FEASIBILITY DETERMINATION OF A NUCLEAR THERMIONIC SPACE POWER PLANT. Final Report, April 1, 1961 to August 31, 1962

Technical Report · Mon Oct 15 04:00:00 EDT 1962

OSTI ID:4702268

Buck, K E; Fisher, C R; Rehn, I M

The first phase of a program to determine the feasibility of a nuclear space-power system that utilizes a thermionic radiator is described. In this concept, thermionic converters are mounted in the radiator of the power plant and lithium is circulated directly from the reactor through the radiator. Fins attached to the anode reject waste heat to space. The basic feasibility of the thermionic radiator concept was demonstrated. An electrically heated, refractory metal (Cb-lZr) test loop which incorporated a centrifugal pump, thermionic converter, heat sink, and regenerator was constructed. Lithium was circulated to the thermionic converter at temperatures ranging from 2150 to 2260 deg F. A cylindrical thermionic converter with a cathode surface area of 80 cm/sup 2/ was operated at power densities up to 1 w/cm/sup 2/. Limited systems analysis was carried out to establish the potential performance of the power plant concept. (auth)

• Research Organization: Aerojet-General Nucleonics, San Ramon, Calif.
• NSA Number: NSA-17-024725
• OSTI ID: 4702268
• Report Number(s): ASD-TDR-62-827; AN-700; AD-293
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

COOLANT LOOPS
COOLING
ELECTRODES
FINS
HEAT EXCHANGERS
HEATING
LABORATORY EQUIPMENT
LIQUID METAL COOLANT
LITHIUM
METALS
MOCKUP
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
NIOBIUM
POWER PLANTS
QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS
REFRACTORIES
SPACE APPLICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY
SURFACES
THERMAL RADIATION
THERMIONICS
THERMOELECTRIC CELLS
ZIRCONIUM