Thermionic nuclear reactors can be expected to be candidate space power supplies for power demands ranging from about ten kilowatts to several megawatts. The conventional 'ignited mode' thermionic fuel element (TFE) is the basis for most reactor designs to date. Laboratory converters have been built and tested with efficiencies in the range of 7-12 % for over 10000 hours. Even longer lifetimes are projected. More advanced capabilities are potentially achievable in other modes of operation, such as the self-pulsed or unignited diode. Coupled with modest improvements in fuel and emitter material performance, the efficiency of an advanced thermionic conversion system can be extended to the 15-20 % range. Advanced thermionic power systems are expected to be compatible with other advanced features such as: (1) Intrinsic subcriticality under accident conditions, ensuring 100 % safety upon launch abort. (2) Intrinsic low radiation levels during reactor shutdown, allowing manned servicing and/or rendezvous. (3) DC to DC power conditioning using lightweight power MOSFETs. (4) AC output using pulsed converters.
Thermionic nuclear reactor systems
Thermoionisches Kernreaktorsystem
1986
5 Seiten, 7 Bilder, 5 Quellen
Conference paper
English
Nuclear Reactor-Thermionic Space Power Systems
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