Thermal-Hydraulic Analyses of the Submersion-Subcritical Safe Space (S and 4) Reactor
- Nuclear Engineering Department, University of Missouri-Rolla, 1870 Miner Circle, Rolla, MO 65409 (United States)
- Institute for Space and Nuclear Power Studies, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131 (United States)
Detailed thermal-hydraulic analyses of the S and 4 reactor are performed to reduce the maximum fuel temperature of the Submersion-Subcritical Safe Space (S and 4) reactor to below 1300 K. The fuel pellet diameter is reduced from 1.315 cm to 1.25 cm, decreasing the thermal resistance of the pellets and each of the 1.54 cm diameter coolant channels in the reactor core are replaced with several 0.3 cm ID channels to increase the effective heat transfer area and to encourage mixing of the flowing helium-28% xenon coolant. The calculated maximum fuel temperature decreased from more than 1900 K to 1302 K and the relative pressure drop across the reactor core increased from 1.98% to 2.57% of the inlet pressure. Moving the concentric inlet and outlet pipes 1 cm towards the center of the reactor core encouraged more flow through the center region, further reducing the maximum fuel temperature by 14 degrees to 1288 K, with a negligible effect on the core pressure losses.
- OSTI ID:
- 21054543
- Journal Information:
- AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 880, Issue 1; Conference: International forum-STAIF 2007: 11. conference on thermophysics applications in microgravity; 24. symposium on space nuclear power and propulsion; 5. conference on human/robotic technology and the vision for space exploration; 5. symposium on space colonization; 4. symposium on new frontiers and future concepts, Albuquerque, NM (United States), 11-15 Feb 2007; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.2437464; (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0094-243X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Effects of Gadolinium and Europium on the Design and Submersion Criticality of a Fast Spectrum Space Reactor
Submersion criticality safety of tungsten-rhenium urania cermet fuel for space propulsion and power applications