Figure 13 shows the system schematic and illustrates several of the features which are common with the open cycle systems for this SDI application. Hydrogen for reactor cooling is drawn from a large hydrogen tank at cryogenic temperature, pumped through the weapon to cool it, and then utilized in cooling of the reactor and power generation. Counter-rotating turbines and generators, as well as balanced exhaust nozzles are employed to keep power system mechanical loads on the weapon platform to a minimum. Reactor. This concept uses a NERVA derivative reactor as a power source. The core is comprised of a large number of hexagonal graphite rods containing encapsulated fuel pellets of enriched uranium. Each graphite rod has 19 small flow channels through which the hydrogen coolant flows and is heated. Figure 14 shows the reactor
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