Mass Optimization of a Supercritical CO2 Brayton Cycle Power Conversion System for a Mars Surface Fission Power Reactor

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kurt E. Harris ◽  
Kevin J. Schillo ◽  
Yayu M. Hew ◽  
Akansha Kumar ◽  
Steven D. Howe
Keyword(s):  
Power Systems ◽  
Power Conversion ◽  
Reactor Core ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Brayton Cycle ◽  
Reference Architecture ◽  
Mass Model ◽  
Load Following ◽  
Conversion System ◽  
Enriched Uranium

In the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Design Reference Architecture 5.0 (DRA 5.0), fission surface power systems (FSPS) are described as “enabling for the human exploration of Mars.” This study investigates the design of a power conversion system (PCS) based on supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) Brayton configurations for a growing Martian colony. Various configurations utilizing regeneration, intercooling (IC), and reheating are analyzed. A model to estimate the mass of the PCS is developed and used to obtain a realistic mass-optimized configuration. This mass model is conservative, being based on simple concentric tube counterflow heat exchangers and published data regarding turbomachinery masses. For load following and redundancy purposes, the FSPS consists of three 333 kWe reactors and PCS to provide a total of 1 MWe for 15 years. The optimal configuration is a sCO2 Brayton cycle with 60% regeneration and two stages of intercooling. The majority of the analyses are performed in matlab, with certain data provided by a comsol multiphysics model of part of a low-enriched uranium (LEU) ceramic metallic (CERMET) reactor core.

Predicting the Behavior of Solar Dynamic Closed Brayton Cycle Power Conversion Systems

1988 ◽  
Vol 110 (4) ◽  
pp. 636-640 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Bons ◽  
J. Hanlon ◽  
S. Spencer
Keyword(s):  
Power Conversion ◽  
Space Station ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
System Model ◽  
Design System ◽  
Brayton Cycle ◽  
Preliminary Design ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Design Performance ◽  
Conversion System

Since space power conversion systems must operate both in the sun and in the earth’s shadow, they seldom encounter design operating conditions. As a consequence, consideration of off-design performance is essential in the preliminary design of these systems. To illustrate the necessity and utility of an off-design system model, this paper presents the results of a study of the solar dynamic closed Brayton cycle power conversion system for use on the NASA Space Station.

Sizing of a recuperative supercritical CO2 Brayton cycle as power conversion system for DEMO fusion reactor based on Dual Coolant Lithium Lead blanket

2018 ◽  
Vol 134 ◽  
pp. 79-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Ignacio Linares ◽  
Eva Arenas ◽  
Alexis Cantizano ◽  
José Porras ◽  
Beatriz Yolanda Moratilla ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Supercritical Co2 ◽  
Fusion Reactor ◽  
Power Conversion ◽  
Brayton Cycle ◽  
Conversion System

Performance Testing of the Compact APCSE Closed Brayton-Cycle System

1967 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Janis ◽  
G. S. Braun ◽  
R. D. Ryan
Keyword(s):  
Power Conversion ◽  
Performance Testing ◽  
Primary System ◽  
Brayton Cycle ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Primary Loop ◽  
Cycle System ◽  
Conversion System ◽  
System Components ◽  
Performance Effects

A description of the Advanced Power-Conversion Skid Experiment (APCSE), a 300-kw operating closed Brayton-cycle power-conversion system, is presented. The methods used to predict the performance of the primary-system components and the comparison of these predictions with test results are discussed. Cycle power limitations resulting from deficient performance of some of the primary-loop components, as well as secondary performance effects due to the physical proximity of components, are also discussed.

Preliminary Research and Design in the Nuclear Island Systems of 1500MWt Standing-Wave Reactor

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tianying Duan ◽  
Peide Zhou ◽  
Bin Long ◽  
Yun Hu ◽  
Yizhe Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Structural Material ◽  
Standing Wave ◽  
Fast Reactor ◽  
Process Analysis ◽  
Reactor Core ◽  
Depleted Uranium ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Process System ◽  
Enriched Uranium ◽  
Uranium Plutonium

As one kind of fast reactor, the Traveling-Wave Reactor (TWR) utilizes depleted uranium with a small amount of enriched uranium/ plutonium which is used to kick off the chain reaction. The TWR can run for decades without refueling or removing any used fuel from the reactor. The most challenging issues on TWR are fuel design, structural material for fuel cladding, core physics process analysis and core physics design. Based on the present technology of fuel and structural material, a new concept named Standing-Wave Reactor (SWR) which is the preliminary stage of the TWR is proposed. The wave of fission would move through the depleted uranium core by fuel transfer in SWR. According to the concept of SWR and the published data of fuel and material, the R&D works on 1500MWt SWR have been performed, which cover the reactor core, reactor structure, process system et.al. The preliminary results confirm the feasibility of SWR. Meanwhile, the design of reactor core and the main systems which is based on the technologies of available pool sodium-cooled fast reactor has been accomplished.

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