General-Purpose Heat Source development: safety test program. Postimpact evaluation, Design Iteration Test 2

Impact testing of general purpose heat sources (GPHSs) and their component GPHS clads is done to benchmark extensive safety calculations quantifying launch safety. Impact testing is done in the Isotope Fuels Impact Tester (IFIT), a large-bore gas gun at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Efforts to conduct an impact test at the extreme low end of the temperature range for launch have highlighted uncertainties in determining the GPHS clad temperature during impact tests. In IFIT impact tests, the GPHS clad temperature is inferred from the temperature of the radiological confinement. Heating tests have been done in the IFIT to determine the fueled clad surface temperature as a function of the surface temperature of the tantalum radiological confinement can. Direct measurement of clad temperatures in the impact configuration are described and the effect of emissivity of the various components indicated. The analytical model used to predict clad temperatures is seen to work well at temperatures above 625°C. Appropriate values of emissivity for use in the model were measured in the experiment. Calculation of the experimental clad impact temperature using the ANSYS thermal transport model is necessary at clad temperatures below 625°C. ANSYS modeling indicates that the clad temperature in a recent low-temperature impact was outside the relevant range for launch safety modeling of GPHS clad behavior.

A shielded storage rack has been installed as part of the Radioisotope Power Systems Facility (RPSF) at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Hanford Site in Washington State. The RPSF is designed to replace an existing facility at DOE’s Mound Site near Dayton, Ohio, where General Purpose Heat Source (GPHS) modules are currently assembled and installed into Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTG). The overall design goal of the RPSF is to increase annual production throughput, while at the same time reducing annual radiation exposure to personnel. The shield rack design successfully achieved this goal for the Module Reduction and Monitoring Facility (MRMF), which processes and stores assembled GPHS modules, prior to their installation into RTGs. The shield rack design is simple and effective, with the result that background radiation levels within Hanford’s MRMF room are calculated at just over three percent of those typically experienced during operation of the existing MRMF at Mound, despite the fact that Hanford’s calculations assume five times the GPHS inventory of that assumed for Mound.

A robust optimization approach for design of a General Purpose Heat Source

The General-Purpose Heat Source (GPHS) is a modular heat source that will supply energy for Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) in space missions. The Safety Verification Tests (SVTs) are performed to assess the plutonia containment capability of heat source modules subjected to certain accident environments. This interim report described the GPHS module configuration, the test environment, and the response of the module components following simulated reentry and solid Earth impact. The specific test environment of these initial six tests results from failure of the booster rocket to place the spacecraft in a proper trajectory and subsequent reentry of the GPHS modules from Earth orbit. 36 figs.

A series of previous OSC papers described: 1) a novel methodology for the coupled thermal, fluid flow, and electrical analysis of multitube AMTEC (Alkali Metal Thermal-to-Electric Conversion) cells; 2) the application of that methodology to determine the effect of numerous design variations on the cell’s performance, leading to selection and performance characterization of an OSC-recommended cell design; and 3) the design, analysis, and characterization of an OSC-generated power system design combining sixteen of the above AMTEC cells with two or three GPHS (General Purpose Heat Source) radioisotope heat source modules, and the applicability of those power systems to future space missions (e.g. Pluto Express and Europa Orbiter) under consideration by NASA. The OSC system design studies demonstrated the critical importance of the thermal insulation subsystem, and culminated in a design in which the eight AMTEC cells on each end of the heat source stack are embedded in Min-K fibrous insulation, and the Min-K and the GPHS modules are surrounded by graded-length Mo multifoil insulation. The present paper depicts the OSC-recommended AMTEC cell and generator designs, and identifies the need for an electrically heated (scaled-down but otherwise prototypic) test assembly for the experimental validation of the generator’s system performance predictions. It then describes the design of an OSC-recommended test assembly consisting of an electrical heater enclosed in a graphite box to simulate the radioisotope heat source, four series-connected prototypic AMTEC cells of the OSC-recommended configuration, and a prototypic hybrid insulation package consisting of Min-K and graded-length Mo multifoils. Finally, the paper describes and illustrates an OSC-recommended detailed fabrication sequence and procedure for the above cell and test assembly. That fabrication procedure is being implemented by AMPS, Inc. with the support of DOE’s Oak Ridge and Mound Laboratories, and the Air Force Phillips Laboratory (AFPL) will test the performance of the assembly over a range of input thermal powers and output voltages. The experimentally measured performance will be compared with the results of OSC analyses of the same insulated test assembly over the same range of operating parameters.

