Status of the CNES-CEA joint program on space nuclear Brayton systems

Abstract

A cooperative program between the French Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES) and the Commissariat A 1'Energie Atomique (CEA) was initiated in 1983, to investigate the possible development of 20 to 200 kWe space nuclear power systems to be launched by the next version of the European launcher, Ariane V. After completion in 1986 of preliminary conceptual studies of a reference 200 kWe turboelectric power system, an additional 3 year study phase was decided, with the double objective of assessing the potential advantage of nuclear power systems versus solar photovoltayc or dynamic systans in the 20 kWe power range, and comparing various reactor candidate technologies and system options for 20 kWe space nuclear power systems, likely to meet the projected energy needs of future European space missions. A comprehensive program including conceptual design studies, operating transient analyses and technology base assessment, is currently applied to a few reference concepts of 20 kWe nuclear Brayton and thermoelectric systems, in order to establish sound technical and economical bases for selecting the design options and the development strategy of a first space nuclear power system in Europe.

Flexibility and Adaptability of Closed Brayton Cycles Associated With Low Power Level Space Nuclear Heat Sources

“…Within the scope of the preliminary studies carried out in France in the last five years on space nuclear power systems of about 20 kWe, a conventional CBC, namely a simple, recuperated one and featuring a relatively high CIT, has been essentially considered. It is associated with fast or epithermal spectrum reactors respectively cooled by NaK (950 K), Li (1300 K) or by gas (HeXe, 1130 K) as described in previous papers [13], [14], [15], [16]. Reference applications are principally concerned with long lifetime missions in high Earth orbits.…”