NASA Conference Publication 10116 NuclearPropulsion TechnicalInterchange Meeting Volume II Proceedings of a meeting held at NASA Lewis Research Center Plum Brook Station Sandusky, OH October 20-23, 1992 (NASA-CP-IOIIG-Vo|-2) NUCLEAR N93-26951 m PROPULSION TECHNICAL INTERCHANGE --THRU-- MEETING, VOLUME 2 (NASA) 581 p N93-26990 Unclas N/_A G3/20 0157840 m NASA Conference Publication 10116 NuclearPropulsionTechnical Interchange Meeting VolumeII Proceedings of a meeting sponsored and hosted by NASA Lewis Research Center Plum Brook Station October 20-23, 1992 NI_A National Aeronautics and Space Administration Office of Management Scientific and Technical Information Program 1993 NUCLEAR PROPULSION TECHNICAL INTERCHANGE MEETING Table of Contents Volume I Title of Presentation Au or Preface vi INTRODUCTION Mars Exploration Program Dwayne Weary 2 Requirements for Space Nuclear Electric Propulsion Douglas Stetson 10 DoD Requirements for Space Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Gary Bleeker 16 EXEcITrlVE SI TMMARY NASA Program Overview Thomas J. Miller 21 Overview of DOE Space Nuclear Propulsion Programs Alan Newhouse 24 DoD Space Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (SNTP) Program c,ary Bleem 34 NUCLEAR THERMAL PROPULSION SYSTEM CONCEPTS Systems Overview Robert Corban 42 Requirements/Control Management Red Robbins 48 Public Acceptance Harold Finger 53 ROVERJNERVA-Derived Near-Term Nuclear Propulsion Dick Johnson 67 Advanced Propulsion Engine Assessment Based on Cermet Reactor Randy Parsley 150 NTRE Exlended Life Feasibility Assessment (Particle-Bed/aS) Mel Mcllwain 246 Lunar NTR Vehicle Design & Operations Study John Hodge 347 Mission Design Considerations for Nuclear Risk Mitigation Mike Stancati 358 Enabler I & II Engine System Design Modeling and Comparison Dennis Pelac_io 366 Clustered Engine Study Kyle Shepard 390 NTP Comparison Process Robert Cot'ban 43O Technology Overview James Stone 439 Sificon Carbide Semiconductor Technology lawrence Mates 445 NTP Plume Modeling Robert Stubbs 453 Computational Fluid Dynamics for NTP Robert Smbbs 461 Probablistic Structural Analysis for NTP Ashwin Shah 470 iJi PRE@EOING PAGE BLANK NOT FILMED NUCLEAR PROPULSION TECHNICAL INTERCHANGE MEETING Table of Contents Volume I Title of Presentation Author MSFC _ Technology Program Shane Swim 476 Nuclear Gas Core Pmpuhion Resem_ Program Nils Dlaz Flow Instability in panide-Bed Ne_ar Rescmn Jack K_ 498 Advanced Fuels Technology Walte¢ Stark 507 L&sor Diagnostics for NTP Fuel Corroc_m Studies Paul Wantuck 521 SIqTPProp_L_ntManagementSystem Tom Tippetts 534 SNTP Tests GeorgeAllen 538 SNTP Environmental, Safety, & Health Charles Harmon 552 Volume II SYSTEMS MODELING Ovet_ew of NASA]IX)F2IX)D Intefagency Modeling Team James WMton 562 Engine Management During NTRE Start Up Mel Belman 573 Pm'dc_ Bed Reactor Modeling Joe Sapyta 581 Roc_uSy,_W_o_ NTR_ Mo_ing Jim Glass 608 Computational Modeling of Nuclear Them_ Rockets (Cermet) Steven Perry 626 NTP System Simulation and 13e_tled Nuclear Engine Modeling Samim Anghaie 638 Nuctear Engine System Simulation (NESS) Dennis Pela_o 666 SAFSIM Overview Deen Dobrmm:h 686 KINETIC - A System Code for Analyzing NTP Engine Transien_ Hm_s Ludweig 704 Next Generation System Modeling of NTR Systems John Buksa 712 Rocket Engine Numerical Simulator Kea Davilim 732 FACILITIES Facilities Overview Dentil Baldwin 741 Plum Brook Facilities Rolam Kozar 743 NEP Facilities CLeRC) Robert Vettvne 746 LANL Studies of Nevada Tesl Site Facilities for Testing of NTR Michael Hynes 752 Evalution ot PIPET at the INEL's Tom Hill 758 SNTP Air Force Facility David Beck 765 Effluent Treatment for NTP C-mm_ Testing Larry Sldpen 777 iv NUCLEAR PROPULSION TECHNICAL INTERCHANGE MEETING Table of Contents Volume II Title of Presentation Author eae,a NUCLEAR ELECTRIC PROPULSION SYSTEM CONCEPTS Nuclear Electric Propulsion Systems Overview Mike Doherty 79O "20kWe" NEP System Studies IeffGeotge 798 Conceptual Definition of a 50-100 kWe NEP System Alan Friexaan_ 807 Seoping Calculations of Power Sources forNEP Felix Difilippo 811 NEP Power Subsystem Modeling Dick Harry 821 NEP Processing, Opcraflom, and Disposal Mike Stancati 839 NEP Operational Reliability and Crew Safety Study Jim Karns 922 Thrusters Jhn Sovey 992 Power Management and Distribution Technology John Dickman 1000 Radiator Technology A1 Juhasz 1009 IPL Nuclear Electric Propulsion Task Tom Pivirotto 1027 LANL Research in Nozzle Based Coaxial Plasma Thrusters Kurt Schoenberg 1041 Electron Cyclotron Thruster Bickftrd H_ 1053 SY STFJ¢I S MODELING 20 kWe Flight System Jim Gillaod 1063 I00 - 500 kWe NEP Systems Jeff C._xrge 1078 NEP Options for Piloted Mars Missions JeffGeorge 1085 NEP Systems Model Jim Gillaad 1095 NEP Systems Model Jeff George 1098 Thrnster Models for NEP System