Development of Liquid-Vapor Core Reactors with MHD Generator for Space Power and Propulsion Applications

摘要

This paper presents results of investigation for the development of space power generation and nuclear electric propulsion concept based on Ultrahigh Temperature liquid (droplet) and Vapor core Reactors (UTR) with Magneto Hydrodynamic (MHD) power conversion system The UTR is a liquid-vapor core reactor concept operating with metallic uranium or uranium tetrafluoride (UF4) vapor as the fissioning fuel and alkali metals or their fluorides as working fluid in a closed Rankine cycle with MHD energy conversion. Candidate working fluids include K, Li, Na, KF, LiF, NaF, etc. The system features core outlet temperatures of 3000 to 5000 K at pressures of about 1 to 10 MPa, MHD temperatures of 2000 to 3000 K, and radiator temperatures of 1200 to 2500 K. This combination of parameters offers the potential for low total system specific mass in the range of 1 to 3 kg/KWe. The MHD output could be directly coupled to Magneto Plasma Dynamic (MPD) or other types of thruster for producing thrust at very high specific impulse (I{sub}(sp) = 1000 to 10,000 s.) A system analysis computational model is developed and used to arrive at a baseline UTR-MHD design for generation of 200MWe power at lass than 1Kg/KWe specific mass.