PERFORMANCE CAPABILITY OF SINGLE-CAVITY VORTEX GASEOUS NUCLEAR ROCKETS

Technical Report · Wed May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1963

OSTI ID:4726057

Ragsdale, R G

A hydrodynamic analysis of two-component compressible vortex flow was used to determine hydrogen flow rates consistent with criticality requirements. Thrust per reactor weight was used as the criterion of performance, and a maximum value was determined for both laminar and turbulent flows. Hydrogen property variations are included in the hydrodynamic computer program that is described. The calculated variation of pertinent parameters with vortex radius is presented for a typical laminar example, and turbulence effects are discussed. Because of limits placed on hydrogen flow rate by the diffusion process, the performance capability of this system is less than that of an advanced solid-core nuclear rocket. (auth)

• Research Organization: National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Lewis Research Center, Cleveland
• NSA Number: NSA-17-022951
• OSTI ID: 4726057
• Report Number(s): NASA-TN-D-1579
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

AERODYNAMICS
COMPUTERS
DIFFUSION
EFFICIENCY
GAS COOLANT
GAS FLOW
HYDROGEN
JETS
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
PERFORMANCE
PROGRAMMING
PROPULSION
QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS
REACTORS
ROCKETS
SPACE APPLICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY
STANDARDS
TURBULENCE
VARIATIONS
VELOCITY
VORTEX FLOW
WEIGHT