The document discusses nuclear rocket engines. It describes how nuclear rocket engines work by using heat from a nuclear reactor to heat liquid hydrogen propellant which is then expelled through a nozzle to create thrust. It discusses different types of nuclear rocket engines like solid core, liquid core, and gas core designs. Nuclear rocket engines offer benefits like very high specific impulse compared to chemical rockets, but also face challenges like high development costs and radiation shielding issues. Potential applications include rockets, submarines, and cars. Recent innovations include a proposed fusion rocket engine design.

1. NUCLEAR ROCKET
ENGINE
BY,
MAGESH KUMAR S

2. INTRODUCTION
 Nuclear rocket system include Nuclear thermal propulsion (“NTP”) systems, nuclear
electric propulsion (“NEP”) systems, hybrid NTP/NEP concepts and nuclear pulse
rockets that are propelled by the force of nuclear explosions.
 Provide thrust through heating of liquid hydrogen propellant by nuclear fission.
 Several designs of nuclear thermal rockets solid, liquid and gas core nuclear rockets.
 Solid core nuclear rockets operate by pumping the liquid hydrogen propellant through
narrow channels in a solid nuclear reactor.
 As liquid hydrogen moves through the channels, it is heated by the reactor into a high
temperature gas and then ejected from the exhaust nozzle of the rocket at high speeds.

3. SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM

4. WORKING PRINCIPLE
 Stored H2 drawn through pump.
 Supplied to secondary reactor components.
 Extraction of heat from nuclear reactor.
 H2 flows primary fuel zone of reactor core.
 Exhaust through nozzle.

5. TYPES OF NUCLEAR ROCKET ENGINE
 Solid Core
 Pulsed Nuclear Thermal Rocket
 Liquid Core
 Gas Core

6. ADVANTAGE
 High Isp (2-10% that of chemical system)
 Low Specific Mass (kg/KW)
 High Power allows high thrust
 Use of any propellant
 Reduced radiation for some missions.

7. DISADVANTAGE
 Social issues
 Low technology readiness level (Maturity)
 Radiation issues (Shielding)
 High Reactor development cost

8. APPLICATIONS
 Nuclear propulsion in rockets
 Nuclear propulsion in submarines
 Nuclear propulsion in car engine (Ford)

9. RECENT INNOVATION
 The UK company Applied Fusion Systems are currently filing a
patent for a new nuclear fusion rocket engine, creating by turning
a small fusion reactor into a rocket.
 This technology could be used to run from a compact nuclear
fusion reactor, a development which could pave the way for high
speed, interstellar space travel.