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Title: How Small Can Fast-Spectrum Space Reactors Get?

Abstract

Fast neutron spectrum space reactors are an appropriate choice for high thermal powers, but for low powers, they may not satisfy the excess reactivity requirement while remaining sub-critical when immersed in wet sand and flooded with seawater following a launch abort accident. This paper identifies the smallest size fast spectrum, Sectored, Compact Reactor loaded with Single UN fuel pins (SCoRe-S7), which satisfy the requirements of cold clean excess reactivity > $4.00 and remains at least $1.00 subcritical at shutdown and in submersion conditions. Results indicate that increasing the diameter of the SCoRe-S core reduces its active height and the UN fuel enrichment, but increases the Spectrum-Shift Absorber (SSA) of 157GdN additive to the fuel. All SCoRe-S cores also have a 0.1 mm thick 157Gd2O3 SSA coating on the outer surface of the reactor vessel to reduce the effect of the wet sand reflector, while the SSA fuel additive reduces the effect on the criticality of the flooded reactor caused by thermal neutron fission. The active core height decreases from 42.4 cm for the smallest SCoRe-S7 to as much as to 37.4 cm for the largest core of SCoRe-S11. For a 1.8 MWth reactor thermal power the UN fuel specific powermore » decreases from 17.0 in the SCoRe-S7 to 11.5 Wth/kg in the -S11. The corresponding reactor total mass, including the BeO reflector, increases from 440 kg to 512 kg.« less

Authors:
;  [1]
  1. Institute for Space and Nuclear Power Studies, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131 (United States)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
20797996
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
AIP Conference Proceedings
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 813; Journal Issue: 1; Conference: 10. conference on thermophysics applications in microgravity; 23. symposium on space nuclear power and propulsion; 4. conference on human/robotic technology and the national vision for space exploration; 4. symposium on space colonization; 3. symposium on new frontiers and future concepts, Albuquerque, NM (United States), 12-16 Feb 2006; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.2169220; (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0094-243X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS; 21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; BERYLLIUM OXIDES; CRITICALITY; FAST NEUTRONS; FISSION; FUEL ADDITIVES; FUEL PINS; NEUTRON SPECTRA; REACTIVITY; REACTOR MATERIALS; REACTOR VESSELS; REACTORS; SPACE; SPACE VEHICLES; THERMAL NEUTRONS; URANIUM NITRIDES; NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems

Citation Formats

Hatton, Steven A, El-Genk, Mohamed S, and Department of Chemical and Nuclear Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131. How Small Can Fast-Spectrum Space Reactors Get?. United States: N. p., 2006. Web. doi:10.1063/1.2169220.
Hatton, Steven A, El-Genk, Mohamed S, & Department of Chemical and Nuclear Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131. How Small Can Fast-Spectrum Space Reactors Get?. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2169220
Hatton, Steven A, El-Genk, Mohamed S, and Department of Chemical and Nuclear Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131. 2006. "How Small Can Fast-Spectrum Space Reactors Get?". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2169220.
@article{osti_20797996,
title = {How Small Can Fast-Spectrum Space Reactors Get?},
author = {Hatton, Steven A and El-Genk, Mohamed S and Department of Chemical and Nuclear Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131},
abstractNote = {Fast neutron spectrum space reactors are an appropriate choice for high thermal powers, but for low powers, they may not satisfy the excess reactivity requirement while remaining sub-critical when immersed in wet sand and flooded with seawater following a launch abort accident. This paper identifies the smallest size fast spectrum, Sectored, Compact Reactor loaded with Single UN fuel pins (SCoRe-S7), which satisfy the requirements of cold clean excess reactivity > $4.00 and remains at least $1.00 subcritical at shutdown and in submersion conditions. Results indicate that increasing the diameter of the SCoRe-S core reduces its active height and the UN fuel enrichment, but increases the Spectrum-Shift Absorber (SSA) of 157GdN additive to the fuel. All SCoRe-S cores also have a 0.1 mm thick 157Gd2O3 SSA coating on the outer surface of the reactor vessel to reduce the effect of the wet sand reflector, while the SSA fuel additive reduces the effect on the criticality of the flooded reactor caused by thermal neutron fission. The active core height decreases from 42.4 cm for the smallest SCoRe-S7 to as much as to 37.4 cm for the largest core of SCoRe-S11. For a 1.8 MWth reactor thermal power the UN fuel specific power decreases from 17.0 in the SCoRe-S7 to 11.5 Wth/kg in the -S11. The corresponding reactor total mass, including the BeO reflector, increases from 440 kg to 512 kg.},
doi = {10.1063/1.2169220},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/20797996}, journal = {AIP Conference Proceedings},
issn = {0094-243X},
number = 1,
volume = 813,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Jan 20 00:00:00 EST 2006},
month = {Fri Jan 20 00:00:00 EST 2006}
}