Fundamental Considerations Of Gas Core Reactor Systems

Robert W. Bussard

doi:10.1117/12.943628

6 April 1988 Fundamental Considerations Of Gas Core Reactor Systems

Robert W. Bussard

Proceedings Volume 0871, Space Structures, Power, and Power Conditioning; (1988) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.943628
Event: 1988 Los Angeles Symposium: O-E/LASE '88, 1988, Los Angeles, CA, United States

Abstract

Fundamental physics and engineering limitations on gas core reactors (GCR) have been found from coupled effects of reactor neutronics with oscillatory core fuel gas flows and with overall gas dynamics. These show allowable regimes for system operation as natural re-sults of the basiciphysics of the system. Cylindrical BeO-moderated systems, such as the acoustic GCR (AGCR ), are found to be well-suited for pressure wave oscillation at 100-Hz frequencies. These result in stable oscillations of core gas electrical conductivity which may be used for direct alternating current electric power production in magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) convertors. In contrast, single-cavity axial-flow spherical GCR (SGCR²) systems are inherently limited by core flow and fission energy-generation fluctuation phenomena (to continuous wave operation with mixed flows that cannot sustain high internal core gas tempera-ture gradients. Resulting low mixed-mean temperatures place upper limits on system MHD electrical performance.

Citation Download Citation

Robert W. Bussard "Fundamental Considerations Of Gas Core Reactor Systems", Proc. SPIE 0871, Space Structures, Power, and Power Conditioning, (6 April 1988); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.943628

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