100 kWe Space Reactor for a Potential Jupiter Icy Moon Orbiter Mission

摘要

The main goal of this work was to develop a reactor specifically for use in powering a space probe for the Jupiter Icy Moon Orbiter (JIMO) program. As is obvious by the magnitude of this task, the design had to address concerns including power output, reliability, heat removal, robustness in emergency scenarios. Analysis was extended to as many aspects of overall design as was permitted by time constraints. The final design was for a fast reactor, fueled by 43 atom percent enriched uranium nitride, capable of providing 2.2 megawatts thermal power. Heat was transported from the core by a system of 217 molybdenum/rhenium heat pipes operating with liquid lithium. Thermoelectric devices produced 116 kW electric power before waste heat was removed through a 38 m2 silicon carbide radiator. The reactor was 1.1 meters in height with a radius of 37.1 cm. This radius included a 20 cm thick beryllium oxide reflector surrounding a 17.1 cm core. Every step in the design process used increasing reliability as the primary decision criterion. At a modest weight to power ratio of 41.87 kg/kWe, the final design delivers a reliable probe with large operating margins and the longevity required for space exploration missions.