IGF::OT::IGF UNDER NASA'S GAME CHANGING DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM/NUCLEAR SYSTEMS KILOPOWER PROJECT, NASA GLENN R…

Public award description

IGF::OT::IGF UNDER NASA'S GAME CHANGING DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM/NUCLEAR SYSTEMS KILOPOWER PROJECT, NASA GLENN RESEARCH CENTER (GRC) IS EXAMINING SMALL FISSION REACTORS FOR FUTURE SPACE TRANSPORTATION AND SURFACE POWER APPLICATIONS. THE REACTORS WOULD HAVE AN 8 TO 15 YEAR DESIGN LIFE AND COULD BE AVAILABLE FOR A 2020 LAUNCH TO SUPPORT FUTURE NASA SCIENCE MISSIONS. ADVANCED COOLING TECHNOLOGIES INC. (ACT) IS WORKING WITH NASA GRC ON BOTH THE HOT END AND THE COLD END THERMAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS OF A 1 KWE STIRLING SYSTEM (KILOPOWER). THE HOT END THERMAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM CURRENTLY DEVELOPED BY ACT UNDER A PHASE II NASA SBIR, CONTRACT NNX13CC84C, CONSISTS OF ALKALI METAL HEAT PIPES THAT TRANSFER THE HEAT FROM THE REACTOR TO THE STIRLING CONVERTORS. ALTHOUGH THESE HEAT PIPES WILL BE USED ONLY FOR GROUND TESTING, THEY ARE DESIGNED TO WORK BOTH IN SPACE (WITH ARTERIAL SELF-VENTING WICK INSIDE) AND IN GRAVITY ASSISTED ORIENTATION, AS THERMOSYPHONS. THE DELIVERABLES OF THE CURRENT PHASE II PROGRAM, WHICH ENDS IN JULY 2015, WILL CONSIST OF 9 ALKALI METAL HEAT PIPES THAT WILL BE USED FOR THE GROUND TESTING OF THE KILOPOWER SYSTEM THAT IS ENERGIZED BY A REAL NUCLEAR REACTOR. SEVERAL ADDITIONAL TASKS WILL BE REQUIRED TO FULLY QUALIFY THESE SODIUM HEAT PIPES. FIRST, NASA GRC WANTS ADDITIONAL HEAT PIPES FOR LONG TERM LIFE TESTS OF THE ENTIRE REACTOR SYSTEM. IN ADDITION, THE ALKALI METAL HEAT PIPES IN A SELF-VENTING ARTERIAL CONFIGURATION HAVE NEVER BEEN TESTED IN MICROGRAVITY CONDITIONS. BASED ON THE EXPERIENCE AND LESSONS LEARNED DURING THE CURRENT PHASE II NASA SBIR, INNOVATIVE HIGH TEMPERATURE ALKALI METAL HEAT PIPES FOR SPACE, ACT IS PROPOSING A PHASE III PROGRAM, WHICH WILL DESIGN, FABRICATE AND TEST A FLIGHT LIKE ALKALI METAL SELF-VENTING HEAT PIPE WITH THE CORRESPONDING TEST SETUP FOR GROUND TESTING THAT SIMULATES TESTING AT ISS. PROCEDURES AND TRAVELERS FOR FABRICATING SELF-VENTING-ARTERY, ALKALI-METAL HEAT PIPES WILL BE INCLUDED. A PHASE IIE PROGRAM, RUNNING IN PARALLEL, WILL DESIGN, FABRICATE, TEST AND DELIVER 10 ADDITIONAL ALKALI METAL HEAT PIPES, FOR THE KILOPOWER LIFE TESTS.