INL/CON-10-20348 PREPRINT A Conceptual Multi- Megawatt System Based on a Tungsten CERMET Reactor Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space 2011 Jonathan A. Webb Brian J. Gross February 2011 This is a preprint of a paper intended for publication in a journal or proceedings. Since changes may be made before publication, this preprint should not be cited or reproduced without permission of the author. This document was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, or any of their employees, makes any warranty, expressed or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for any third party’s use, or the results of such use, of any information, apparatus, product or process disclosed in this report, or represents that its use by such third party would not infringe privately owned rights. The views expressed in this paper are not necessarily those of the United States Government or the sponsoring agency. Proceedings of Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space 2011 Albuquerque, NM, February 7-10, 2011 Paper 3275 A Conceptual Multi-Megawatt System Based on a Tungsten CERMET Reactor Jonathan A. Webb1 and Brian J. Gross 1Center for Space Nuclear Research, P.O. Box 1625, 1765 N. Yellowstone Hwy, Idaho Falls, ID 83415 (208)526-4538;
[email protected] Abstract. A conceptual reactor system to support Multi-Megawatt Nuclear Electric Propulsion is investigated within this paper. The reactor system consists of a helium cooled Tungsten-UN fission core, surrounded by a beryllium neutron reflector and 13 B4C control drums coupled to a high temperature Brayton power conversion system.