Document Details
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Title:
Helios Progress Report No. 4: Nuclear Pulse Rocket (Draft)
Author(s):
Document Type:
REPORT
Publication Date:
1965 Mar 12
Declassification Date:
1997 Jun 30
Accession Number:
OOL20100104
Document Number(s):
UCRL-ID-127833
Originating Research Org.:
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
OpenNet Entry Date:
2019 Sep 10
OpenNet Modified Date:
2026 Aug 21
Description/Abstract:
Recent work on the Hellos concept has been concerned with refinement of the description of various components and processes, and with continued parameter studies seeking to define optimum systems and to relate variation in system elements to resulting overall performance changes. Two separate approaches have been taken in the parameter studies. First, an existing computer code and used for broad optimisation studies. The principal improvements made to this code were 1) the use of consistent propellant gas properties throughout, based on the assumption that the propellant can be reasonably well described as chemically reacting mixture of carbon and hydrogen; 2) correction of specific impulse for finite nozzle expansion; 3) an improved means of determining the mass of the nozzle; 4) the inclusion of mass term for the nuclear charge warehouse; 5) allowance for fraction of the propellant to be lost overboard without contributing thrust; and 6) use of an improved calculation of the pressure vessel mass. Results derived from these studies are presented in Section 2. 1,2 has been upgraded to modest degree second line of attack has involved description of reference vehicle and engine system in much more detail than before; wherever possible, interrelationships of the various component masses and other characteristics have been described in functional form. Some results of parameter studies referring to this model are given in Section 3.