MULTIMEGAWATT SPACE POWER SYSTEM THERMAL MANAGEMENT CONCEPT

IN THE THERMAL MANAGEMENT OF SPACE NUCLEAR POWER SYSTEMS, HEAT PIPES PROVIDE A HELPFUL DESIGN ALTERNATIVE TO CONVECTIVE LOOPS BECAUSE OF THEIR QUASI-ISOTHERMAL ND MODULAR CHARACTERISTICS. ULTIMATELY, HOWEVER THE SYSTEM DESIGNER MUST USE STRUCTURAL SOLIDS TO CONDUCT HEAT TO AND FROM THE CONVECTIVE LOOPS OR HEAT PIPES, AND ACCEPT THE OFTEN-SEVERE PERFORMANCE AND RELIABILITY PENALTIES ASSOCIATED WITH THE THERMAL AND OTHER PROPERTIES OF THOSE MATERIALS. A NEW TYPE OF SOLID STRUCTURE HAS BEEN CONCEIVED THAT HAS EXCEPTIONAL HEAT TRANSFER PROPERTIES SIMILAR TO THOSE OF HEAT PIPES, BUT THAT CAN BE FORMED INTO ANY SHAPE AND BEAR MECHANICAL LOADS LIKE OTHER SOLID STRUCTURES. IT IS PROPOSED THAT IN PHASE I THE BASIC DESIGN PRINCIPLES OF THIS NEW HEAT-TRANSFER STRUCTURE BE DEFINED ANALYTICALLY AND CONFIRMED EXPERIMENTALLY USING READILY AVAILABLE LOW TEMPERATURE MATERIAL COMPONENTS. THE DATA AND INSIGHT OBTAINED THEM WILL BE USED TO EVALUATE PROSPECTS FOR THE USE OF SPECIFIC STRUCTURES FOR THERMAL MANAGEMENT IN SPACE NUCLEAR POWER SYSTEMS, AND TO PREPARE A DETAILED PHASE II PLAN FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND DEMONSTRATION OF HIGH TEMPERATURE STRUCTURES FOR SUCH NUCLEAR SPACE POWER SYSTEM APPLICATIONS.