Nuclear thermal rocket plume interactions with spacecraft. Final report

Technical Report · Thu May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1997

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/477767· OSTI ID:477767

Mauk, B H ^[1]; Gatsonis, N A; Buzby, J; Yin, X ^[2]

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1. Johns Hopkins Univ., Laurel, MD (United States)
2. Worcester Polytechnic Inst., MA (United States). Mechanical Engineering Department

This is the first study that has treated the Nuclear Thermal Rocket (NTR) effluent problem in its entirety, beginning with the reactor core, through the nozzle flow, to the plume backflow. The summary of major accomplishments is given below: (1) Determined the NTR effluents that include neutral, ionized and radioactive species, under typical NTR chamber conditions. Applied an NTR chamber chemistry model that includes conditions and used nozzle geometries and chamber conditions typical of NTR configurations. (2) Performed NTR nozzle flow simulations using a Navier-Stokes solver. We assumed frozen chemistry at the chamber conditions and used nozzle geometries and chamber conditions typical of NTR configurations. (3) Performed plume simulations using a Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) code with chemistry. In order to account for radioactive trace species that may be important for contamination purposes we developed a multi-weighted DSMC methodology. The domain in our simulations included large regions downstream and upstream of the exit. Inputs were taken from the Navier-Stokes solutions.

• Research Organization: Johns Hopkins Univ., Laurel, MD (United States). Applied Physics Lab.
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: FG01-94NE32183
• OSTI ID: 477767
• Report Number(s): DOE/NE/32183--T2; ON: DE97006041
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
CONTAMINATION
GAS FLOW
NAVIER-STOKES EQUATIONS
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
RADIOACTIVE EFFLUENTS
ROCKETS
SPACE PROPULSION REACTORS
SPACE VEHICLES
THRUSTERS