IGF::OT::IGF IN OCTOBER 2011, NASA INITIATED THE NUCLEAR CRYOGENIC PROPULSION STAGE (NCPS) PROGRAM TO EVALU…

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IGF::OT::IGF IN OCTOBER 2011, NASA INITIATED THE NUCLEAR CRYOGENIC PROPULSION STAGE (NCPS) PROGRAM TO EVALUATE THE FEASIBILITY AND AFFORDABILITY OF NUCLEAR THERMAL PROPULSION (NTP). A CRITICAL ASPECT OF THE PROGRAM IS TO DEVELOP A ROBUST, STABLE NUCLEAR FUEL. ONE OF THE NUCLEAR FUEL CONFIGURATIONS CURRENTLY BEING EVALUATED IS A CERMET-BASED MATERIAL COMPRISED OF URANIUM DIOXIDE (UO2) PARTICLES ENCASED IN A TUNGSTEN MATRIX (W). TO PREVENT EXCESSIVE FUEL LOSS FROM REACTION WITH THE HOT HYDROGEN GAS AND URANIUM HYDRIDE FORMATION, DENSE, FINE-GRAINED TUNGSTEN CLADDINGS ARE NEEDED. RECENTLY, ADVANCED ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING TECHNIQUES (EL-FORM AND VACUUM PLASMA SPRAY FORMING) HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED THAT ENABLE THE DEPOSITION OF COATINGS AND NEAR-NET-SHAPE REFRACTORY METAL COMPONENTS WITH HIGH DENSITY AND TAILORED MICROSTRUCTURES. THE PHASE I INVESTIGATION PRODUCED FINE-GRAINED W CLADDINGS USING EL-FORM AND VPS PROCESSING TECHNIQUES. TESTING SHOWED THE W CLADDINGS WERE WELL BONDED TO SURROGATE NUCLEAR FUEL ELEMENT MATERIALS, AND THE W CLADDINGS WERE VACUUM TIGHT. DURING PHASE II, THE TECHNIQUES DEVELOPED DURING PHASE I WILL BE OPTIMIZED, AND W CLADDINGS ON FULL SIZE CERMET FUEL ELEMENTS WILL BE DEVELOPED AND CHARACTERIZED. SUBSCALE AND FULL-SIZE TEST ARTICLES WILL BE PRODUCED AND DELIVERED TO NASA-MSFC FOR HOT HYDROGEN TESTING IN THE COMPACT FUEL ELEMENT ENVIRONMENT TEST (CFEET) FACILITY AND THE NUCLEAR THERMAL ROCKET ELEMENT ENVIRONMENT SIMULATOR (NTREES).