The thermionic fuel element verification program: Technical progress and future plans

Conference · Wed Jan 20 00:00:00 EST 1993 · AIP Conference Proceedings (American Institute of Physics); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.43133· OSTI ID:6541571

Houts, M G ^[1]; Wharton, Jr, W R ^[2]; Begg, L L ^[3]; Lawrence, L A ^[4]

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1. Los Alamos National Laboratory, MS K551, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States)
2. Department of Energy, Office of Defence Energy Projects NE-52, MS B-435, Germantown, Maryland 20874 (United States)
3. General Atomics, P.O. Box 85608, San Diego, California 92138-5608 (United States)
4. Westinghouse Hanford Company, P.O. Box 1970, Richland, Washington 99352 (United States)

The goal of the Thermionic Fuel Element Verification Program (TFEVP) is to demonstrate the technological readiness of a Thermionic Fuel Element (TFE) suitable for use as the basic element in a thermionic reactor having an electric power output in the 0.5- to 5-MWe range and a full-power life of seven years. The TFEVP has made significant progress in developing components capable of withstanding the required neutron fluence (4[times]10[sup 22] n/cm[sup 2], E[gt]0.1 MeV) and the required burnup (5.3%). Technology developed under the TFEVP also supports the 5- to 40-kWe thermionic systems currently of interest to the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization and the United States Air Force. The fast-neutron flux in certain 5- to 40-kWe systems is up to a factor of five less than that in 0.5- to 5-MWe system. Component technology that has been developed for 0.5- to 5-MWe systems will thus be suitable for use in long-life, high-performance, 5- to 40-kWe systems. Components that are being developed by the TFEVP include insulator seals, sheath insulators, fueled emitters, cesium reservoirs, and interconnective TFE components. In addition, the TFEVP has created a preliminary 2-MWe-system design and is presently evaluating converter performance under various conditions. Prototypic TFEs are also being tested. The TFEVP has encountered and surmounted problems in developing and testing long-life TFEs. The emphasis of the US thermionic reactor development effort is shifting to the development of a 40-kWe thermionic space nuclear power supply. The TFEVP will be closed out by the end of fiscal year 1994, with the close-out optimized for yielding the maximum overall program benefit-to-cost ratio. Information gained during the close-out will be very useful to the development of the 40-kWe thermionic system.

• OSTI ID: 6541571
• Report Number(s): CONF-930103-; CODEN: APCPCS
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings (American Institute of Physics); (United States), Vol. 271:3; Conference: 10. symposium on space nuclear power and propulsion, Albuquerque, NM (United States), 10-14 Jan 1993; ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
SPACE POWER REACTORS
THERMIONIC REACTORS
THERMIONIC FUEL ELEMENTS
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
DESIGN
FABRICATION
NEUTRON FLUENCE
PLANNING
SEALS
SERVICE LIFE
TESTING
THERMIONIC EMITTERS
FUEL ELEMENTS
LIFETIME
MOBILE REACTORS
POWER REACTORS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTORS
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
210600* - Power Reactors
Auxiliary
Mobile Package
& Transportable
220200 - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Components & Accessories
300400 - Thermionic Converters