Preliminary Parametric Studies of a High Performance Centrifugal Nuclear Thermal Rocket System

摘要

These studies show that, from a neutronic standpoint, there is room to optimize this system and that dimensions required for given components, for instance to satisfy thermal-hydraulic or other similar constraints, could be accommodated within reason. Further work should be conducted to develop the individual systems required by such a design. Areas of greatest need are in characterizing the fluid dynamic properties of liquid uranium and characterization of hydrogen flow within liquid uranium. Further needs are in the realm of basic material properties at such high temperatures. The best available data for hydrogen properties at elevated temperatures and pressures extends only to a few thousand Kelvin over a limited range of temperatures. Further investigation is also needed in the startup and shutdown process for a reactor with a liquid fuel. Entrainment of the fuel in the propellant stream is likely to present a barrier for testing such a system and will require a significant effort to quantify. Though significant challenges remain and will likely not be overcome before the first interplanetary missions, a liquid core reactor such as the CNTR could allow more efficient and faster space travel as a second-generation nuclear thermal propulsion system. Attention must be given to such conceptual designs now if these systems are to be ready in the near future.