AN OPTIMIZATION OF POWERPLANT PARAMETERS FOR ORBITAL-LAUNCH NUCLEAR ROCKETS
Technical Report
·
OSTI ID:4094851
Performance of orbital-launch nuclear rockets was computed for ranges of gross weight, mission energy, and hydrogen tempersture to show the effects of variations in hydrogen pressure, reactor power, and reactor flow area. Spacecraft performance is shown to be relatively insensitive to variations in design-point pressure or power. Pumped systems give maximum residual load at reactorexit pressures of 100 to 300lIb/sq in. absolute and powers of 300 to 1500 Mw for gross weights from 30.000 to 150,000 lb. Reductions in pressure or power by factors of 2.5 to 5.0 correspond to only a 5% reduction in residual load. Pressurized systems optimize at 30 to 35 lb/sq in. absolute and 80 to 400 Mw for the same gross-weight range. with 95% performance corresponding to pressure or power reduction by factor of 1.5 to 2.5. (auth)
- Research Organization:
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Langley Research Center, Langley Field, Va.
- NSA Number:
- NSA-15-010529
- OSTI ID:
- 4094851
- Report Number(s):
- NASA-TN-D-675
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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