A gas-cooled reactor surface power system

Journal Article · Fri Jan 22 04:00:00 EST 1999 · AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.57544· OSTI ID:21202506

Lipinski, Ronald J; Wright, Steven A; Lenard, Roger X; Harms, Gary A ^[1]

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1. Sandia National Laboratories, MS-1146, P.O. Box 5800, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185 (United States)

A human outpost on Mars requires plentiful power to assure survival of the astronauts. Anywhere from 50 to 500 kW of electric power (kWe) will be needed, depending on the number of astronauts, level of scientific activity, and life-cycle closure desired. This paper describes a 250-kWe power system based on a gas-cooled nuclear reactor with a recuperated closed Brayton cycle conversion system. The design draws upon the extensive data and engineering experience developed under the various high-temperature gas cooled reactor programs and under the SP-100 program. The reactor core is similar in power and size to the research reactors found on numerous university campuses. The fuel is uranium nitride clad in Nb1%Zr, which has been extensively tested under the SP-100 program. The fuel rods are arranged in a hexagonal array within a BeO block. The BeO softens the spectrum, allowing better use of the fuel and stabilizing the geometry against deformation during impact or other loadings. The system has a negative temperature feedback coefficient so that the power level will automatically follow a variable load without the need for continuous adjustment of control elements. Waste heat is removed by an air-cooled heat exchanger using cold Martian air. The amount of radioactivity in the reactor at launch is very small (less than a Curie, and about equal to a truckload of uranium ore). The system will need to be engineered so that criticality can not occur for any launch accident. This system is also adaptable for electric propulsion or life-support during transit to and from Mars.

• OSTI ID: 21202506
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings, Journal Name: AIP Conference Proceedings Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 458; ISSN APCPCS; ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
BERYLLIUM OXIDES
BRAYTON CYCLE
CONTROL ELEMENTS
CRITICALITY
ENERGY CONVERSION
FUEL RODS
HEAT EXCHANGERS
HTGR TYPE REACTORS
KILOWATT POWER RANGE
MARS PLANET
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
POWER SYSTEMS
REACTOR CORES
RESEARCH REACTORS
URANIUM NITRIDES