Topaz II preliminary safety assessment

Conference · Sun Jan 10 00:00:00 EST 1993 · AIP Conference Proceedings (American Institute of Physics); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.43185· OSTI ID:6541429

Marshall, A C ^[1]; Standley, V ^[2]; Voss, S S ^[3]; Haskin, E ^[4]

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1. Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185 (United States)
2. Air Force Phillips Laboratory, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87110 (United States)
3. Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States)
4. Department of Chemical and Nuclear Engineering Department, Institute for Nuclear Power Studies, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87110 (United States)

The Strategic Defense Initiative Organization (SDIO) decided to investigate the possibility of launching a Russian Topaz II space nuclear power system. A preliminary safety assessment was conducted to determine whether or not a space mission could be conducted safely and within budget constraints. As part of this assessment, a safety policy and safety functional requirements were developed to guide both the safety assessment and future Topaz II activities. A review of the Russian flight safety program was conducted and documented. Our preliminary safety assessment included a top level event tree, neutronic analysis of normal and accident configurations, an evaluation of temperature coefficients of reactivity, a reentry and disposal analysis, and analysis of postulated launch abort impact accidents, and an analysis of postulated propellant fire and explosion accidents. Based on the assessment, it appears that it will be possible to safely launch the Topaz II system in the U.S. with some possible system modifications. The principal system modifications will probably include design changes to preclude water flooded criticality and to assure intact reentry.

• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 6541429
• Report Number(s): CONF-930103-; CODEN: APCPCS
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings (American Institute of Physics); (United States), Vol. 271:1; Conference: 10. symposium on space nuclear power and propulsion, Albuquerque, NM (United States), 10-14 Jan 1993; ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
TOPAZ REACTOR
SAFETY ANALYSIS
ACCIDENTS
EXPLOSIONS
FIRES
MISSION ANALYSIS
REACTOR CORE DISRUPTION
REENTRY
RISK ASSESSMENT
TEMPERATURE COEFFICIENT
EXPERIMENTAL REACTORS
HYDRIDE MODERATED REACTORS
POWER REACTORS
REACTIVITY COEFFICIENTS
REACTOR ACCIDENTS
REACTORS
RESEARCH AND TEST REACTORS
210600* - Power Reactors
Auxiliary
Mobile Package
& Transportable
220900 - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Reactor Safety