Reactor dynamics and stability analysis of a burst-mode gas core reactor, Brayton cycle space power system
- Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States). Innovative Nuclear Space Power and Propulsion Inst.
- Univ. of Missouri, Columbia, MO (United States)
Reactor dynamics and system stability studies are performed on a conceptual burst-mode gaseous core reactor space nuclear power system. This concept operates on a closed Brayton cycle in the burst mode (on the order of 100-MW output for a few thousand seconds) using a disk magnetohydrodynamic generator for energy conversion. The fuel is a gaseous mixture of UF[sub 4] or UF[sub 6] and helium. Nonlinear dynamic analysis is performed using circulating-fuel, point-reactor-kinetics equations along with thermodynamic, lumped-parameter heat transfer and one-dimensional isentropic flow equations. The gaseous nature of the fuel plus the fact that the fuel is circulating lead to dynamic behavior that is quite different from that of conventional solid-core systems. For the transients examined, Doppler fuel temperature and moderator temperature feedbacks are insignificant when compared with reactivity feedback associated with fuel gas density variations. The gaseous fuel density power coefficient of reactivity is capable of rapidly stabilizing the system, within a few seconds, even when large positive reactivity insertions are imposed; however, because of the strength of this feedback, standard external reactivity insertions alone are inadequate to bring about significant power level changes during normal reactor operation. Additional methods of reactivity control, such as changes in the gaseous of fuel mass flow rate or core inlet pressure, are required to achieve desired power level control. Finally, linear stability analysis gives results that are qualitatively in agreement with the nonlinear analysis.
- OSTI ID:
- 7368978
- Journal Information:
- Nuclear Technology; (United States), Vol. 103:1; ISSN 0029-5450
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
SPACE POWER REACTORS
DESIGN
REACTOR KINETICS
BRAYTON CYCLE
DYNAMICS
FEEDBACK
HELIUM
MHD GENERATORS
MODERATORS
NUCLEAR FUELS
REACTIVITY
REACTIVITY INSERTIONS
REACTOR CORES
REACTOR KINETICS EQUATIONS
REACTOR OPERATION
REACTOR SAFETY
STABILITY
TRANSIENTS
URANIUM FLUORIDES
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
EQUATIONS
FLUIDS
FLUORIDES
FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
FUELS
GASES
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
KINETICS
MATERIALS
MECHANICS
MOBILE REACTORS
NONMETALS
OPERATION
POWER REACTORS
RARE GASES
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR MATERIALS
REACTORS
SAFETY
THERMODYNAMIC CYCLES
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
220900* - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Reactor Safety
210600 - Power Reactors
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