Supercritical Brayton Converter for Nuclear Electric Propulsion

We are developing supercritical Brayton converter technology to help enable nuclear electric propulsion (NEP) for space exploration. This effort will extend spaceflight Brayton technology to significantly greater power levels and higher operating pressures where supercritical fluid properties provide dramatic advantages. The resulting converter will have exceptionally high specific power, creating a new benchmark for space systems. Creare is well suited to succeed because we have a long history developing advanced turbomachines, heat exchangers, and Brayton systems for challenging spaceflight applications. We will demonstrate the feasibility of our approach during the Phasenbsp;I project by assessing design trades that maximize specific power for the overall system, specifying preliminary design details for the converter assembly, and conducting laboratory tests to verify key features. We are now ready to retire the greatest technical risk for the converter by fabricating and testing a prototype turbomachine assembly during the Phasenbsp;II project.