Space reactor fuel element testing in upgraded TREAT

Conference · Sat May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1993

OSTI ID:935270

Todosow, M; Bezler, P; Ludewig, H; Kato, W Y

The testing of candidate fuel elements at prototypic operating conditions with respect to temperature, power density, hydrogen coolant flow rate, etc., a crucial component in the development and qualification of nuclear rocket engines based on the Particle Bed Reactor (PBR), NERVA-derivative, and other concepts. Such testing may be performed at existing reactors, or at new facilities. A scoping study has been performed to assess the feasibility of testing PBR based fuel elements at the TREAT reactor. initial results suggest that full-scale PBR, elements could be tested at an average energy deposition of {approximately}60--80 MW-s/L in the current TREAT reactor. If the TREAT reactor was upgraded to include fuel elements with a higher temperature limit, average energy deposition of {approximately}100 MW/L may be achievable.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH00016
• OSTI ID: 935270
• Report Number(s): BNL-48700; CONF-930103-36; ON: DE93012524
• Resource Relation: Conference: 10. symposium on space nuclear power and propulsion,Albuquerque, NM (United States),10-14 Jan 1993; Other Information: PBD: [1993]
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
SPACE PROPULSION REACTORS
FUEL ELEMENTS
TESTING
NUCLEAR FUELS
TEST FACILITIES
HYDROGEN
ROCKET ENGINES
ENERGY DEPOSITION
HEAT TRANSFER
HYDRAULICS
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
210600
POWER REACTORS, MOBILE, PROPULSION, PACKAGE, AND TRANSPORTABLE