Publication Date:
2019-08-13
Description:
Deep space missions with large payloads require high specific impulse and relatively high thrust to achieve mission goals in reasonable time frames.1,2 Conventional storable propellants produce average specific impulse. Nuclear thermal rockets capable of producing high specific impulse are proposed. Nuclear thermal rockets employ heat produced by fission reaction to heat and therefore accelerate hydrogen, which is then forced through a rocket nozzle providing thrust. Fuel element temperatures are very high (up to 3000 K), and hydrogen is highly reactive with most materials at high temperatures. Data covering the effects of high-temperature hydrogen exposure on fuel elements are limited.3 The primary concern is the mechanical failure of fuel elements that employ high-melting-point metals, ceramics, or a combination (cermet) as a structural matrix into which the nuclear fuel is distributed. The purpose of the testing is to obtain data to assess the properties of the non-nuclear support materials, as-fabricated, and determine their ability to survive and maintain thermal performance in a prototypical NTR reactor environment of exposure to hydrogen at very high temperatures. The fission process of the planned fissile material and the resulting heating performance is well known and does not therefore require that active fissile material be integrated in this testing. A small-scale test bed designed to heat fuel element samples via non-contact radio frequency heating and expose samples to hydrogen is being developed to assist in optimal material and manufacturing process selection without employing fissile material. This paper details the test bed design and results of testing conducted to date.
Keywords:
Propellants and Fuels
Type:
M11-0652
,
M11-1264
,
JANNAF 8th Modeling and Simulation Subcommittee Meeting; Dec 05, 2011 - Dec 09, 2011; Huntsville, AL; United States|JANNAF 6th Liquid Propulsion Subcommittee Meeting; Dec 05, 2011 - Dec 09, 2011; Huntsville, AL; United States|JANNAF 5th Spacecraft Propulsion Subcommittee Meeting; Dec 05, 2011 - Dec 09, 2011; Huntsville, AL; United States
Format:
application/pdf
Permalink