The reactor shield mass contributes a large portion (10 % to 25 %) to the total mass of an unmanned reactor system. Different shield materials are required to attenuate neutrons and gamma rays and still obtain a minimum mass. The shield materials selection should also consider structural characteristics, physical and chemical properties, fabricability and availability. Minimum mass is achieved by using a shadow shield. Neutron capture gamma ray and heat generation are extremely important considerations. Lithium hydride was selected for the neutron shield material due to its excellent properties. It has to be canned and may be compart-metalized to reduce the probability of complete shielding effectiveness loss due to meteroid puncture of the can. The initial shield design wwas based on previous SNAP shield design experience. The Monte Carlo Neutron Photon code, which includes the radiation scattering with the radiator and power conversion system, was then used to ensure that the design equirements were met. Fabrication to maintain shield integrity during vibration and to accommodate complex penetrations. A method for casting full-scale shields is described.
Space reactor shield technology
Hitzeschildtechnik fuer Weltraumreaktoren
IECEC, 23rd Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conf., ASME ; 3 , Aug ; 219-223
1988
5 Seiten, 7 Bilder, 3 Tabellen
Conference paper
English
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