Thermal nuclear blast simulation at the National Solar Thermal Test Facility
The National Solar Thermal Test Facility is operated by Sandia National Laboratories and located on Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The facility includes a heliostat field and associated receiver tower, two solar furnaces, and two point-focus parabolic concentrators. All can be used for simulating the thermal portion of nuclear pulses. The heliostat field contains 222 computer-controlled mirrors, which reflect concentrated solar energy to test stations on a 61-m tower. The field produces a peak flux density of 250 W/cm/sup 2/ over a 15-cm diameter with a total beam power of over 5 MW/sub t/. Thermal nuclear blasts have been simulated using a high-speed shutter (opening and closing time of 0.15 sec over a 1-m wide aperture) in combination with heliostat control to produce square or shaped pulses. The shutter can accommodate samples up to 1 /times/ 1 m and it has been used by several US and Canadian agencies. A glass-windowed wind tunnel located behind the shutter can accommodate samples up to 48 /times/ 76 cm with simultaneous exposure to the thermal flux and air flow at velocities up to 120 m/s. Each solar furnace at the facility includes a heliostat, a non-tracking parabolic concentrator, and an attenuator. One solar furnace produces flux levels of 270 W/cm/sup 2/ over a 6-mm diameter and total power of 16 kW/sub t/. A second furnace, currently under construction, will produce flux levels up to 1000 W/cm/sup 2/ over a 4-cm diameter and total power of 65 kW/sub t/. Both furnaces include shutters and attenuators that can provide square or shaped pulses. The two 11-m diameter tracking parabolic point-focusing concentrators at the facility can each produce peak flux levels of 1500 W/cm/sup 2/ over a 2.5-cm diameter and total power of 75 kW/sub t/. High-speed shutters have been used to produce square pulses. 5 figs.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-76DP00789
- OSTI ID:
- 5899242
- Report Number(s):
- SAND-88-2862C; CONF-8909179-1; ON: DE89016032
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
140700* -- Solar Thermal Power Systems
CENTRAL RECEIVER TEST FACILITY
EQUIPMENT
EXPLOSIONS
FURNACES
HELIOSTATS
MIRRORS
NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS
PARABOLIC DISH REFLECTORS
PARABOLIC REFLECTORS
PULSES
SIMULATION
SOLAR CONCENTRATORS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SOLAR FURNACES
SOLAR RECEIVERS
SOLAR REFLECTORS
TEST FACILITIES