Nuclear power for Mars surface
Abstract
Safe, reliable, low-mass, low-volume, long-life nuclear fission power supplies are an attractive option for meeting lunar and Martian surface power requirements. Two factors will have a strong impact on the suitability of a surface nuclear power supply: the technology used by the reactor and the overall system mass. Because thermionic technology is well suited for surface applications, this paper briefly discusses the existing 6 kWe Russian TOPAZ II reactor and two near-term US thermionic space nuclear power supplies capable of providing 40 kWe. Man-rated shielding will be a significant fraction of the mass of any surface nuclear fission power supply. Because of the importance of optimizing the reactor shield, this paper presents detailed calculations related to the shielding properties of lunar and Martian soil, and the effectiveness of using existing craters to shield a reactor. Preliminary results indicate that it may be desirable to incorporate neutron shielding into the reactor design, but when possible in-situ materials should be used. Preliminary calculations also indicate that while existing craters could provide substantial shielding, radiation scatter off of the crater rim may limit the overall shielding effectiveness of the crater. 7 refs.
- Authors:
- Publication Date:
- OSTI Identifier:
- 6220927
- Report Number(s):
- AIAA-Paper-93-1182; CONF-9302142-
TRN: 93-016820
- Resource Type:
- Conference
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Aerospace Industrial Association of America (AIAA), American Helicopter Society (AHS), and American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) aerospace design conference, Irvine, CA (United States), 16-19 Feb 1993
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; SPACE POWER REACTORS; DESIGN; THERMIONIC REACTORS; FUEL CELLS; MARS PLANET; POWER GENERATION; RADIATION PROTECTION; SHIELDING; SPACE PROPULSION REACTORS; TOPAZ REACTOR; DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS; ELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS; EXPERIMENTAL REACTORS; HYDRIDE MODERATED REACTORS; MOBILE REACTORS; PLANETS; POWER REACTORS; PROPULSION REACTORS; REACTORS; RESEARCH AND TEST REACTORS; NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems; 210600* - Power Reactors, Auxiliary, Mobile Package, & Transportable; 220600 - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Research, Test & Experimental Reactors
Citation Formats
Houts, M G, Buksa, J J, and Howe, S D. Nuclear power for Mars surface. United States: N. p., 1993.
Web.
Houts, M G, Buksa, J J, & Howe, S D. Nuclear power for Mars surface. United States.
Houts, M G, Buksa, J J, and Howe, S D. 1993.
"Nuclear power for Mars surface". United States.
@article{osti_6220927,
title = {Nuclear power for Mars surface},
author = {Houts, M G and Buksa, J J and Howe, S D},
abstractNote = {Safe, reliable, low-mass, low-volume, long-life nuclear fission power supplies are an attractive option for meeting lunar and Martian surface power requirements. Two factors will have a strong impact on the suitability of a surface nuclear power supply: the technology used by the reactor and the overall system mass. Because thermionic technology is well suited for surface applications, this paper briefly discusses the existing 6 kWe Russian TOPAZ II reactor and two near-term US thermionic space nuclear power supplies capable of providing 40 kWe. Man-rated shielding will be a significant fraction of the mass of any surface nuclear fission power supply. Because of the importance of optimizing the reactor shield, this paper presents detailed calculations related to the shielding properties of lunar and Martian soil, and the effectiveness of using existing craters to shield a reactor. Preliminary results indicate that it may be desirable to incorporate neutron shielding into the reactor design, but when possible in-situ materials should be used. Preliminary calculations also indicate that while existing craters could provide substantial shielding, radiation scatter off of the crater rim may limit the overall shielding effectiveness of the crater. 7 refs.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6220927},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1993},
month = {Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1993}
}