Transient analyses of multimegawatt space reactors
Abstract
Several systems have been proposed for the generation of multimegawatt power for space applications. In some concepts, a nuclear reactor is proposed to meet all the power requirements; for other concepts, a nuclear reactor is proposed to deliver the housekeeping and alert power, and other systems are proposed to meet the burst power requirements. A common requirement for all the nuclear concepts is a fast response for change of power level from the housekeeping mode to either the alert or burst mode of operation. First, the requirements imposed on the control system of two reactor concepts, a Liquid Metal Reactor and a gas cooled reactor, having as its main objective the determination of the maximum input reactivity rates and control drum speed to rotation necessary to meet the power requirements, are presented. Next, preliminary analysis to validate the point kinetics against detailed space-time kinetics calculations is discussed.
- Publication:
-
Transactions of the Fifth Symposium on Space Nuclear Power Systems
- Pub Date:
- 1988
- Bibcode:
- 1988snps.symp..403H
- Keywords:
-
- Computer Programs;
- Gas Cooled Reactors;
- Liquid Metal Cooled Reactors;
- Nuclear Reactor Control;
- Space Power Reactors;
- Transient Response;
- Coolants;
- Housekeeping (Spacecraft);
- Reactivity;
- Reactor Cores;
- Thermohydraulics;
- Nuclear and High-Energy Physics