other eight radiator sections are similarly assembled and oriented 90° from the first set to minimize the mutual view factor (thermal interaction) of the two sets of modules. The MSBR salt mixture is circulated out of the reactor core through a heat exchanger which transfers energy to a sodium loop to heat the diode emitters. The sodium loop is used since there is insufficient salt flow for the thermionic converter diode emitter area. The diode collectors are cooled by a liquid metal (NaK) radiator loop. The low voltage de output of the diode collectors is stepped-up and converted to ac by rotary converters . In the closed Brayton cycle system, the salt mixture is circulated out of the reactor core through a heat exchanger which transfers energy to the helium loop which, in turn, drives the Brayton turbomachines. The Brayton cycle turbomachine provides a rotating shaft output which drives the generators. Hot helium is expanded through the gas turbine, providing power to drive both the compressors and generators. A recuperator exchanges energy across the loop to increase efficiency. Waste heat is rejected through a gas-to-liquid heat exchanger to a liquid metal (NaK) cooling loop; the liquid metal pumps use power drawn from the generators. The 50,000 volt ac output of the generators is stepped-up to 382,000 volts in transformers to facilitate on-board distribution. The mechanical configuration of the 16 Brayton modules is not clear from the available documentation but presumably both the thermionic and Brayton systems will provide their ac output to the transmitting section consisting of an ac to microwave converter, as described in subsection 2 of this section, and an antenna 3,280 feet (1,000 m) in diameter. The remainder of the system, the ground rectenna and distribution, is presumably identical to the solar power systems described above. 4. Power Relay Satellite The Power Relay Satellite (PRS) would consist of on-orbit reflectors or transponders to receive microwave beams generated by e arth-based power sources, and then relay them back to earth-located stations near the power distribution point. The PRS concepts are for power transmission, not generation. The relay functions could be either active (transponders) or
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTU5NjU0Mg==