General-Purpose Heat Source Development: safety test program. Postimpact evaluation, Design Iteration Test 5
The General-Purpose Heat Source (GPHS) provides power for space missions by transmitting the heat of /sup 238/Pu decay to thermoelectric elements. Because of the inevitable return of certain aborted missions, the heat source must be designed and constructed to survive both re-entry and Earth impact. The Design Iteration Test (DIT) series is part of an ongoing impact test program. The fifth test (DIT-5) was designed to compare the impact response of a GPHS fueled clad that had been welded with a four-pole arc oscillator with the impact response of a clad welded with a two-pole oscillator. In DIT-5 a partial GPHS module containing two fueled clads (one welded with a four-pole oscillator and one welded with a two-pole oscillator) was impacted at 60.5 m/s and 930/sup 0/C. The fuel capsules were severely deformed by the impact; both clads breached. The capsule welded with a four-pole oscillator failed extensively. Neither failure was related to the welding technique. Postimpact analyses of the test components are described, with emphasis on microstructure and impact response.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- OSTI ID:
- 6244144
- Report Number(s):
- LA-10232-SR; ON: DE85007392
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
RADIOISOTOPE HEAT SOURCES
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
REENTRY
IMPACT SHOCK
SPACECRAFT POWER SUPPLIES
ABLATION
MICROSTRUCTURE
PLUTONIUM 238
PLUTONIUM DIOXIDE
TEST FACILITIES
THERMOELECTRIC GENERATORS
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CHALCOGENIDES
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
HEAT SOURCES
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
NUCLEI
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLUTONIUM COMPOUNDS
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
PLUTONIUM OXIDES
POWER SUPPLIES
RADIOISOTOPES
TRANSURANIUM COMPOUNDS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
070300* - Isotopic Power Supplies