Exploration of the Performance of Multiphase Nuclear-Fuel Cavity Reactors for Power Generation
ResearchPublished 1972
Explores the feasibility of nuclear-fuel cavity reactors for the generation of electric power. The study investigates the potential operational regimes associated with operating a cavity reactor with the fuel in a solid, liquid, or gaseous state, or combinations of fuel state. Higher reactor power and longer continuous operational durations with continuous fission debris removal are indicated for fissile material in the liquid state, but two important problems limit the practicability of the system with all-liquid uranium film: (1) penetration of the container material by the uranium; and (2) excessive flow of liquid uranium along the walls, which leads to nonuniform heat distribution on the reactor wall. The effects of different combinations of fuel states are debated, and the possibility of using uranium 233 or plutonium 239 are briefly investigated.
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Document Details
- Copyright: RAND Corporation
- Availability: Available
- Year: 1972
- Print Format: Paperback
- Paperback Pages: 71
- Paperback Price: $25.00
- Document Number: R-890
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Pinkel, Benjamin and Eugene C. Gritton, Exploration of the Performance of Multiphase Nuclear-Fuel Cavity Reactors for Power Generation, RAND Corporation, R-890, 1972. As of September 5, 2024: https://www.rand.org/pubs/reports/R0890.html
Pinkel, Benjamin and Eugene C. Gritton, Exploration of the Performance of Multiphase Nuclear-Fuel Cavity Reactors for Power Generation. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 1972. https://www.rand.org/pubs/reports/R0890.html. Also available in print form.
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