Analysis Jim Gilland 1103 Innovative Electric Propulsion Thruster Modeling Robert Frisbee 1119 GPS System Simulator Methodology Tom Ewing 1134 Attendee List 1143 PREFACE Robert R. Corban Nuclear Propulsion Office NASA Lewis Research Center The Nuclear Propulsion Technical Interchange Meeting (NP-TIM-92) was held at NASA Lewis Research Center's Plum Brook Station in Sandusky, Ohio on October 20-23, 1992. Over 200 people attended the meeting from government, Department of Energy's national laboratories, industry, and academia. The meeting was sponsored and hosted by the Nuclear Propulsion Off'_e at the NASA Lewis Research Center. The purpose of the meeting was to review the work performed in fiscal year 1992 in the areas of nuclear thermal and nuclear electric propulsion technology development. These proceedings are an accumulation of the presentations provided at the meeting along with annotations provided by the authors. All efforts were made to retain the complete content of the presentations but at the same time limit the total number of pages in the proceedings. I would like to acknowledge the help and support of a number of people that have contributed to the success of the meeting: (1) Daniel S. Goldin, NASA Adminislrator, for taking the time to eloquently contribute to the meeting as our keynote banquet speaker, (2) the Session Chairmen, for organizing excellent technical content for their sessions and keeping the sessions on-time, (3) the authors, for describing their results and accomplishments, (4) our host, Robert Kozar and his dedicated staff at the Plum Brook Station, for providing an excellent facility for the meeting and an commendable tour of their world-class test facilities. (5) and finally to all the "behind-the-scenes" people that were so instrumental in making the technical interchange meeting a success - especially Bonnie Kaltenstein and Jean Robea'ts, whose excellent organization and orchestration of the meeting was the key to its success. vi NUCLEAR THERMAL PROPULSION SYSTEMS MODELING NP-TIM-92 561 _rI'e: System, Modeling N93-26952 Overview of NASA/DOE/DOD Interagency Modeling Team & Activities James T. Walton NASA Lewis Research Center Outline • Background • Team Mission • Team Objective • Strategy Development • Future Direction • Concluding Remarks NTP: Sylte_ ModeliuR 562 NP-TIM-92 Team Mission • Integrate State-Of-The-Art Computation Resources With Experimental Knowledge Base To Produce Simulations Of NTP System Performance. • Provide Users With Variety Of System Models To Aid Design and To Reduce Testing, Cost And Time To Regain Flight Ready Status. • NASA/DOE/DOD Team Uses Unique Capabilities Of Each Member And Assures Appropriate Peer Review. The purpose of the interagency modeling team is to integrate state-of-the-art computational resources and techniques, with the current knowledge base, to produce simulations of NTP system performance. The end products will provide users with a variety of validated and/or verified system models to assist in designing and to reduce the testing, cost, and time to reach a flight ready status. This vision can be best achieved by a NASA/DOE/DOD team which can use the unique capabilities of each team member and assure joint support for the resulting models. NP-TIM-92 563 NTP: Systems Modeling Team Objective • To Develop Five Distinct Computer Programs To Simulate NTP System Performance. • Each Program Differs In The Level Of Detail And Capability. A computer model of NTP systems is required for several reasons. First, a parametric NTP model can to predict system performance for several engine configurations on a consistent basis. In other words, a common tool is required to compare the configurations on level grounds; performance numbers for each configuration exist from a variety of sources. Second, a parametric NTP model is required to generate configuration performance data for input into mission analysis codes. Third, a parametric model is required to provide state-point input conditions to the system component designers and analysts. Fourth, an NTP system model is needed to evaluate the effect on performance of system design perturbations (i.e., sensitivity studies). Fifth, an advanced model can evaluate the performance of a given system through startup and shutdown transients. Sixth, a detailed transient model of the experimental engine is required for linkage to the facility model to determine engine- facility interactions. Last, an advanced NTP model can be connected to a control system in order to exercise the control system prior to its integration with hardware. To realize the vision and meet the needs defined above, the objective of the interagency team will be to develop five distinct computer programs, each varying in the level of detail and capability, to simulate