Electronuclear educational program Bashny.Net

Dedicated to the project "Development of transport and energy module based NPPUs megawatt-class." The theory calculation of nuclear power plants and some reflections.





Theory
Any type of NPS includes three main elements: a source of primary energy (nuclear reactor or radioisotope generator), the inverter primary energy into electrical energy and a device for diverting a portion of the primary energy is not used in the process of transformation into the surrounding space.



The solid lines in the figure shows the inlet and outlet of heat via the coolant circuit or heat pipes.

In some cases (dashed lines) from the source of heat is directly transferred to the converter and a device for removing heat by conduction respective coupling devices.

Heat converters are divided into machine and machineless or straight. To the car converters include a turbine and steam turbine plant. It is also possible to use expansion piston Stirling engines and machines. The main types of direct heat converters that are particularly important for the space power, are thermoelectric and thermionic converter (see. Pictures).





Prolonged heat in outer space without mass ejection is possible only by radiation. For this reason, devices for heat emitters are refrigerators. The most widespread construction refrigerators emitters in the form of finned tubes through which coolant flows, are connected to the cylindrical or conical panel. Recently, widely used as refrigerators emitters based on heat pipes. In some cases, the coolant can be omitted, and the thermal energy - directly emitted from the surface of the transducer, which for this purpose orebryaetsya.

Refrigerators and radiators fin-type type is one of the most significant mass and dimensions of the elements of the power plant. Ratio of weight depending on the type and capacity of NPI may be from 30 to 70%.

Apart from the basic elements of space NPS have other devices and assemblies. These include: protection from radiation of a nuclear reactor, piping, pumps for pumping coolant, power frames, etc.. The characteristics of these devices are mainly determined by their design excellence and contribute to the achievement of optimal basic parameters of the workflow without having a noticeable impact on the choice of type schemes and the parameters of the basic elements.

The rest can be found in the book «power plants with nuclear primary energy sources» and Wikipedia article «Ядерные reactors spacecraft ».

Reflections
Reflections I spent under thesis ( Mathcad < / a>) 15 years ago. Intermediate orbit is needed because under existing international agreements can not be included YADEU below 800 km.

What happened in a nutshell:
Angara from Plesetsk brings to the low 24 tons. When electric power to 150kW GSO came the payload 3500kg for 153 days.

New installation declared megawatt class. If this thermal power (I think), when existing technologies can be squeezed out of it 50kW of electricity. Then a simple flight GSO will take years and do not understand how it will reduce the flight to Mars.

Megawatts of electricity a few changes the situation on the flight, but greatly complicates the discharge of excess heat.

Fellow developers, share information or take to yourself. Please.

Source: geektimes.ru/post/247062/