Coordinating Space Nuclear Research Advancement and Education

1. Coordinating Space Nuclear
Research Advancement and
Education
John Bess
Idaho National Laboratory
Jon Webb, Brian Gross, Aaron Craft
Webb Gross
Center for Space Nuclear Research
ANS/YPC 2009
November 18,
No ember 18 2009

2. History of the CSNR
• Established October 2005
• Partnership
– Battelle Energy Alliance
– Universities Space Research
Association
A i ti
– Idaho National Lab
• USRA-Managed
– Non-profit association of
universities
– Founded by the National Academy
of Science
• Science Council CSNR Director:
– Comprised of academic and Dr. Steve Howe
professional members
– Oversees CSNR activities
2

3. Purpose of the CSNR
• Support space nuclear research and educational needs of the U.S.
DOE
• INL’s primary conduit for collaborative research and educational
activities with universities in space nuclear systems
• Create opportunities for program participants:
– Academic researchers and students
– Government representatives from
Go e e t ep ese tat es o
national laboratories and other
U.S. organizations
– Representatives from corporate and
industrial entities
– International cooperative efforts
3

4. Challenges with Space Nuclear Development
• Funding Restrictions
• Lack of Political, Corporate, or
Public Support
• Limitations in Educational
Opportunities
• Loss of Early Space Nuclear
Data, Skills, and Pioneers
• Development and Maintenance
of Trained Leadership
4

5. Educating the Summer Fellows
• The Director oversees the summer
project
j t
– Additional support provided
by CSNR employees
• Education augmentation
– Access to the INL Technical Library
– Invited professional lecturers
• Computational workshops
relevant to the project goals
– MCNP™, ANSYS®, RELAP-3D™
• Opportunities for synergistic
pp y g
laboratory research
– Tungsten-cermet fuel fabrication
– Space nuclear systems applications
– Risk analysis and human
factors studies…
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6. Additional Student Benefits
• Develop personal skills
and education
d d ti
• Establish networking connections
• Experience the challenges and
latest developments in the space
nuclear field
• Find mentors, committee members,
p y
and future employment
• Participate in the next Summer
Fellowship program or the Next
Degree Program
• Experience the many local and
regional activities found around
Idaho Falls and Eastern Idaho
6

7. The 2006 Summer Fellows
7

8. 2006 Summer Results
• Augmentation of NASA Lunar • Use NTR to Enable Current
Mission ith
Mi i with NTR Launch Fleet
L h Fl t
– Increase Lunar Payload 36.2% – 4-6 Delta IV Heavy and/or Atlas V
– or Decrease IMLEO 24.1% HLV for 20 tons to lunar surface
– Requires In Orbit Assembly
In-Orbit
8

9. The 2007 Summer Fellows
9

10. 2007 Results
• Lunar Isotope Power Source • Radioisotope Powered UAV
– 2.5 kWe, 5 yr Life-Time – 7-36 month Operation
– 244Cm, 238Pu, 90Sr, – 10-27 kWth
or 232U – Propulsion and Radioisotope Trade
– Trade Studies and Preconceptual Studies
Ideas
10

11. The 2008 Summer Fellows
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12. 2008 Results
• Unmanned Underwater Vehicle • Mobile Nuclear Outpost
– Port Security – Enable Complete Lunar
– SNM Ship Scanner Exploration Independence
– Radioisotope Powered – Smart Shield Concept
12

13. The 2009 Summer Fellows
13

14. 2009 Results
• Comet Interception with • Fission Surface Power
Nuclear Th
N l Thermal Rockets
lR k t Shielding St di
Shi ldi Studies
– Deflection or Destruction of Long-
Period Comets
– Delivery of Thermonuclear Devices
– Not Feasible with Chemical
Rockets
14

15. Where are they now?
• Many are completing graduate engineering degrees
• Others are currently employed
– P & W Rocketdyne
– South Texas Project
– NASA JSC
– Norfolk Naval Shipyard
– Id h N ti
Idaho National L b t
l Laboratory
– Engineering Consultant
– Caterpillar
– CSNR Next Degree Program
15

16. The Next Degree Program
• Students working on an • Various research activities
advanced degree in space
d dd i – LEGO Reactor
nuclear related research
– Infrared Beam Reactor
• Work part-time for various – Airbreathing Propulsion on Titan
sponsored projects while
d j t hil
– W-Re Superalloy with SPS
finishing their education
– W-Cermet Fuel for a Fission
• Participate in CSNR-sponsored, Surface Power System
year-round activities
year round activities, including – Frozen Pebble Bed Nuclear
the Summer Fellowships Thermal Rocket
• Paid to be an engineer while – Mars Hopper
still working as a student
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17. LEGO Reactor
• Cluster reactor system design
• Subcritical units
• 5 kw/unit
• <450 kg/unit
(unshielded)
• Designed using
conventional nuclear
components
– HEU-O2 fuel
– Stainless steel clad
– Liquid sodium coolant
17

