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Title: KRUSTY Reactor Design

Journal Article · · Nuclear Technology
ORCiD logo [1];  [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
  2. NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, OH (United States)
  3. NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), Huntsville, AL (United States)
+ Show Author Affiliations

The Kilowatt Reactor Using Stirling TechnologY (KRUSTY) was a reactor design, development, and test program to demonstrate the nuclear operation of a Kilopower reactor. Kilopower systems are intended to provide between 1 and 10 kW(electric) in space, or on the surface of planets or moons, with a clear evolution to substantially higher power systems. KRUSTY was a prototype of a 1-kW(electric) highly enriched uranium–fueled Kilopower system. In March of 2018, KRUSTY successfully operated as a fission power system and was the first nuclear-powered operation of any truly new reactor concept in the United States in over 40 years. This paper discusses the design of the KRUSTY reactor along with the philosophy, goals, and engineering work that ultimately led to KRUSTY’s success.

Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP); National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Grant/Contract Number:
89233218CNA000001
OSTI ID:
1699487
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-19-32575; TRN: US2204538
Journal Information:
Nuclear Technology, Vol. 206, Issue sup1; ISSN 0029-5450
Publisher:
Taylor & FrancisCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (9)

Kilowatt Reactor Using Stirling TechnologY (KRUSTY) Cold Critical Measurements journal June 2020
FRINK — A Code to Evaluate Space Reactor Transients conference January 2007
Kilowatt Reactor Using Stirling TechnologY (KRUSTY) Component-Critical Experiments journal June 2020
Kilopower Project: The KRUSTY Fission Power Experiment and Potential Missions journal June 2020
KRUSTY Experiment: Reactivity Insertion Accident Analysis journal June 2020
Heat Transport and Power Conversion of the Kilopower Reactor Test journal June 2020
Results of the KRUSTY Warm Critical Experiments journal June 2020
Results of the KRUSTY Nuclear System Test journal June 2020
Experimental Demonstration of a Heat Pipe–Stirling Engine Nuclear Reactor journal December 2014

Figures / Tables (16)

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22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
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