transient simulations are required.

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Section: Comparison Against Large Nerva Published Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Integrated Steady-State System Package for Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Analysis Using Multi-Dimensional Thermal Hydraulics and Dimensionless Turbopump Treatment

Myers,

DeHart,

Kotlyar

2024

Energies

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Nuclear Thermal Propulsion

DeHart¹,

Schunert²,

Labouré³

2022

Nuclear Reactors - Spacecraft Propulsion, Research Reactors, and Reactor Analysis Topics

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This chapter will cover the fundamentals of nuclear thermal propulsion systems, covering basic principles of operation and why nuclear is a superior option to chemical rockets for interplanetary travel. It will begin with a historical overview from early efforts in the early 1950s up to current interests, with respect to fuel types, core materials, and ongoing testing efforts. An overview will be provided of reactor types and design elements for reactor concepts or testing systems for nuclear thermal propulsion, followed by a discussion of nuclear thermal design concepts. A section on system design and modeling will be presented to discuss modeling and simulation of driving phenomena: neutronics, materials performance, heat transfer, and structural mechanics, solved in a tightly coupled multiphysics system. Finally, it will show the results of a coupled physics model for a conceptual design with simulation of rapid startup transients needed to maximize hydrogen efficiency.

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Small Reactor Designs Suitable for Direct Nuclear Thermal Propulsion: Interim Report

Cited by 2 publications

References 13 publications

Integrated Steady-State System Package for Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Analysis Using Multi-Dimensional Thermal Hydraulics and Dimensionless Turbopump Treatment

Integrated Steady-State System Package for Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Analysis Using Multi-Dimensional Thermal Hydraulics and Dimensionless Turbopump Treatment

Nuclear Thermal Propulsion

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