In assessing the reliability of a space nuclear propulsion system (SNPS) nozzle, uncertainties associated with the following design parameters were considered: geometry, boundary conditions, material behavior, and thermal and pressure loads. A preliminary assessment of the reliability was performed using NESSUS (Numerical Evaluation of Stochastic Structures Under Stress), a finite-element computer code developed at the NASA Lewis Research Center. The sensitivity of the nozzle reliability to the uncertainties in the random variables was quantified. With respect to the effective stress, preliminary results showed that the nozzle spatial geometry uncertainties have the most significant effect at low probabilities whereas the inner wall temperature has the most significant effect at higher probabilities.
Probabilistic Assessment of Space Nuclear Propulsion System Nozzle
1994
14 pages
Report
No indication
English
Unmanned Spacecraft , Nuclear Auxiliary Power Systems , Exhaust nozzles , Nuclear propulsion , Probability theory , Reliability analysis , Spacecraft reliability , Structural analysis , Nozzle geometry , Boundary conditions , Finite element method , Pressure distribution , Random variables , Temperature distribution , Wall temperature
British Library Conference Proceedings | 1992
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