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ActiveProject(2012-2014)

DirectEnergyConversionForNuclearPropulsionAtLowSpecificMassProjectCenterInnovationFund:JSCCIF(AlsoIncludesJSCIRAD)ProgramN/A()

AtStart:3 Current:3 AtEnd:4

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AppliedResearch Development Demo&Test

TWDECTestArticleatNASAJohnsonSpaceCenter

ProjectTechnologyMaturity

ABSTRACT

TheprojectwillcontinuetheFY13JSCIR&D(October-2012toSeptember-2013)

effortinTravellingWaveDirectEnergyConversion(TWDEC)inorderto

demonstrateitspotentialasthecoreofahighpotential,game-changing,in-space

propulsiontechnology.TheTWDECconceptconvertsparticlebeamenergyinto

radiofrequency(RF)alternatingcurrentelectricalpower,suchascanbeusedto

heatthepropellantinaplasmathruster.Inamoreadvancedconcept(exploredin

thePhase1NIACproject),theTWDECcouldalsobeutilizedtoconditionthe

particlebeamsuchthatitmay...Readmoreonthelastpage.

TechnologyArea: SpacePower&EnergyStorageTA03(Primary)In-SpacePropulsionTechnologiesTA02(Secondary)

ANTICIPATEDBENEFITS

ToNASAunfunded&plannedmissions:WithsuccessfuldevelopmentofthissystembyNASAanditspartners,anintermediate

NASAinfusionstepwoulddemonstratemegawatt-classaneutronicfusion(p-11Bfusion),

TWDEC,andelectricpropulsion(e.g.,QuantumVacuumthruster,VASIMR)systemson

roboticmissionsintodeepspace.Humanvehiclesystemdevelopmentwouldthen

integratesuchsystemsintothe“ultimate”NASAapplication:sustainable,routinehuman

explorationofMarsand,withsuccessfulQ-thrusterdevelopment,...

Readmoreonthelastpage.

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https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=20140004802 2020-07-29T10:07:49+00:00Z

Contributing

Partners

U.S.Navy

UniversityofIllinois

ShellUSA

(moreonlastpage)

DETAILEDDESCRIPTION

Lowspecificmass(<3kg/kW)in-spaceelectricpowerandpropulsioncandrasticallyalterthe

paradigmforexplorationoftheSolarSystem,changinghumanMarsexplorationfroma3-year

epiceventtoanannualexpedition.Aspecificmassof~1kg/kWcanenable1-yearround-tripsto

Mars,regardlessofalignment,withthesamelaunchmasstolowEarthorbit(350mT)estimatedby

theMarsArchitecture5.0studyfora3-yearconjunctionmission.Keytoachievingsucha

propulsioncapabilityistheabilitytoconvert,athighefficiencyandwithonlyminimallosses

rejectedasheatviaradiators,theenergyofchargedparticlereactionproductsoriginatingfroman

advancedfissionoraneutronicfusionsourcedirectlyintoelectricityconditionedasrequiredto

poweranelectricthruster.TheTWDECconceptaccomplishesthisbyconvertingparticlebeam

energyintoradiofrequency(RF)alternatingcurrentelectricalpower,suchascanbeused...

DirectEnergyConversionForNuclearPropulsionAtLowSpecificMassProject

OtherOrganizations

PerformingWork

ElectricPowerResearch

Institute

MANAGEMENT

ProgramExecutive:JohnFalker

ProgramManager:RonaldClayton

ProjectManager:JohnScott

PrincipalInvestigator:JohnScott

Co-Investigator:AlfonsoTarditi

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U.S.stateswithwork

Leadcenter:JohnsonSpaceCenter


DETAILEDDESCRIPTION(CONT'D)

toheatthepropellantinaplasmathruster.

Theprojectiscoretothedevelopmentofmulti-MWpowerforelectricpropulsion.Thetechnologydevelopedwill

enablehighpowersystemswhichhavespecificmassinthelowsingle-digitsandwhicharesun-independent,

requirenoneutronshielding,andproducenoradioactivewaste.Thepowerlevelsandspecificmassthis

technologycouldprovidewill,whencombinedwitheitherhigh-efficiencyQ-thrustersorVASIMR-classplasma

thrusters,enablerapidhumanmissionstoMarsandbeyond.

ProjectInfusionPath:

Lowspecificmass(a–kg/kWe)in-spaceelectricpowerandpropulsioncandrasticallyaltertheparadigmfor

explorationoftheSolarSystem,changinghumanMarsexplorationfroma3-yearepiceventtoanannual

expedition.Anaof~1kg/kWecanenable1-yearround-tripstoMars,regardlessofopportunity,withthesame

launchmasstolowEarthorbit(350mT)estimatedbytheMarsArchitecture5.0studyfora3-yearconjunction

mission.Keytoachievingsuchapropulsioncapabilityistheabilitytoconvert,athighefficiencyandwithonly

minimallossesrejectedasheatviaradiators,theenergyofchargedparticlereactionproductsoriginatingfroman

aneutronicfusionsourcedirectlyintoelectricityconditionedasrequiredtopoweranelectricthruster.TheTWDEC

concept(originallyconceivedinJapaninthe1990’sforterrestrialfusionapplications)accomplishesthisby

convertingparticlebeamenergyintoradiofrequency(RF)alternatingcurrentelectricalpower,suchascanbeused

toheatthepropellantinaVASIMR-classplasmathruster.Inamoreadvancedconcept(exploredina2012Phase1

NIACproject),theTWDECcouldalsobeutilizedtoconditiontheparticlebeamsuchthatitmaytransferdirected

kineticenergytoatargetpropellantplasmaforthepurposeofincreasingthrustandoptimizingthespecificimpulse.

