Single Channel Testing for Characterization of the Direct Gas Cooled Reactor and the SAFE-100 Heat Exchanger
- Department of Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States)
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States)
- Propulsion Research Center, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL 35812 (United States)
Experiments have been designed to characterize the coolant gas flow in two space reactor concepts that are currently under investigation by NASA Marshall Space Flight Center and Los Alamos National Laboratory: the direct-drive gas-cooled reactor (DDG) and the SAFE-100 heatpipe-cooled reactor (HPR). For the DDG concept, initial tests have been completed to measure pressure drop versus flow rate for a prototypic core flow channel, with gas exiting to atmospheric pressure conditions. The experimental results of the completed DDG tests presented in this paper validate the predicted results to within a reasonable margin of error. These tests have resulted in a re-design of the flow annulus to reduce the pressure drop. Subsequent tests will be conducted with the re-designed flow channel and with the outlet pressure held at 150 psi (1 MPa). Design of a similar test for a nominal flow channel in the HPR heat exchanger (HPR-HX) has been completed and hardware is currently being assembled for testing this channel at 150 psi. When completed, these test programs will provide the data necessary to validate calculated flow performance for these reactor concepts (pressure drop and film temperature rise)
- OSTI ID:
- 20632883
- Journal Information:
- AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 699, Issue 1; Conference: STAIF 2004: 21. symposium on space nuclear power and propulsion: Human space exploration, space colonization, new frontiers and future concepts, Albuquerque, NM (United States), 8-11 Feb 2004; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.1649638; (c) 2004 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0094-243X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
COOLANTS
DESIGN
DISTILLERS DRIED GRAINS
FISSION
FLOW RATE
GAS COOLED REACTORS
GAS FLOW
HEAT EXCHANGERS
HEAT PIPES
LANL
NASA
NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
PERFORMANCE
PRESSURE DROP
SPACE FLIGHT
SPACE POWER REACTORS
SPACE VEHICLES
TESTING
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems