Advanced shield development for a fission surface power system for the lunar surface

Journal Article · Tue Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 2011 · Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part G: Journal of Aerospace Engineering

OSTI ID:1021026

Craft, A E; Silver, I J; Clark, C M; Howe, S D; King, J C

A nuclear reactor power system such as the affordable fission surface power system enables a potential outpostonthemoon.Aradiation shieldmustbe included in the reactor system to reduce the otherwise excessive dose to the astronauts and other vital system components. The radiation shield is typically the most massive component of a space reactor system, and thus must be optimized to reduce mass asmuchas possible while still providing the required protection.Various shield options for an on-lander reactor system are examined for outpost distances of 400m and 1 kmfromthe reactor. Also investigated is the resulting mass savings from the use of a high performance cermet fuel. A thermal analysis is performed to determine the thermal behaviours of radiation shields using borated water. For an outpost located 1000m from the core, a tetramethylammonium borohydride shield is the lightest (5148.4 kg), followed by a trilayer shield (boron carbide–tungsten–borated water; 5832.3 kg), and finally a borated water shield (6020.7 kg). In all of the final design cases, the temperature of the borated water remains below 400 K.

• Research Organization: Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: DE-AC07-05ID14517
• OSTI ID: 1021026
• Report Number(s): INL/JOU-11-22898; TRN: US1103796
• Journal Information: Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part G: Journal of Aerospace Engineering, Vol. 225, Issue 2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
ASTRONAUTS
BOROHYDRIDES
BORON
CERMETS
DESIGN
RADIATION DOSES
FISSION
MASS
MOON
PERFORMANCE
POWER SYSTEMS
RADIATIONS
REACTORS
SHIELDING
SHIELDS
SPACE
SURFACES
THERMAL ANALYSIS
WATER
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
fission surface power
radiation shielding
space nuclear power