provided with a safety rods system designed for giving a subcriticality margin of 5% in case of hypothetical compaction or immersion accidents following launch abort. Design Features Common to the Systems studied All three reference systems use a Brayton cycle with recuperation for power conversion because it appeared from previous studies to be well suited to the needs (efficiency, reliability), and the most mature conversion technology in Europe (nevertheless, in order to confirm this choice, the performances and feasibility of a 20 kWe thermoelectric nuclear SPS are being assessed in parallel with this comparison [8]). The Brayton rotating units (BRU) are of a single shaft on gas bearings single stage radial compressor radial turbine RICE alternator type and process a mixture of helium and xenon. The BRU, together with the recuperator, is enclosed in a cylindrical vessel pressurized with the cycle gas at compressor inlet conditions. The gas cooling radiator, of the armored pressure tubes and beryllium fins type, is designed as an axisymetrical self-supporting structure which also transfers the SPS load to the launcher nose via the equipment room and an adaptation piece. Its allocated reliability is 0.975, and its gas tubes are armoured accordingly.
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