Refine Your Search

Search Results

Technical Paper

Fabrication and Testing of Thermionic Heat Pipe Modules for Space Nuclear Power Systems

1992-08-03
929075
Thermacore, Inc. along with the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) is developing a Thermionic Heat Pipe Module (THPM) for use with small, Thermionic Space Nuclear Power Systems. The THPM concept is a core length, cylindrical thermionic diode with a near-isothermal heat pipe emitter sleeve coupled to reactor fuel by radiation, and a heat pipe collector which also forms the waste heat radiator. The design allows for independent, non-nuclear development and testing of the THPM hardware for later integration into the nuclear reactor. A hardware development program is currently underway to demonstrate key feasibility components and to fabricate and test prototype THPMs for application to the Small Externally-Fueled Heat Pipe Thermionic Reactor (SEHPTR) concept. This paper describes the scope and status of the THPM development program at Thermacore.
X