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NASA's Kilopower Nuclear Reactor Exceeds Expectations in Tests

posted by janrinok on Thursday May 03 2018, @12:26PM   Printer-friendly
from the can-it-recharge-my-'phone? dept.

takyon writes:

NASA's Kilopower nuclear reactor with Stirling converters (not an RTG) has passed key tests:

The Kilopower team conducted the experiment in four phases. The first two phases, conducted without power, confirmed that each component of the system behaved as expected. During the third phase, the team increased power to heat the core incrementally before moving on to the final phase. The experiment culminated with a 28-hour, full-power test that simulated a mission, including reactor startup, ramp to full power, steady operation and shutdown.

Throughout the experiment, the team simulated power reduction, failed engines and failed heat pipes, showing that the system could continue to operate and successfully handle multiple failures.

"We put the system through its paces," said Gibson. "We understand the reactor very well, and this test proved that the system works the way we designed it to work. No matter what environment we expose it to, the reactor performs very well."

The Kilopower project is developing mission concepts and performing additional risk reduction activities to prepare for a possible future flight demonstration. The project will remain a part of the STMD's Game Changing Development program with the goal of transitioning to the Technology Demonstration Mission program in Fiscal Year 2020.

The full system will generate 10 kW of power, but the prototype tested from November to March was designed to produce just 1 kW. The solid uranium-235 core is safe to handle.

The Kilopower Reactor Using Stirling Technology (KRUSTY) prototype exceeded almost all performance metrics.

Multiple units could power missions on the Moon, Mars, or other destinations:

"Kilopower's compact size and robustness allows us to deliver multiple units on a single lander to the surface that provides tens of kilowatts of power," NASA Associate Administrator Steve Jurczyk said in January.

Also at Beyond Nerva. 3m8s video.

Previously: NASA's Kilopower Project Testing a Nuclear Stirling Engine
Initial Tests of NASA's Kilopower Nuclear System Successful

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  • (Score: 2, Interesting) by suburbanitemediocrity on Thursday May 03 2018, @01:34PM (4 children)

    by suburbanitemediocrity (6844) on Thursday May 03 2018, @01:34PM (#675039)

    " For what definitions of "safe" and "handle"?"

    It used to be used as a color in glazing for ceramic plates. It's not very radioactive, but if you wanted to kill a bunch of people with it, it would be more effective to dump it in the water supply as it is very poisonous.

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  • (Score: 2, Offtopic) by realDonaldTrump on Thursday May 03 2018, @01:49PM (3 children)

    by realDonaldTrump (6614) on Thursday May 03 2018, @01:49PM (#675046) Homepage Journal

    It's very safe -- so long as we keep Crooked Hillary away from it. (Uranium One) We used to use it in our nuclear arsenal -- our nuclear arsenal has always been the safest in the world. And it is far stronger and more powerful than ever before!!!