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U.S. Department of Energy
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Subterrene electrical heater design and morphology

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/4339720· OSTI ID:4339720
The design, construction, and testing of a variety of electrical heaters for small-diameter Subterrene penetrators has been pursued. The incompatibility of refractory materials at the required operating temperatures of ~2000 deg K and the large heat-flux requirements posed the most difflcult design problems. Heat fluxes of up to 2.0 MW/m/sup 2/ were obtained from pyrolytic-graphite radiant heattransfer elements and were as high as 2.5 MW/m/sup 2/ when this type of heater was combined with a lithium heat-pipe assembly. Penetrators using radiant heaters produced both vertical and horizontal holes of 50 mm dia up to lengths of 25 m, whereas holes of up to 64 mm dia and 0.5 m long were produced in basalt and other rock samples in the laboratory. (auth)
Research Organization:
Los Alamos Scientific Lab., N.Mex. (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-36
NSA Number:
NSA-29-026786
OSTI ID:
4339720
Report Number(s):
LA--5211-MS
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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