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A neutronics analysis of long-life, sectored compact reactor concepts for lunar surface power |
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| Authors: | Timothy M Schriener Mohamed S El-Genk |
| Affiliation: | a Institute for Space and Nuclear Power Studies, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA b Chemical and Nuclear Engineering Department, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA c Mechanical Engineering Department, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA |
| Abstract: | Neutronics analysis is performed of low temperature (≤900 K) Sectored Compact Reactor (SCoRe-Nx) concepts for operational lives >20 years. They are cooled with circulating liquid Nak-78. The reactor vessel and the UN fuel pins cladding are made of stainless steel. The power systems with the SCoRe-Nx concepts have no moving parts and employ SiGe thermoelectric elements for converting the reactor’s thermal power to electricity at a load voltage >300 VDC. Separate SiGe elements power the electromagnetic pumps that circulate the liquid NaK-78 in the reactor and 6 pairs of primary and secondary loops. Analysis confirmed that the submerged bare reactors in wet sand and flooded with seawater, in the unlikely event of a postulated launch abort accident, are sufficiently subcritical. Results show that the SCoRe-N5-S concept is capable of operating for 62 full power years at 200 kWth, while requiring 75% of the control drums to shutdown the reactor at BOL. With only 50% of the control drums required at BOL to shutdown the reactor, its operational life decreases to 39 full power years. |
| Keywords: | Lunar surface power Long operational life Shutdown margin Space fission reactors Launch abort accident SCoRe-Nx concepts |
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