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Title: Contributions Regarding the Aircraft Nuclear Propulsion

Journal Article · · AIP Conference Proceedings
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3322435· OSTI ID:21371457
; ;  [1];  [2]; ;  [3]
  1. Horia Hulubei National Institute of Physics and Nuclear Engineering-IFIN HH, Magurele, 077125 (Romania)
  2. POLITEHNICA University of Bucharest, Bucharest, 060042 (Romania)
  3. University of Bucharest, Bucharest, 050107 (Romania)

The possibility to use a nuclear reactor for airplanes propulsion was investigated taking in to account 2 possible solutions: the direct cycle (where the fluid pass through the reactor's core) and the indirect cycle (where the fluid is passing through a heat exchanger). Taking in to account the radioprotection problems, the only realistic solution seems to be the indirect cycle, where the energy transfer should be performed by a heat exchanger that must work at very high speed of the fluid. The heat exchanger will replace the classical burning room. We had performed a more precise theoretical study for the nuclear jet engine regarding the performances of the nuclear reactor, of the heat exchanger and of the jet engine. It was taken in to account that in the moment when the burning room is replaced by a heat exchanger, a new model for gasodynamic process from the engine must be performed. Studies regarding the high flow speed heat transfer were performed.

OSTI ID:
21371457
Journal Information:
AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 1203, Issue 1; Conference: 7. international conference of the Balkan Physical Union, Alexandroupolis (Greece), 9-13 Sep 2009; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3322435; (c) 2010 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 0094-243X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English