A 10 kWe SPACE ELECTRIC GENERATOR
- Paper ID
IAF-94-364
- author
- company
University of Roma "La Sapienza" Dept. Of Nuclear Engineering and Energy Conversion
- country
Italy
- year
1994
- abstract
The paper synthetizes the design work performed up to now at the Nuclear Engineering and Energy Conversion Department of the University of Rome on an issue submitted by the Italian Space Agency (ASI), in cooperation with the research laboratories of ENEA. It concerns a space power source based on a nuclear reactor with thermionic energy conversion for an useful power of 10 electric kW, with overall dimensions and a weight fitting with the specifications of a volume lower than 1,6 m^ and a core weight lower than 1000 kg. The design was based on original experimental data obtained at the thermionic laboratory of ENEA and utilized to develop a concept of a space fast neutron reactor, with no moving parts. In the paper the following issues are analysed: 1. General design requirements of the generator; 2. Safety constraints; 3. Reference thermionic data; 4. Solution adopted for the fuel element, acting also as thermionic converter; 5. Basic choices and lay out of the whole assembly; 6. Nuclear design; 7. Thermal- hydraulic design; 8. Electric design; 9. Technological requirements; 10. Suggestions for developments.