Technical Paper
Dynamic Neutronic and Stability Analysis of a Multiple-Cavity, Ultrahigh Temperature UF4 Vapor Core Reactor Rankine Cycle Space Power System
1992-08-03
929346
Static and dynamic neutronic analyses have been performed on an innovative burst mode (100's of MW output for a few thousand seconds) Ultrahigh Temperature Vapor Core Reactor (UTVR) space nuclear power system. This novel reactor concept employs multiple, neutronically coupled fissioning cores and operates on a direct closed Rankine cycle using a disk Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) generator for energy conversion. The UTVR includes two types of fissioning core regions: (1) the central Ultrahigh Temperature Vapor Core (UTVC) which contains a vapor mixture of highly enriched UF4 fuel and a metal fluoride working fluid and (2) the UF4 boiler column cores located in the BeO moderator/reflector region.
