THERMAL RADIATION IN GASEOUS FISSION REACTORS FOR PROPULSION
The influence of thermal radiation, produced by the fuel-propellant mixture in the cavities of a gaseous fission reactor, on the specific impulse, engine specific weight and solid fuel loading requirements was examined. An attempt was made to bracket the actual radiative properties of the mixture by considering two limitlng cases, an opaque and a transparent gas. In obtaining the total power balance in the engine, an enthalpy-temperature relation was selected which was appropriate for hydrogen propellant. The analysis indicated that in the booster application of gaseous reactors, the choice between an opaque and a transparent gas is not critical to the determination of engine performance. The choice is critical, however, in systems of low thrust and very high specific impulse, and the opaque gas yields lower specific engine weights. (auth)
- Research Organization:
- California Inst. of Tech., Pasadena. Jet Propulsion Lab.
- NSA Number:
- NSA-16-001273
- OSTI ID:
- 4832418
- Report Number(s):
- JPL-TR-32-139
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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