SNAP-50/SPUR program engineering progress report, October 1, 1963--December 31, 1963

Technical Report · Fri Feb 28 00:00:00 EST 1964

OSTI ID:4302984

Declassified 6 Sep 1973. A design study of the integration of the SNAP- 50/SPUR power plant with a space craft for use with the Titan 111C launch vehicle was completed. Reference Reactor Design No. 2 (8 Mwt) was integrated into the SNAP-50/SPUR power plant design. Emphasis has been shifted to Reference Reactor Design No. 3 (2 Mwt) which is based on a maximum fuel temperature of 2300F and a maximum fuel burnup of 1.5 percent. Environmental tests of control drive components were continued utilizing residual LCRE material. Test temperatures were increased to those of interest for SNAP-50/ SPUR. The four-inch pressure vessels completed 9139 and 7896 hours of their scheduled 10,000 hour tests. The full-scale LCRE prototype vessel completed 4800 hours of a 10,000 hour test. A pressure vessel test program was initiated for SNAP-50/SPUR designs using ten- inch vessels. Data on potential SNAP-50/ SPUR fuels indicate that serious limitations may exist at design conditions associated with Reference Design No. 2 (8 Mwt). Modifications to the fuel testing program were made to provide an evaluation of fuels at conditions corresponding to those used for Reference Reactor Design No. 3 (2 Mwt). Design was continued on the power plant pumps and drive motors. A preliminary dynamic analysis of the SNAP-50/SPUR power plant was completed on the CANEL electric analog computer. Testing of the Haynes25 alloy boiling heat transfer loop was continued to 3600 hours at which time a loop failure terminated the test program. The stainless steel boiling potassium loop was discontinued after 2265 hours of operation due to a failure in the boiler. The NonNuclear Systems Test was interrupted at 4021 hours by a water leak in the electrical heater cooling circuit. The materials program was continued in support of the SNAP-50/SPUR development effort. A natural convection potassium loop has completed 1655 hours of testing in a vacuum environment. (auth)

• Research Organization: Pratt and Whitney Aircraft, Middletown, Conn. (USA). Connecticut Advanced Nuclear Engineering Lab.
• DOE Contract Number: AT(30-1)-2789
• NSA Number: NSA-29-028716
• OSTI ID: 4302984
• Report Number(s): PWAC-634
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Declassified 6 Sep 1973. Orig. Receipt Date: 30-JUN-74
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

N77800* -Reactors-Space
Mobile
Propulsion
Transportation & Package Reactors
N50200 -Metals
Ceramics
& Other Materials-Metals & Alloys
*S50 REACTOR- RESEARCH PROGRAMS
CONTROL ROD DRIVES
DESIGN
FUEL ELEMENTS
PERFORMANCE TESTING
PRESSURE VESSELS
PUMPS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR MATERIALS
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems