Results of the KRUSTY Nuclear System Test

Journal Article · 03 June 2020 · Nuclear Technology

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2020.1730673 · OSTI ID:1648091

Poston, David I.  ^[1]; Gibson, Marc A. ^[2]; Sanchez, Rene G. ^[1]; McClure, Patrick R. ^[1]

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1. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
2. NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, OH (United States)

The Kilowatt Reactor Using Stirling TechnologY (KRUSTY) was a prototypic nuclear-powered test of a 5-kW(thermal) Kilopower space reactor. This paper presents results from the KRUSTY nuclear system test, which operated the power system at various temperatures and power levels for 28 consecutive hours. The testing showed that the system operated as expected and that the reactor is highly tolerant of possible failure conditions and transients. The key feature demonstrated was the ability of the reactor to load-follow the demand of the power conversion system. The thermal power of the test ranged from 1.5 to 5.0 kW(thermal), with a fuel temperature up to 880°C. Each 80-W(electric)–rated Stirling converter produced ~90 W(electric) at a component efficiency of ~35% and an overall system efficiency of ~25%.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: NASA; USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
• Grant/Contract Number: 89233218CNA000001
• OSTI ID: 1648091
• Report Number(s): LA-UR--19-32702
• Journal Information: Nuclear Technology, Journal Name: Nuclear Technology Journal Issue: sup1 Vol. 206; ISSN 0029-5450
• Publisher: Taylor & FrancisCopyright Statement
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English