Properties of Hafnium Oxide with Respect to Its Use as a Simulant for (238)PuO2 in Safety Studies.

Reimus, M. A. ; Stout, M. G.

Technical Information Center Oak Ridge Tennessee

关键词: Hafnium oxides;    Radioisotope heat sources;    Radioisotope generators;    Thermoelectric generators;    Spacecraft power supplies;   

RP-ID  :  PB2001102977

学科分类：工程和技术（综合）

美国|英语

来源: National Technical Reports Library

【 摘 要 】

The general-purpose heat source (GPHS)is a modular component of the radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs)that provide power for National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) deep-space missions. Because any space mission could experience a launch abort or return from orbit, the GPHS heat source has been designed to survive credible accident environments. Safety tests are conducted to expose simulant-fueled GPHSs to accident scenarios. Tests that require field testing of heat source and RTG are performed using GPHS capsules fueled with 238 UO 2 (natural uranium depleted of 235 U). Although the levels of radioactivity associated with 238 UO 2 are extremely low, it would be desirable to eliminate this potential dispersal during field experiments. We investigated one potential nonradioactive material, hafnium oxide (HfO 2 ), to replace 238 UO 2 as mock material for 238 PuO 2 in field test studies. In this report we discuss how closely the properties of hafnia match those of 238 PuO 2 and whether or not it would be realistic to use HfO 2 as a simulant fuel.