General-Purpose Heat Source Safety Verification Test program: Edge-on flyer plate tests

doi:https://doi.org/10.2172/6432398

Title: General-Purpose Heat Source Safety Verification Test program: Edge-on flyer plate tests

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Abstract

The radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) that will supply power for the Galileo and Ulysses space missions contains 18 General-Purpose Heat Source (GPHS) modules. The GPHS modules provide power by transmitting the heat of STYPu -decay to an array of thermoelectric elements. Each module contains four STYPuO2-fueled clads and generates 250 W(t). Because the possibility of a launch vehicle explosion always exists, and because such an explosion could generate a field of high-energy fragments, the fueled clads within each GPHS module must survive fragment impact. The edge-on flyer plate tests were included in the Safety Verification Test series to provide information on the module/clad response to the impact of high-energy plate fragments. The test results indicate that the edge-on impact of a 3.2-mm-thick, aluminum-alloy (2219-T87) plate traveling at 915 m/s causes the complete release of fuel from capsules contained within a bare GPHS module, and that the threshold velocity sufficient to cause the breach of a bare, simulant-fueled clad impacted by a 3.5-mm-thick, aluminum-alloy (5052-T0) plate is approximately 140 m/s.

Authors:: George, T G

Publication Date:: 1987-03-01

Research Org.:: Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)

OSTI Identifier:: 6432398

Report Number(s):: LA-10872-MS
ON: DE87006309

DOE Contract Number:: W-7405-ENG-36

Resource Type:: Technical Report

Resource Relation:: Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products. Original copy available until stock is exhausted

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION; SPACE VEHICLES; EXPLOSIONS; THERMOELECTRIC GENERATORS; MISSILE PROTECTION; ALUMINIUM ALLOYS; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; FRAGMENTATION; MIXED OXIDE FUELS; PLUTONIUM 238; PLUTONIUM DIOXIDE; SAFETY; TESTING; THERMOELECTRIC CONVERSION; URANIUM DIOXIDE; ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS; ACTINIDE ISOTOPES; ACTINIDE NUCLEI; ALLOYS; ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; CHALCOGENIDES; CONVERSION; DATA; DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION; DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS; ENERGY CONVERSION; EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI; FUELS; HEAVY NUCLEI; INFORMATION; ISOTOPES; NUCLEI; NUMERICAL DATA; OXIDES; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; PLUTONIUM COMPOUNDS; PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES; PLUTONIUM OXIDES; RADIOISOTOPES; SOLID FUELS; TRANSURANIUM COMPOUNDS; URANIUM COMPOUNDS; URANIUM OXIDES; VEHICLES; YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems; 300300* - Thermoelectric Generators; 300504 - Fuel Cells- Applications

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                    George, T G. General-Purpose Heat Source Safety Verification Test program: Edge-on flyer plate tests.  United States: N. p., 1987. 
        Web.  doi:10.2172/6432398.

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                    George, T G. General-Purpose Heat Source Safety Verification Test program: Edge-on flyer plate tests.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.2172/6432398

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                    George, T G. Sun .  
        "General-Purpose Heat Source Safety Verification Test program: Edge-on flyer plate tests".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.2172/6432398.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/6432398.

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@article{osti_6432398,

  title        = {General-Purpose Heat Source Safety Verification Test program: Edge-on flyer plate tests},

  author       = {George, T G},

  abstractNote = {The radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) that will supply power for the Galileo and Ulysses space missions contains 18 General-Purpose Heat Source (GPHS) modules. The GPHS modules provide power by transmitting the heat of STYPu -decay to an array of thermoelectric elements. Each module contains four STYPuO2-fueled clads and generates 250 W(t). Because the possibility of a launch vehicle explosion always exists, and because such an explosion could generate a field of high-energy fragments, the fueled clads within each GPHS module must survive fragment impact. The edge-on flyer plate tests were included in the Safety Verification Test series to provide information on the module/clad response to the impact of high-energy plate fragments. The test results indicate that the edge-on impact of a 3.2-mm-thick, aluminum-alloy (2219-T87) plate traveling at 915 m/s causes the complete release of fuel from capsules contained within a bare GPHS module, and that the threshold velocity sufficient to cause the breach of a bare, simulant-fueled clad impacted by a 3.5-mm-thick, aluminum-alloy (5052-T0) plate is approximately 140 m/s.},

  doi          = {10.2172/6432398},

  url          = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6432398},
  journal      = {},
number       = ,

  volume       = ,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {1987},

  month        = {3}

}

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