Options for enhanced performance of pellet bed reactor bimodal systems Available to Purchase

Recently reported Bimodal Pellet Bed Reactor (BM‐PeBR) system concepts utilize efficient Closed Brayton Cycle (CBC) engines and maintain the maximum fuel temperature almost constant below 1600 K during power and propulsion modes. Because the reactor thermal power is quite low, ranging from 44 kW to 176 kW for the 10 kWe and 40 kWe BM‐PeBR, respectively, the propulsion performance parameters are modest: 3.5 and 16 N of thrust for these systems, respectively, at a specific impulse (Isp) of 750 s. This paper investigates the effect of increasing the reactor thermal power and maximum fuel temperature during the propulsion mode to improve the propulsion performance of these systems. Options considered include: (a) using ex‐core heating versus in‐core heating of the hydrogen propellant, and (b) ramping reactor thermal power in the propulsion mode versus operating at a constant thermal power level during both power and propulsion modes and radiating excess heat during power mode using a high temperature radiator. Results showed that with these options the 40 kWe BM‐PeBR system can deliver 40 N to 212 N of thrust and corresponding Isp of 885 s and 760 s, respectively, when operating at a maximum fuel temperature of 2000 K. Similarly, the 10 kWe system can deliver a thrust of 2 N to 40 N at corresponding Isp of 860 and 740 s, respectively.