The development of a practical, high‐performance nuclear rocket by the U.S. Air Force Space Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (SNTP) program places high priority on maximizing specific impulse (ISP) and thrust‐to‐weight ratio. The operating parameters arising from these goals drive the propellant‐pump design. The liquid hydrogen propellant is pressurized and pumped to the reactor inlet by the turbopump assembly (TPA). Rocket propulsion is effected by rapid heating of the propellant from 100 K to thousands of degrees in the particle‐bed reactor (PBR). The exhausted propellant is then expanded through a high‐temperature nozzle. One approach to achieve high performance is to use an uncooled carbon‐carbon nozzle and duct turbine inlet. The high‐temperature capability is obtained by using carbon‐carbon throughout the TPA hot section. Carbon‐carbon components in development include structural parts, turbine nozzles/stators, and turbine rotors. The technology spinoff is applicable to conventional liquid propulsion engines plus a wide variety of other turbomachinery applications.
High‐temperature turbopump assembly for space nuclear thermal propulsion
10th SymposiumùSpace Nuclear Power and Propulsion ; 1993 ; Albuquerque, NM, USA
AIP Conference Proceedings ; 271 , 3 ; 1561-1567
1993-01-20
7 pages
Conference paper
Electronic Resource
English