Studies of PuF sub 6 and transplutonic materials' critical properties for space high power nuclear pumped lasers
- Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, Mississippi State University, P.O. Drawer NE, Mississippi State, Mississippi 39762 (USA)
- U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 475 Allendale Rd., King of Prusia, Pennsylvania 19406 (USA)
All space missions require a reliable, compact source of energy. This paper describes preliminary neutronics studies of pocket'' reactor concepts employing PuF{sub 6} and transplutonic materials as fuels for space high power/energy Nuclear Pumped Lasers (NPLs). Previous research has studied NPL reactor concepts with thin fuel layers, aerosol fuels and gaseous UF{sub 6}. The total reactor volumes for compact reactors with these types of fuels typically range from 3 m{sup 3} to 50 m{sup 3}. By employing PuF{sub 6} and transplutonic fuels at the same low densities, a calculated value for Keff of 1.2 has been achieved for conditions of 900 K and 5 atm, with total reactor volumes of 1.5 m{sup 3} for PuF{sub 6}, 0.51 m{sup 3} for Am-242m, 0.58 m{sup 3} for Cm-245 and 0.63 m{sup 3} for Cf-249.
- OSTI ID:
- 5638559
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-910116-; CODEN: APCPC; TRN: 91-021915
- Journal Information:
- AIP Conference Proceedings (American Institute of Physics); (United States), Vol. 217:1; Conference: 8. symposium on space nuclear power systems, Albuquerque, NM (United States), 6-10 Jan 1991; ISSN 0094-243X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
SPACE POWER REACTORS
NUCLEAR FUELS
DESIGN
NEUTRON FLUX
NUCLEAR PUMPING
PLUTONIUM FLUORIDES
PLUTONIUM REACTORS
REACTOR CORES
TRANSPLUTONIUM ELEMENTS
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
FLUORIDES
FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
FUELS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
MATERIALS
MOBILE REACTORS
PLUTONIUM COMPOUNDS
POWER REACTORS
PUMPING
RADIATION FLUX
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR MATERIALS
REACTORS
TRANSURANIUM COMPOUNDS
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
210600* - Power Reactors
Auxiliary
Mobile Package
& Transportable