8-7. Ultrahigh Temperature Vapor Reactor and Magneto Conversion for Multi-megawatt Space Power Generation NILS J. DIAZ, SAMIN ANGHAIE, EDWARD T. DUGAN & ISAAC MAYA 1.0 Introduction SDI defensive platforms and future military and civilian spacecraft will require light, compact, reliable, survivable, affordable, and multipurpose power supplies. The limiting constraints for efficient, lightweight and compact multi-megawatt nuclear space power systems are the limited maximum effective temperature available for energy conversion and heat rejection. For solid fueled reactors, these limits are dictated by the fuel melting and the associated cycle materials temperatures. Presently, the most promising approach to overcoming these inherent limitations is to use a fissile fuel in vapor, gaseous or micron-size liquid droplet phase at thousands of degrees K hotter than the materials containing the system. The conversion and thermal management system, coupled to the ultrahigh temperature reactor, have to provide efficient energy conversion while maintaining heat rejection temperature in the 1600 to 2100 K range. This paper presents the result of an on-going research program aimed at addressing the science and technology base needed to develop ultrahigh temperature reactors The authors are at the Innovative Nuclear Space Power Institute, College of Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA (Tel: 904-392-1427). Paper number IAF-ICOSP89-8-7.
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