Technology status of Thermionic Fuel Elements for space nuclear power

Holland, J W; Yang, L

Title: Technology status of Thermionic Fuel Elements for space nuclear power

Full Record
Other Related Research

Abstract

Over a half-million thermionic test hours were accumulated in the earlier thermionic fuel element (TFE) development program. When the program was terminated in early 1973, TFEs had operated 12,500 h with projected three-year lifetimes, and individual laboratory converters operated more than five years with stable performance. Primary life-limiting factors were thermionic emitter dimensional increases due to interactions with the fuel and electrical insulator structural damage from fast neutrons. Multiple options for extending TFE lifetimes to seven years or longer are available.

Authors:: Holland, J W; Yang, L

Publication Date:: Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1984

Research Org.:: GA Technologies Inc., San Diego, California

OSTI Identifier:: 5496195

Report Number(s):: CONF-840804-
Journal ID: CODEN: PIECD; TRN: 85-015364

Resource Type:: Conference

Journal Name:: Proc., Intersoc. Energy Convers. Eng. Conf.; (United States)

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 4; Conference: Intersociety energy conversion engineering conference, San Francisco, CA, USA, 19 Aug 1984

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION; 21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; THERMIONIC FUEL ELEMENTS; PERFORMANCE; SERVICE LIFE; ELECTRICAL INSULATORS; NASA; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; SPACE POWER REACTORS; THERMIONIC CONVERTERS; THERMIONIC EMITTERS; THERMIONIC REACTORS; US DOE; DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS; ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT; EQUIPMENT; FUEL ELEMENTS; MOBILE REACTORS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; POWER REACTORS; REACTOR COMPONENTS; REACTORS; US ORGANIZATIONS; NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems; 300403* - Thermionic Converters- Materials, Components, & Auxiliaries; 210600 - Power Reactors, Auxiliary, Mobile Package, & Transportable

Citation Formats


                    Holland, J W, and Yang, L. Technology status of Thermionic Fuel Elements for space nuclear power.  United States: N. p., 1984. 
        Web.

Copy to clipboard


                    Holland, J W, & Yang, L. Technology status of Thermionic Fuel Elements for space nuclear power.  United States.

Copy to clipboard


                    Holland, J W, and Yang, L. 1984.  
        "Technology status of Thermionic Fuel Elements for space nuclear power".  United States.

Copy to clipboard


                    
@article{osti_5496195,

  title        = {Technology status of Thermionic Fuel Elements for space nuclear power},

  author       = {Holland, J W and Yang, L},

  abstractNote = {Over a half-million thermionic test hours were accumulated in the earlier thermionic fuel element (TFE) development program. When the program was terminated in early 1973, TFEs had operated 12,500 h with projected three-year lifetimes, and individual laboratory converters operated more than five years with stable performance. Primary life-limiting factors were thermionic emitter dimensional increases due to interactions with the fuel and electrical insulator structural damage from fast neutrons. Multiple options for extending TFE lifetimes to seven years or longer are available.},

  doi          = {},

  url          = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5496195},
  journal      = {Proc., Intersoc. Energy Convers. Eng. Conf.; (United States)},
number       = ,

  volume       = 4,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1984},

  month        = {Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1984}

}

Copy to clipboard

Conference:

Other availability

Please see Document Availability for additional information on obtaining the full-text document. Library patrons may search WorldCat to identify libraries that hold this conference proceeding.

Save / Share:

Export Metadata

Save to My Library

Similar records in OSTI.GOV collections:

SP-100 thermionic technology program annual integrated technical progress report for the period ending September 30, 1984

Technical Report Holland, J.

The thermionic technology program addresses the feasibility issues of a seven-year-life thermionic fuel element (TFE) for the SP-100 Thermionic Reactor Space Power System. These issues relate to the extension of TFE lifetime from three to seven years, one of the SP-100 requirements. The technology to support three-year lifetimes was demonstrated in the earlier TFE development program conducted in the late-1960s and 1970s. Primary life-limiting factors were recognized to be thermionic emitter dimensional increases due to swelling of the nuclear fuel and electrical structural damage from fast neutrons. The 1984-85 technology program is investigating the fueled emitter and insulator lifetime issues,more »« less
https://doi.org/10.2172/5682006

Full Text Available
Thermionic Fuel Element performance: TFE Verification Program. Final test report

Technical Report

The program objective is to demonstrate the technology readiness of a Thermionic Fuel Element (TFE) suitable for use as the basic element in a thermionic reactor with electric power output in the 0.5 to 5.0 MW(e) range, and a full power life of 7 years. A TFE was designed that met the reliability and lifetime requirements for a 2 MW(e) conceptual reactor design. Analysis showed that this TFE could be used over the range of 0.5 to 5 megawatts. This was used as the basis for designing components for test and evaluation. The demonstration of a 7-year component lifetime capabilitymore »« less
https://doi.org/10.2172/10169803

Full Text Available
In-pile testing on thermionic space nuclear power fuel using a TRIGA reactor

Conference Razvi, J; Whittemore, W

The U. S. Department of Energy is sponsoring a thermionic technology development program at General Atomics (GA) to address the feasibility issues associated with the use of thermionic fuel elements (TFE) for space based nuclear power systems. The technology program being carried out at GA during the 1980s is aimed at investigating lifetime issues of the fuelled emitter and insulator materials proposed for use in thermionic reactor based space power systems, both experimentally and analytically, with a goal towards developing a TFE with a lifetime of at least seven years. The experimental investigations of TFE lifetime issues consist of performingmore »« less
The thermionic fuel element verification program: Technical progress and future plans

Conference Houts, M; Wharton, Jr, W; Begg, L; ... - AIP Conference Proceedings (American Institute of Physics); (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 Organizationmore »« less
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.43133
Thermionic fuel element verification program---overview

Conference

TFE Verification Program is in the sixth year of a program to demonstrate the performance and lifetime of thermionic fuel elements for high power space applications. It is jointly funded by SIDO and DOE. Data from accelerated tests in FFTF and EBR-II show component lifetimes longer than 7 years. Alumina insulators have shown good performance at high fast fluence. Graphite-cesium reservoirs based on isotropic graphite also meet requirements. Three TFEs are current operating in the TRIGA reactor, the oldest having accumulated 15,000 hours of irradiation as of 1 October 1990.
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.40117

Similar Records