Design of a Low Power, Fast-Spectrum, Liquid-Metal Cooled Surface Reactor System

Journal Article · Fri Jan 20 04:00:00 EST 2006 · AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2169208· OSTI ID:20797990

Marcille, T F; Poston, D I; Kapernick, R J ^[1]; Dixon, D D ^[1]; Fischer, G A ^[1]; Doherty, S P ^[1]

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1. Nuclear Systems Design Group, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States)

In the current 2005 US budget environment, competition for fiscal resources make funding for comprehensive space reactor development programs difficult to justify and accommodate. Simultaneously, the need to develop these systems to provide planetary and deep space-enabling power systems is increasing. Given that environment, designs intended to satisfy reasonable near-term surface missions, using affordable technology-ready materials and processes warrant serious consideration. An initial lunar application design incorporating a stainless structure, 880 K pumped NaK coolant system and a stainless/UO2 fuel system can be designed, fabricated and tested for a fraction of the cost of recent high-profile reactor programs (JIMO, SP-100). Along with the cost reductions associated with the use of qualified materials and processes, this design offers a low-risk, high-reliability implementation associated with mission specific low temperature, low burnup, five year operating lifetime requirements.

• OSTI ID: 20797990
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings, Journal Name: AIP Conference Proceedings Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 813; ISSN APCPCS; ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
BURNUP
COOLANTS
COST
DESIGN
FUEL SYSTEMS
LIFETIME
LIQUID METAL COOLED REACTORS
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
POTASSIUM ALLOYS
POWER GENERATION
POWER SYSTEMS
REACTOR MATERIALS
SODIUM ALLOYS
SPACE
SPACE VEHICLES