Nuclear-electric magnetohydrodynamic propulsion for submarine. Master's thesis

Technical Report · Mon May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1989

OSTI ID:5067573

Bednarczyk, A A

The thesis analyzes the superconducting technology for a shipboard magnetohydrodynamic propulsion system. Based on the the principles of magnetohydrodynamics (MHD), the concept of open-water efficiency was used to optimize the preliminary design of the MHD thruster. After the baseline submarine hull modeled after the Los Angeles class submarine was selected, propulsive efficiency and the top speed for four variant MHD submarines were evaluated. The design criteria were set at a 100-MWt nuclear reactor power upper limit and a requirement of 30 knots for the top speed. This required advanced reactor plants and advanced energy conversion systems. The selection of High Temperature Gas Reactor (HTGR) and Liquid-Metal Fast Breeder Reactor (LMFBR) was based on the combined merits of safety, environmental impact, high source temperature and maximum-volume power density (KW/L). With the reactor outlet temperatures of 2000 K, direct-cycle energy conversion-systems gave the best results in terms of thermal efficiency and propulsion plant power density. Two energy conversion systems selected were closed-cycle gas turbine geared to a superconducting generator, and closed-cycle liquid-metal MHD generator. Based on submarine reliability and safety, the option of using an intermediate heat exchanger was also considered. Finally, non-nuclear support systems affected by the advanced power plant and MHD propulsion, stressing submarine safety, are proposed.

• Research Organization: Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Cambridge, MA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5067573
• Report Number(s): AD-A-213401/3/XAB
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Thesis
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
MHD GENERATORS
CLOSED-CYCLE SYSTEMS
PROPULSION SYSTEMS
SHIP PROPULSION REACTORS
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
SUBMARINES
EFFICIENCY
ENERGY CONVERSION
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
GAS TURBINES
HEAT EXCHANGERS
HTGR TYPE REACTORS
LIQUID METALS
LMFBR TYPE REACTORS
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
POWER DENSITY
RELIABILITY
SAFETY
SUPERCONDUCTORS
THRUSTERS
VARIATIONS
VERY HIGH TEMPERATURE
VOLUME
BREEDER REACTORS
CONVERSION
ELEMENTS
EPITHERMAL REACTORS
FAST REACTORS
FBR TYPE REACTORS
FLUID MECHANICS
FLUIDS
GAS COOLED REACTORS
GRAPHITE MODERATED REACTORS
HYDRODYNAMICS
LIQUID METAL COOLED REACTORS
LIQUIDS
MACHINERY
MECHANICS
METALS
PROPULSION REACTORS
REACTORS
SHIPS
TURBINES
TURBOMACHINERY
220800* - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Propulsion Reactors
300100 - Direct Energy Conversion- MHD Generators
426001 - Engineering- Superconducting Devices & Circuits- (1990-)