Split-core heat-pipe reactors for out-of-pile thermionic power systems.Description of the concept of splitting a heat-pipe reactor for out-of-core thermionics into two identical halves and using the resulting center gap for reactivity control. Short Li-W reactor heat pipes penetrate the axial reflectors and form a heat exchanger with long heat pipes which wind through the shield to the thermionic diodes. With one reactor half anchored to the shield, the other is attached to a long arm with a pivot behind the shield and swings through a small arc for reactivity control. A safety shim prevents large reactivity inputs, and a fueled control arm drive shaft acts as a power stabilizer. Reactors fueled with U-235C and with U-233C have been studied.-
Document ID
19720030759
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Niederauer, G.
Lantz, E.
Breitweiser, R. (NASA Lewis Research Center Cleveland, Ohio, United States)