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Title: Results of the KRUSTY Warm Critical Experiments

Journal Article · · Nuclear Technology
ORCiD logo [1];  [2];  [1];  [1]
  1. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
  2. NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, OH (United States)
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The Kilowatt Reactor Using Stirling TechnologY (KRUSTY) was a prototypic nuclear-powered test of a 5-kW(thermal) Kilopower space reactor. This paper presents results from the KRUSTY warm critical experiments, which were completed prior to the final system test. The first set of criticals comprised cold or zero-power criticals; i.e., the core was not heated by fission power. These were followed by three warm criticals, where fission power heated the core to 200°C, 300°C, and 450°C, respectively. These criticals provided the data, confidence, and regulatory framework that were needed to proceed with the KRUSTY nuclear system test. The criticals also provided valuable data for the benchmarking of codes applicable to all nuclear systems. Finally, a comparison of KRUSTY results to pretest predictions is provided, and overall, the models matched the experimental results very closely.

Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
Grant/Contract Number:
89233218CNA000001
OSTI ID:
1648090
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-19-32568; TRN: US2202897
Journal Information:
Nuclear Technology, Vol. 206, Issue sup1; ISSN 0029-5450
Publisher:
Taylor & FrancisCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 12 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

References (8)

Kilowatt Reactor Using Stirling TechnologY (KRUSTY) Cold Critical Measurements journal June 2020
FRINK — A Code to Evaluate Space Reactor Transients conference January 2007
Kilowatt Reactor Using Stirling TechnologY (KRUSTY) Component-Critical Experiments journal June 2020
Kilopower Project: The KRUSTY Fission Power Experiment and Potential Missions journal June 2020
Heat Transport and Power Conversion of the Kilopower Reactor Test journal June 2020
Results of the KRUSTY Nuclear System Test journal June 2020
KRUSTY Reactor Design journal June 2020
Experimental Demonstration of a Heat Pipe–Stirling Engine Nuclear Reactor journal December 2014

Figures / Tables (15)

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Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
Integral Experiments
Kilopower
KRUSTY
space reactor
fission power system
space nuclear power