Nuclear Engine System Simulation (NESS). Volume 1: Program user's guide. Final Report

Technical Report · Mon Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1993

OSTI ID:6151673

Pelaccio, D G; Scheil, C M; Petrosky, L J

A Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) engine system design analysis tool is required to support current and future Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) propulsion and vehicle design studies. Currently available NTP engine design models are those developed during the NERVA program in the 1960's and early 1970's and are highly unique to that design or are modifications of current liquid propulsion system design models. To date, NTP engine-based liquid design models lack integrated design of key NTP engine design features in the areas of reactor, shielding, multi-propellant capability, and multi-redundant pump feed fuel systems. Additionally, since the SEI effort is in the initial development stage, a robust, verified NTP analysis design tool could be of great use to the community. This effort developed an NTP engine system design analysis program (tool), known as the Nuclear Engine System Simulation (NESS) program, to support ongoing and future engine system and stage design study efforts. In this effort, Science Applications International Corporation's (SAIC) NTP version of the Expanded Liquid Engine Simulation (ELES) program was modified extensively to include Westinghouse Electric Corporation's near-term solid-core reactor design model. The ELES program has extensive capability to conduct preliminary system design analysis of liquid rocket systems and vehicles. The program is modular in nature and is versatile in terms of modeling state-of-the-art component and system options as discussed. The Westinghouse reactor design model, which was integrated in the NESS program, is based on the near-term solid-core ENABLER NTP reactor design concept. This program is now capable of accurately modeling (characterizing) a complete near-term solid-core NTP engine system in great detail, for a number of design options, in an efficient manner.

• Research Organization: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Cleveland, OH (United States). Lewis Research Center
• OSTI ID: 6151673
• Report Number(s): N-93-23876; NASA-CR-191080; E-7622; NAS-1.26:191080; CNN: NAS3-25809; RTOP 593-71-00
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS//MATHEMATICS, COMPUTING, AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
N CODES
MANUALS
ROCKET ENGINES
SYSTEMS ANALYSIS
SPACE PROPULSION REACTORS
BIOLOGICAL SHIELDING
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
DESIGN
FUEL SYSTEMS
COMPUTER CODES
DOCUMENT TYPES
ENGINES
MOBILE REACTORS
POWER REACTORS
PROPULSION REACTORS
REACTORS
SHIELDING
SIMULATION
SPACE POWER REACTORS
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
210600* - Power Reactors
Auxiliary
Mobile Package
& Transportable
990200 - Mathematics & Computers