Capillary-Pumped Passive Reactor Concept for Space Nuclear Power

Dr. Thomas F. Lin ; Dr. Thomas G. Hughes ; Christopher G. Miller

关键词: COOLING;    GRAVITATIONAL FIELDS;    HEAT;    LITHIUM;    NATURAL CONVECTION;    NUCLEAR POWER;    REACTORS;    REMOVAL;    SPACE;    SURFACE TENSION NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems;   

DOI  :  10.2172/929304
RP-ID  :  DOE/ID/14590
PID  :  OSTI ID: 929304
Others  :  TRN: US200822%%968

学科分类：能源（综合）

美国|英语

来源: SciTech Connect

【 摘 要 】

To develop the passively-cooled space reactor concept using the capillary-induced lithium flow, since molten lithium possesses a very favorable surface tension characteristic. In space where the gravitational field is minimal, the gravity-assisted natural convection cooling is not effective nor an option for reactor heat removal, the capillary induced cooling becomes an attractive means of providing reactor cooling.