Design optimization and integration of nickel/Haynes-25 AMTEC cells into radioisotope power systems

The Cassini spacecraft is designed to carry out an orbital tour of the Saturnian system and an investigation of the planet, its satellites, atmosphere, and its ring system. The space vehicle is powered by three Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) which are mounted normal to the thrust axis of the vehicle. The nuclear heat source for each RTG consists of a stacked column of eighteen General Purpose Heat Source (GPHS) modules. Each module primarily consists of an aeroshell, two Graphite Impact Shells (GIS), and four Fueled Clads (FC). Each FC consists of a fuel pellet of plutonium-238 in the form of the oxide PuO2 encased in an iridium shell which serves to contain the fuel. An extensive program of experimental tests and analyses was conducted in support of previous missions (Galileo and Ulysses) which served to calibrate and validate the PISCES 2D-ELK continuum mechanics code. This paper describes the response of the GPHS-RTG system to a large number of potential launch accident environments employing the MSC/PISCES Euler Lagrange shell coupled hydrocode as an analytical tool. The results of these calculations quantified the integrity of the iridium clad fuel containment system and provided a data base for a determination of the overall risk for the Cassini mission by others.

This paper presents a detailed description of Orbital Science Corporation's (OSC) design of a new support system for the General Purpose Heat Source (GPHS) using the aeroshell's existing indentations for interlocking the heat source modules. The housing and support system were recently fabricated and tested to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) draft Advanced Radioisotope Power System (ARPS) test requirements at the the Department of Energy's (DoE) Mound facility in Miamisburg, Ohio, USA. The paper presents the test environments and results. This paper also illustrates some of the latest ARPS system design concepts using this specific support system and housing for future deep space missions.

General Purpose Heat Source (GPHS) simulant-fueled capsules were assembled, welded, nondestructively examined, and shipped to Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) for satellite safety tests. Simulant-fueled iridium capsules contain depleted uranium oxide pellets that serve as a stand-in for plutonium-238 oxide pellets. Information on forty seven capsules prepared during 1987 and 1988 is recorded in this memorandum along with a description of the processes used for encapsulation and evaluation. LANL expects to use all capsules for destructive safety tests, which are under way. Test results so far have demonstrated excellent integrity of the Savannah River capsule welds. 10 refs., 5 figs., 3 tabs.

This report covers progress on the Milliwatt Generator Project from April 1986 through March 1988. Activities included fuel processing and characterization, production of heat sources, fabrication of pressure-burst test units, compatibility studies, impact testing, and examination of surveillance units. The major task of the Los Alamos Milliwatt Generator Project is to fabricate MC2893A heat sources (4.0 W) for MC2730A radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGS) and MC3599 heat sources (4.5 W) for MC3500 RTGs. The MWG Project interfaces with the following contractors: Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque (designer); E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Co. (Inc.), Savannah River Plant (fuel); Monsanto Research Corporation, Mound Facility (metal hardware); and General Electric Company, Neutron Devices Department (RTGs). In addition to MWG fabrication activities, Los Alamos is involved in (1) fabrication of pressure-burst test units, (2) compatibility testing and evaluation, (3) examination of surveillance units, and (4) impact testing and subsequent examination of compatibility and surveillance units.

The General-Purpose Heat Source (GPHS), an improved radioisotope heat source, employs a unique thermal insulation material, carbon-bonded carbon fiber (CBCF), to protect the fuel capsule and to help achieve the highest possible specific power. The CBCF insulation is made from chopped rayon fiber about 10 ..mu..m in diameter and 250 ..mu..m long, which is carbonized and bonded with phenolic resin particles. The CBCF shapes, both tubes and plates, are formed in a multiple molding facility by vacuum molding a water slurry of the carbonized chopped-rayon fiber (54 wt %) and phenolic resin (46 wt %). The molded shapes are subsequently dried and cured. Final carbonization of the resin is at 1600/sup 0/C. Machining to close tolerances (+-0.08 mm) is accomplished by conventional tooling and fixturing. The resulting material is an excellent lightweight insulation with a nominal density of 0.2 Mg/m/sup 3/ and a thermal conductivity of 0.24 W(m.K) in vacuum at 2000/sup 0/C. Several attributes that make CBCF superior to other known high-temperature insulation materials for the GPHS application have been identified. It has the excellent attributes of light weight, low thermal conductivity, chemical compatibility, and high-temperature capabilities. The mechanical strength of CBCF insulation is satisfactory for the GPHS application; it has passed vibration tests simulating launch conditions. The basic fabrication technique was refined to eliminate undesirable large pores and cracks often present in materials fabricated by earlier techniques. Also, processing was scaled up to incease the fabrication rate by a factor of 10. The specific properties of the CBCF were tailored by adjusting material and processing variables to obtain the desired results. We report here how work on CBCF characterization and development conducted at ORNL from 1978 through 1980 has contributed to the GPHS program to meet the requirements of both the Galileo and Ulysees Missions.