18. Infrared Beam (“Lightbulb”) Reactor
( Lightbulb )
Sun
Lunar
Habitat Thermophoto
-voltaic Cell
Mirror
Reflectors
Parabolic
Mirror
Lunar Reactor
Regolith Reactor Sphere
Support
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19. Titan Explorer
• Radioisotope powered
• Long duration
• Map the surface of Titan
• Turboprop
– low power demand
p
• Heated with 238Pu
19

20. W-Re Superalloy
• High energy ball milling
• SPS production samples
• NTR and FSP applications
– Used in ANL rocket program
– Used in GE-710 program
• High melting temperature
– 3200 to 3600 K
20

21. W-Cermet Fuel for a FSP
• NERVA graphite fuel element
(left)
(l ft)
• Cast tungsten fuel element
(right)
– N machining required
No hi i i d
– Fabricated at nearly full theoretical
density
• Complete encapsulation of
radioisotope material
– Non-proliferation
– Accident conditions
– Assembly and handling safety
– Self-shielding
–R d
Reduced material reactions
d t i l ti
21

22. Frozen Pebble Bed Nuclear Thermal Rocket
• Offers higher power density than prismatic fuel NTR
• Frozen pebble bed eliminates frit design
• FPB fuel element analog
– Sintered tungsten BB’s form frozen p
g pellets
Pebble Bed Fuel Element FPB Fuel Element Analog 22

23. Mars Hopper
• Radioisotope Thermal Rocket
(RTR) t store energy and
to t d
“hop” a vehicle across the
Martian surface
– Science data collection from
several regions and potentially a
sample return mission
– Pole-to-pole coverage in 2 years
– Multiple hoppers could be operated
by universities
– PuO2 cermet in Be core
– CO2 coolant
l t
– Essentially a NTR using decay
heat
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24. Conclusions
• Provide Opportunities for Advancing
Space N l
S Nuclear Ed
Education and Research
ti dR h
• Present Avenues for Funding Activities
• Train and Develop Our Future Leaders
p
• Enable Space Exploration
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25. Questions and Contact Info
John Bess
john.bess@inl.gov
Jon Webb
J W bb CSNR Director:
jon.webb@inl.gov
Brian Gross Dr. Steve Howe
brian.gross@inl.gov
brian gross@inl gov showe@csnr.usra.edu
showe@csnr usra edu
Aaron Craft www.csnr.usra.edu
acraft@mines.edu 25

26. 26

27. Extra Slides
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28. The CSNR Summer Fellows
• Apply to participate in activities pertinent to
objectives of the CSNR and sponsoring
organizations
• Function in an open-office setting for
increased interaction and cooperation
• Operate in smaller teams to address
subtasks or alternative projects
• Predominantly housed together in CSNR-
subsidized housing to encourage strong
team-building relationships
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29. Milestones for the Fellows
• Weekly formal meetings to address
primary and secondary project goals
• Weekly informal activities to contribute
to a well-rounded educational
experience
• Students are expected to present at
least once regarding personal research
or experience
• The final project results will be
presented before employees and
directors of INL
di t f
• Final reports are compiled into
summaries that can be submitted to
conferences
29

30. Funding Space Nuclear Research
• Often the challenges associated with the promotion of space
nuclear applications involve the slight d t il of money
l li ti i l th li ht detail f
• We continue to spend money using proven systems and measures
that are becoming antiquated, and thus limit our ultimate space
antiquated
exploration potential, even when the benefits of space nuclear
technology have calculated benefit
30

31. An Approach to Economics
• CSNR provides an avenue for fielding
designs and problems
• Students
– Often represent “cheap labor”
– Have a zest to learn and work
• Can potentially cost less to perform
preliminary design and development
activities by utilizing
a captive researcher audience
p
• An educational atmosphere represents
one of the last realms where pure
engineering practices, and “tinkering”,
can be experienced at a minimal cost
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32. An Approach to Politics
• Congressional policy and international treaty limitations can often deter the
promotion of space nuclear research activities
• Students are willing to
– Learn the rules that guide our current
protocol for space nuclear activities
– Develop technologies capable of
withstanding these rigorous requirements
– Demonstrate the appropriate measures
to overcome challenges and restrictions
• Sometimes the question arises as to whether an idea should be investigated;
students will perform the preliminary research and then let you know whether it
t d t ill f th li i h d th l t k h th
was a good idea or not
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33. An Approach to Leadership
• The CSNR offers access to some of the best and brightest students
interested in space nuclear research
• Sponsored projects
– Allow for guided direction and participation throughout the course of the project
– Increased cooperation on activities beyond the scope of the CSNR research activities
• Graduate Research
• Employment
• University Relations
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34. Student Fun and Adventures
• Yellowstone National Park
• Idaho Falls Model
Rocketry Club
• Weird Physics Meetings
• Firefly Thursdays
• And whatever else we
can get into…
g
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35. The Home of CSNR
• Center for Advanced Energy Studies (CAES)
– CSNR Offices and Meeting Rooms
– S k Pl
Spark Plasma Si t i (SPS) F
Sintering Furnace
– Laser Engineered Net Shaping (LENS) System
– And whatever else we need for fabrication and analysis
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