Space Power System Modeling with EBAL

Conference · Sat Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 2006

OSTI ID:21016390

Zillmer, Andrew; Hanks, David; Tu, Wen-Hsiung 'Tony' ^[1]

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1. Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne, 6633 Canoga Avenue MC LA 13, PO Box 7922, Canoga Park, CA 91309 (United States)

Pratt and Whitney Rocket dyne's Engine Balance (EBAL) thermal/fluid system code has been expanded to model nuclear power closed Brayton cycle (CBC) power conversion systems. EBAL was originally developed to perform design analysis of hypersonic vehicle propellant and thermal management systems analysis. Later, it was adapted to rocket engine cycles. The new version of EBAL includes detailed, physics-based models of all key CBC system components. Some component examples are turbo-alternators, heat exchangers, heat pipe radiators, and liquid metal pumps. A liquid metal cooled reactor is included and a gas cooled reactor model is in work. Both thermodynamic and structural analyses are performed for each component. EBAL performs steady-state design analysis with optimization as well as off-design performance analysis. Design optimization is performed both at the component level by the component models and on the system level with a global optimizer. The user has the option to manually drive the optimization process or run parametric analysis to better understand system trade-off. Although recent EBAL developments have focused on a CBC conversion system, the code is easily extendible to other power conversion cycles. This new, more powerful version of EBAL allows for rapid design analysis and optimization of space power systems. A notional example of EBAL's capabilities is included. (authors)

• Research Organization: American Nuclear Society, 555 North Kensington Avenue, La Grange Park, IL 60526 (United States)
• OSTI ID: 21016390
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
ALTERNATORS
BRAYTON CYCLE
DESIGN
E CODES
GAS COOLED REACTORS
HEAT
LIQUID METAL COOLED REACTORS
LIQUID METALS
MANAGEMENT
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
NUCLEAR MODELS
OPTIMIZATION
PARAMETRIC ANALYSIS
PERFORMANCE
POWER SYSTEMS
ROCKET ENGINES
SIMULATION
SPACE
STEADY-STATE CONDITIONS
SYSTEMS ANALYSIS