In a Stirling Radioisotope Power System (RPS), heat must be continuously removed from the General Purpose Heat Source (GPHS) modules to maintain the modules and surrounding insulation at acceptable temperatures. The Stirling convertor normally provides this cooling. If the Stirling convertor stops in the current system, the insulation is designed to spoil, preventing damage to the GPHS at the cost of an early termination of the mission. An alkali-metal Variable Conductance Heat Pipe (VCHP) can be used to passively allow multiple stops and restarts of the Stirling convertor. In a previous NASA SBIR Program, Advanced Cooling Technologies, Inc. (ACT) developed a series of sodium VCHPs as backup cooling systems for Stirling RPS. The operation of these VCHPs was demonstrated using Stirling heater head simulators and GPHS simulators. In the most recent effort, a sodium VCHP with a stainless steel envelope was designed, fabricated and tested at NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) with a Stirling convertor for two concepts; one for the Advanced Stirling Radioisotope Generator (ASRG) back up cooling system and one for the Long-lived Venus Lander thermal management system. The VCHP is designed to activate and remove heat from the stopped convertor at a 19 degC temperature increase from the nominal vapor temperature. The 19 degC temperature increase from nominal is low enough to avoid risking standard ASRG operation and spoiling of the Multi-Layer Insulation (MLI). In addition, the same backup cooling system can be applied to the Stirling convertor used for the refrigeration system of the Long-lived Venus Lander. The VCHP will allow the refrigeration system to: 1) rest during transit at a lower temperature than nominal; 2) pre-cool the modules to an even lower temperature before the entry in Venus atmosphere; 3) work at nominal temperature on Venus surface; 4) briefly stop multiple times on the Venus surface to allow scientific measurements. This paper presents the experimental results from integrating the VCHP with an operating Stirling convertor and describes the methodology used to achieve their successful combined operation.

Lockheed Martin contributions to the Cassini mission included power and propulsion for the spacecraft, the Descent Imager / Spectral Radiometer, DISR instrument for the Huygens Probe, as well as the Titan IVB launch vehicle. Cassini is currently in orbit around Saturn performing its primary science mission, investigating Saturn, its many moons, and its complex and beautiful ring system. The Space Power Programs organization in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, an offsite of Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, provided the three General Purpose Heat Source — Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (GPHS‐RTGs) used to provide electric power to the spacecraft during its mission to Saturn and its moons. The RTGs were the same design as those used to power the Galileo spacecraft on its mission to Jupiter and its moons, and the ESA Ulysses spacecraft on its mission to explore the Sun. Three RTGS provided 880 Watts of electrical power to the spacecraft at the beginning of mission, shortly after launch, 50% more than the power available for the Galileo mission. Other papers will describe the extensive science instrumentation made possible by the abundance of continuous, reliable, and long‐lived power, unprecedented for a deep space planetary mission. The Cassini Propulsion Module Subsystem is the largest interplanetary propulsion system ever to successfully enter orbit around another planet. The propulsion system was designed to be fully redundant for this critical, 11‐year scientific mission to Saturn. The system was designed, assembled and tested at Lockheed Martin’s Space Exploration Systems Company in Littleton, Colorado, before being delivered to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, JPL in Pasadena California for integration and testing with the spacecraft. The bi‐propellant system design holds 3,000 kg of Monomethyl Hydrazine, MMH and Nitrogen Tetroxide, NTO and uses 132 kg of High Purity Grade Hydrazine for 3‐axis attitude control and Reaction Wheel Assembly, RWA desaturation.

The purpose of the project was to: Develop a finite element thermal model of the General Purpose Heat Source (GPHS) Module loaded with four fueled clads; Perform steady state analysis to validate the thermal model via energy balance; Perform transient thermal analysis to predict clad temperatures at various times; and, Transient model results will be used to inform module soak time needed to reach a desired clad temperature prior to impact.

An analysis of coated particles fuel compact-general purpose heat source (CPFC-GPHS)