skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Model of a nuclear thermal test pipe using ATHENA

Abstract

Nuclear thermal propulsion offers significant improvements in rocket engine specific impulse over rockets employing chemical propulsion. The computer code ATHENA (Advanced Thermal Hydraulic Energy Network Analyzer) was used in a parametric analysis of a fuelpipe. The fuelpipe is an annular particle bed fuel element of the reactor with radially inward flow of hydrogen through it. The outlet temperature of the hydrogen is parametrically related to key effects, including the effect of reactor power at two different pressure drops, the effect of the power coupling factor of the Annular Core Research Reactor, and the effect of hydrogen flow. Results show that the outlet temperature is linearly related to the reactor power and nonlinearly to the change in pressure drop. The linear relationship at higher temperatures is probably not valid due to dissociation of hydrogen. Once thermal properties of hydrogen become available, the ATHENA model for this study could easily be modified to test this conjecture.

Authors:
 [1]
  1. Air Force Inst. of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Air Force, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy
OSTI Identifier:
307935
Report Number(s):
DOE/SF/17799-T2; AFIT/GNE/ENP-92M-2
ON: DE99001602; TRN: AHC29905%%112
DOE Contract Number:  
AI03-88SF17799
Resource Type:
Thesis/Dissertation
Resource Relation:
Other Information: TH: Thesis (M.S.); PBD: Mar 1992
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
21 NUCLEAR POWER REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; 99 MATHEMATICS, COMPUTERS, INFORMATION SCIENCE, MANAGEMENT, LAW, MISCELLANEOUS; ROCKET ENGINES; SPACE PROPULSION REACTORS; A CODES; PARAMETRIC ANALYSIS; FUEL PINS; HEAT TRANSFER; HYDRAULICS; PEBBLE BED REACTORS; ANNULAR SPACE; HYDROGEN; NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems

Citation Formats

Dibben, Mark J. Model of a nuclear thermal test pipe using ATHENA. United States: N. p., 1992. Web. doi:10.2172/307935.
Dibben, Mark J. Model of a nuclear thermal test pipe using ATHENA. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/307935
Dibben, Mark J. 1992. "Model of a nuclear thermal test pipe using ATHENA". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/307935. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/307935.
@article{osti_307935,
title = {Model of a nuclear thermal test pipe using ATHENA},
author = {Dibben, Mark J.},
abstractNote = {Nuclear thermal propulsion offers significant improvements in rocket engine specific impulse over rockets employing chemical propulsion. The computer code ATHENA (Advanced Thermal Hydraulic Energy Network Analyzer) was used in a parametric analysis of a fuelpipe. The fuelpipe is an annular particle bed fuel element of the reactor with radially inward flow of hydrogen through it. The outlet temperature of the hydrogen is parametrically related to key effects, including the effect of reactor power at two different pressure drops, the effect of the power coupling factor of the Annular Core Research Reactor, and the effect of hydrogen flow. Results show that the outlet temperature is linearly related to the reactor power and nonlinearly to the change in pressure drop. The linear relationship at higher temperatures is probably not valid due to dissociation of hydrogen. Once thermal properties of hydrogen become available, the ATHENA model for this study could easily be modified to test this conjecture.},
doi = {10.2172/307935},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/307935}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1992},
month = {Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1992}
}

Thesis/Dissertation:
Other availability
Please see Document Availability for additional information on obtaining the full-text document. Library patrons may search WorldCat to identify libraries that hold this thesis or dissertation.

Save / Share: