High-temperature turbopump assembly for space nuclear thermal propulsion

Conference · Wed Jan 20 00:00:00 EST 1993 · AIP Conference Proceedings (American Institute of Physics); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.43054· OSTI ID:5587958

Overholt, D M ^[1]

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1. Allied-Signal Aerospace Company, Garrett Fluid Systems Division, 1300 West Warner Road, empe, Arizona 85285-2200 (United States)

The development of a practical, high-performance nuclear rocket by the U.S. Air Force Space Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (SNTP) program places high priority on maximizing specific impulse (ISP) and thrust-to-weight ratio. The operating parameters arising from these goals drive the propellant-pump design. The liquid hydrogen propellant is pressurized and pumped to the reactor inlet by the turbopump assembly (TPA). Rocket propulsion is effected by rapid heating of the propellant from 100 K to thousands of degrees in the particle-bed reactor (PBR). The exhausted propellant is then expanded through a high-temperature nozzle. One approach to achieve high performance is to use an uncooled carbon-carbon nozzle and duct turbine inlet. The high-temperature capability is obtained by using carbon-carbon throughout the TPA hot section. Carbon-carbon components in development include structural parts, turbine nozzles/stators, and turbine rotors. The technology spinoff is applicable to conventional liquid propulsion engines plus a wide variety of other turbomachinery applications.

• OSTI ID: 5587958
• Report Number(s): CONF-930103-; CODEN: APCPCS
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings (American Institute of Physics); (United States), Vol. 271:3; Conference: 10. symposium on space nuclear power and propulsion, Albuquerque, NM (United States), 10-14 Jan 1993; ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
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TURBOMACHINERY
DESIGN
PERFORMANCE TESTING
COMPOSITE MATERIALS
HYDROGEN
NOZZLES
PEBBLE BED REACTORS
PUMPS
TEMPERATURE RANGE 1000-4000 K
THRUSTERS
TURBINES
ELEMENTS
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HOMOGENEOUS REACTORS
MACHINERY
MATERIALS
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REACTORS
SOLID HOMOGENEOUS REACTORS
SPACE POWER REACTORS
TEMPERATURE RANGE
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