Ground test facility for SEI nuclear rocket engines

Abstract

Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) has been identified as a critical technology in support of the NASA Space Exploration Initiative (SEI). In order to safely develop a reliable, reusable, long-lived flight engine, facilities are required that will support ground tests to qualify the nuclear rocket engine design. Initial nuclear fuel element testing will need to be performed in a facility that supports a realistic thermal and neutronic environment in which the fuel elements will operate at a fraction of the power of a flight weight reactor/engine. Ground testing of nuclear rocket engines is not new. New restrictions mandated by the National Environmental Protection Act of 1970, however, now require major changes to be made in the manner in which reactor engines are now tested. These new restrictions now preclude the types of nuclear rocket engine tests that were performed in the past from being done today. A major attribute of a safely operating ground test facility is its ability to prevent fission products from being released in appreciable amounts to the environment. Details of the intricacies and complications involved with the design of a fuel element ground test facility are presented in this report with a strong emphasis on safety and economy.

Effluent treatment options for nuclear thermal propulsion system ground tests

“…A number of concepts have been proposed to perform the functions of exhaust treatment for solid core NTP ground test reactors (Kirk 1973, Bohl et al 1990, Whitbeck and Olsen 1991, Clark 1992, and Harmon et al 1992. ETS concq)ts can be grouped into three broad categories: closed volume systems, open systems, and closed loop systems.…”