Closed Loop Nuclear Thermal Rocket Thermodynamics help requested.

[MachJok]

Hello all,

I am working on implementing a NASA design from 68 into my project for orbiter. The report contained HERE has some really good details but lacks the critical Neon system schematic.

I managed to diagram the system based on the description:

I didn't include it in the diagram but I am going to assume the Ne Inlet temp is 2000R since that is the temp in the report for the Ne periphery. so it has to release about 13000R into the H2, "Cold" Ne and the centrifuge. Additionally 0.19lb/sec is calculated as the Ur bleed off from the core which accounts for 800Btu/sec.

What I would like to know:
Based on the above information is there a way to calculate the temperatures at each heat exchanger with a similar style as shown in Fig 8 on P77 of the NASA report? If so, how would I calculate it?

Thanks!

 

[Wishbone]

To model engines like that one needs a thermohydraulic solver. I have shopped for one that's free and open source and configurable beyond common steam and water but failed. One link I found (beyond codes used by nuclear reactor designers) is http://www.colsim.de

 

[Urwumpe]

You can of course also try a one dimensional solution yourself, if you don't need high accuracy, you could solve this with an excel sheet.

 

[Wishbone]

Sigh... very true, but this is the time I regret (slightly) not having gone to study physics. As it stands, an Excel or Matlab solution would require 20+ hours to figure out , debug and finetune the stuff for me. By the way, the solvers I talked about are all one-dimensional as well, but they deal with a graph of tubes and valves and vessels, which is easy to get wrong for an amateur like me.

 

[Urwumpe]

Physics is one level too detailed for that, such calculations belong to engineering. Engineering takes what physicists have discovered, and applies it.

 

[Wishbone]

Hehe, looks like I found at least something: http://www.mbdyn.org/

 

[Urwumpe]

Hehe, looks like I found at least something: http://www.mbdyn.org/

Nice. I would have suggested using XCos for it. :lol:

 

[MachJok]

I tried using Cantera but there is not enough documentation on it to do what I need. I am downloading Xcos now to try it. I tried calculating the numbers on my own but the wiki pages were extraordinarily confusing.

I will keep you all updated. Thanks for the suggestions.