Final report on testing of TOPAZ II unit Ya-21u: Output power characteristics and system capabilities

Journal Article · Fri Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1996 · AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.49911· OSTI ID:385508

Luchau, D W ^[1]; Sinkevich, V G ^[2]; Wernsman, B ^[3]; Mulder, D M ^[4]

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1. Team Specialty Services, Inc., TOPAZ International Program, 901 University Blvd. SE, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87106 (United States)
2. JV INERTEK, Central Design Bureau of Machine Building, Krasnogvardejsky Square 3, St. Petersburg, (Russia) 195272
3. Institute for Space and Nuclear Power Studies, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131 (United States)
4. Air Force Phillips Laboratory, 901 University Blvd. SE, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87106 (United States)

A final report on the output power characteristics and capabilities of the TOPAZ II Space Nuclear Power Unit Ya-21u is presented. Results showed that after a total of almost 8,000 hours of system testing in the U.S. and Russia, several emergency cooldowns, and three inadvertent air introductions to the interelectrode gap (IEG) that the TOPAZ II demonstrates the potential for providing reliable power in a space environment. Output power optimizations and system characteristics following a shock and vibration test are shown. These tests were performed using electrical heaters that simulate nuclear fuel heating. This paper will focus primarily on the changes in output power characteristics over the lifetime of Ya-21u. All U.S. testing was conducted at the Thermionic System Evaluation Test (TSET) Facility of the New Mexico Engineering Research Institute (NMERI) as a part of the TOPAZ International Program (TIP). TIP is managed by the Air Force Phillips Laboratory (PL) for the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO). {copyright} {ital 1996 American Institute of Physics.}

• OSTI ID: 385508
• Report Number(s): CONF-960109-; ISSN 0094-243X; TRN: 96:026256
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 361, Issue 1; Conference: STAIF 96: space technology and applications international forum, Albuquerque, NM (United States), 7-11 Jan 1996; Other Information: PBD: Mar 1996
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 NUCLEAR POWER REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
22 NUCLEAR REACTOR TECHNOLOGY
30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
SPACE POWER REACTORS
PERFORMANCE TESTING
THERMIONIC FUEL ELEMENTS
CESIUM
VAPOR PRESSURE
THERMIONIC CONVERTERS
SPACE FLIGHT
MOBILE REACTORS
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems