Study of the SP-100 radiator heat pipes response to external thermalexposure

El‐Genk, Mohamed S.; Seo, Jong Tae

doi:10.2514/3.23225

Cited by 14 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…High temperature heat pipes, combining the advantages of high conductivity, inherent safety, and self-actuating operation, received more and more attention recently [1,2]. They were potential thermal control devices of hot structures, such as leading edge of hypersonic vehicles, large-scale heat exchangers, heat radiator of space reactors and so on [3][4][5]. As thermal control devices, alkali-metal heat pipes offered high redundancy at source temperatures above 600 o C [6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermal Stress Accommodation in Sodium/Inconel 718 Heat Pipes

Hu,

LI,

Luo

et al. 2024

Preprint

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In this study, sodium/Inconel 718 heat pipes with and without topological capillary were designed and fabricated in China Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics. Then their startup properties were investigated systematically. It was found that startup temperature of sodium/Inconel 718 heat pipes was 420oC. During startup tests, all the heat pipes startup successfully. Topological capillary did not affect startup properties of sodium/Inconel 718 heat pipes. After tests, all the heat pipes still kept their integrity. Thermal deformation was not observed. A further thermal stress simulation indicated that topological capillary could accommodate thermal stresses in sodium/Inconel 718 heat pipes. With topological capillary addition, thermal stresses in the heat pipes decreased by about 21%. Moreover, the bended sodium/Inconel 718 heat pipe could startup successfully in an anti-gravity condition, being instructive for development of flexible and anti-gravity high temperature heat pipes.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermal Stress Accommodation in Sodium/Inconel 718 Heat Pipes

Hu,

LI,

Luo

et al. 2024

Preprint

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“…Actual system operation parameters were not available. This transient system model was used to investigate the performance of the SP-100 system during startup, following a failure of multiple TEM pumps, and after shutdown [14][15][16][17]. A dynamic simulation model had also been developed for the former Soviet Union's TOPAZ-II space reactor power system and successfully benchmarked using actual system performance and test data [18,19].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A number of dynamic simulation models of different space reactor power systems have been developed [4,[14][15][16][17][18][19]. The Space Nuclear Power Systems Analysis Model for the SP-100 system [20,21], with a fast-spectrum reactor heat source and multiple circulating liquid lithium loops with thermoelectric-electromagnetic (TEM) pumps and Silicon-Germanium (SiGe) thermoelectric (TE) conversion modules, had been developed and successfully validated by comparing predictions with reported simulation results by General Electric Company [15][16][17].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Dynamic Simulation of a Space Reactor System with Closed Brayton Cycle Loops

El‐Genk

Tournier

Gallo

2010

Journal of Propulsion and Power

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A dynamic simulation model for space reactor power systems with multiple closed Brayton cycle loops for energy conversion is developed and demonstrated for a startup transient. The simulated power system employs a submersion-subcritical safe space S^4 reactor with a negative temperature reactivity feedback and has no singlepoint failures in reactor cooling and energy conversion. The S^4 reactor core is divided into three hydraulically independent sectors, and each sector has a separate closed Brayton cycle loop that is thermal-hydraulically coupled to a circulating liquid NaK-78 secondary loop with two water heat pipe heat rejection radiator panels. Each closed Brayton cycle loop has a Brayton rotating unit designed and optimized for high thermal efficiency and low specific mass (1:16 kg=kW e ). The reactor coolant and the closed Brayton cycle working fluid is a He-Xe binary gas mixture with a molecular weight of 40 g=mol. Results are presented for a startup transient of the S^4 closed Brayton cycle power system to full-power operation at a reactor thermal power 471 kW th , a Brayton rotating unit shaft speed of 45 krpm, and turbine and compressor inlet temperatures of 1149 and 400 K, respectively. At these conditions, the nominal electrical power and thermal efficiency of the power system are 130:8 kW e and 27.8%. NomenclatureC = compressor m = mass flow rate, kg=s m = normalized mass flow rate, kg=s, m m P ref =P o;in T o;in =T ref p P = pressure, Pa; electrical power, kW e P ref = reference pressure, 0.4 MPa T = temperature, K; turbine T ref = reference temperature, 400 K x = bleed fraction of working fluid at exit of Brayton rotating unit compressor = thermal or polytropic efficiency, % = pressure ratio ! = Brayton rotating unit shaft rotation speed, rad=s ! = normalized shaft rotation speed, rad=s, ! ! T ref =T o;in p Subscripts C = compressor e = electric G = generator in = turbine or compressor inlet o = stagnation or total P = polytropic Rx = reactor Sec = reactor sector, or BRU turbine inlet sys = power system th = thermal T = turbine

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