Pulsed Gas Core Reactor For Burst Power

Edward T. Dugan; William E. Lear; Gerard E. Welch

doi:10.1117/12.943627

6 April 1988 Pulsed Gas Core Reactor For Burst Power

Edward T. Dugan, William E. Lear, Gerard E. Welch

Proceedings Volume 0871, Space Structures, Power, and Power Conditioning; (1988) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.943627
Event: 1988 Los Angeles Symposium: O-E/LASE '88, 1988, Los Angeles, CA, United States

Abstract

Studies are being performed on burst power mode gas core reactors that employ closed cycle disk MHD generators for energy conversion. The disk MHD generator is configured to be an integral part of the reactor. Consequently, significant fissioning occurs throughout the MHD duct and fission fragment induced ionization of the uranium bearing fuel gas/ working fluid is anticipated to yield the required nonequilibrium electrical conductivity (> 100 mho/m) despite the relatively low gas temperatures. Calculations performed to date have shown that the Burst Power Gas Core Reactor-Disk. MHD Generator system can achieve overall efficiencies of 25 percent effective radiator temperatures of 1200 K, reactor specific powers of 100 to 200 kWt/kg and system specific powers of 5 kWe/kg.

Citation Download Citation

Edward T. Dugan, William E. Lear, and Gerard E. Welch "Pulsed Gas Core Reactor For Burst Power", Proc. SPIE 0871, Space Structures, Power, and Power Conditioning, (6 April 1988); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.943627

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