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Heat-Pipe Reactors for Space Power Applications

Journal Article · · Journal of Energy
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2514/3.62334· OSTI ID:5263040
A family of heat-pipe reactor design concepts has been developed to provide heat to a variety of electrical conversion systems. Three power plants are described which span the power range 1 to 500 kWe and operate in the temperature range 1200 to 1700 K. The reactors are fast, compact, heat-pipe-cooled, high-temperature nuclear reactors fueled with fully enriched refractory fuels, UC--ZrC or UO/sub 2/. Each fuel element is cooled by an axially located molybdenum heat pipe containing either sodium or lithium vapor. Virtues of the reactor designs are the avoidance of single-point failure mechanisms, the relatively high operating temperature, and the expected long lifetimes of the fuel element components.
Research Organization:
Los Alamos Scientific Lab., NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
US Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA)
OSTI ID:
5263040
Journal Information:
Journal of Energy, Journal Name: Journal of Energy Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 1; ISSN 0146-0412
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (2)