reactor fuel pin, were completed during Phase I and the analyses and experiments are continuing throughout Phase II. A summary schedule of the SP-100 major development areas is shown in Fig. 3. The uranium nitride fuel development, which include irradiation tests, was started in FY 1983 and completed in FY 1988 with the process readiness review and an approved fuel specification. The fuel pellets for life tests and for the nuclear assembly test are now being fabricated in accordance with the approved fuel specification. The reactor test site preliminary design was started in FY 1987 and completed at the preliminary design review. The development of the improved thermoelectric material, silicon germanium with 5% gallium phosphide, was started in Phase I and continued into Phase II. The insulator and compliant pad developments were also started during Phase I of SP- 100 and are continuing in Phase II. The electric insulator (single crystal alumina) was bonded to niobium 1% zirconium and tested at 1373, 1473 and 1573 K to validate analytical predictions. These insulator accelerated life tests were completed at the end of FY 1987. Also complaint pads with niobium fibers and niobium face-sheets were fabricated and successfully tested in FY 1987 and validated that the compliancy forces as a function of displacement are as predicted. The generic flight system design review was held in May 1988, and all the action items as a result of that system design review were closed out by the end of December 1988. The magnetic bench tests which verified the analytically predicted magnetic field for a given pump configuration were completed in May 1989. As shown on the schedule (Fig. 3) the nuclear assembly test is planned to be completed by July 1994, the converter and pump tests are scheduled to be completed by September 1995 and all the lifetime and reliability tests are to be
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