Whileothergovernmentagenciesand/orindustrypartnersarepursuinganeutronicfusionreactorsandplasma

propulsion,NASAJSCistheonlyentityadvancingthiscoreenergyconversiontechnology(Fig.3).

WithsuccessfuldevelopmentofthissystembyNASAanditspartners,anintermediateNASAinfusionstepwould

demonstratemegawatt-classaneutronicfusion,TWDEC,andelectricpropulsion(e.g.,Q-thruster,VASIMR)systems

onroboticmissionstotheJovianmoons.Humanvehiclesystemdevelopmentwouldthenintegratesuchsystems

intothe“ultimate”NASAapplication:sustainable,routinehumanexplorationofMarsand,withsuccessfulQ-

thrusterdevelopment,beyond.

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TECHNOLOGYDETAILS

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AppliedResearch

Development Demo&Test

DirectEnergyConversion

forNuclearPropulsionat

LowSpecificMass

TechnologyMaturity

TECHNOLOGYDESCRIPTION

Lowspecificmass(<3kg/kW)in-spaceelectricpowerandpropulsioncandrasticallyalterthe

paradigmforexplorationoftheSolarSystem,changinghumanMarsexplorationfroma3-year

epiceventtoanannualexpedition.Aspecificmassof~1kg/kWcanenable1-yearround-tripsto

Mars,regardlessofalignment,withthesamelaunchmasstolowEarthorbit(350mT)estimatedby

theMarsArchitecture5.0studyfora3-yearconjunctionmission.Keytoachievingsucha

propulsioncapabilityistheabilitytoconvert,athighefficiencyandwithonlyminimallosses

rejectedasheatviaradiators,theenergyofchargedparticlereactionproductsoriginatingfroman

advancedfissionoraneutronicfusionsourcedirectlyintoelectricityconditionedasrequiredto

poweranelectricthruster.TheTWDECconceptaccomplishesthisbyconvertingparticlebeam

energyintoradiofrequency(RF)alternatingcurrentelectricalpower,suchascanbeusedtoheat

thepropellantinaplasmathruster.

Thistechnologyiscategorizedasahardwaresubsystemforgroundscientificresearchoranalysis

TechnologyArea

TA03SpacePower&EnergyStorage(Primary)

TA02In-SpacePropulsionTechnologies(Secondary)

TechnicalMerit:TheTWDECmayofferanewparadigmforhumanexplorationoftheSolar

Systemthroughharnessingnuclearfissionandaneutronicfusionenergyatapowerlevelhigh

enoughandspecificmasslowenoughtoenableround-tripstoMarsofdurationunderoneyear.

Thisprojectwillexaminekeysystemintegrationassumptionsandrigorouslyassessthedegreeto

whichTWDECtechnologyatthecurrentstate-of-the-artcanbeoptimizedforspacecraftpower

applications.

InFY'14thefollowingObjectiveswillbemet;

ActivateJSCTWDECbreadboardtestarticle.ConductvalidationofTWDECsimulation

completedinFY13toraiseTWDECtechnologytoTRL...

PerformanceMetrics

Metric Unit Quantity

in-spacepowersystemspecificmass kg/kWe 1to3

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TECHNOLOGYDETAILS

CAPABILITIESPROVIDED(CONT'D)4.

Buildspecificmassmodels,includingradiationshielding,ofTWDEC-FusionandTWDEC-Fissionpower

systemsforuseintrajectoryassessmentswithCOPERNICUSanalysistools.

Assesstheimpactofthelowspecific-massspacepropulsionenabledbyTWDEConMarshumanexploration

architectures.

POTENTIALAPPLICATIONSIn-SpacePropulsion,

GreenPowerforTerrestrialenergyneeds.

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IMAGEGALLERY

12110-1376090270324.jpg

NASAJSCTWDECTestArticle2014

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ABSTRACT(CONTINUEDFROMPAGE1)

transferdirectedkineticenergytoatargetpropellantplasmaforthepurposeofincreasingthrustandoptimizingthe

specificimpulse.

TheoverallscopeoftheFY13first-yeareffortwastobuildonboththe2012Phase1NIACresearchandthe

analysisandtestresultsproducedbyJapaneseresearchersoverthepasttwentyyearstoassessthepotentialfor

spacecraftpropulsionapplications.TheprimaryobjectiveoftheFY13effortwastocreateparticle-in-cellcomputer

simulationsofaTWDEC.OtherobjectivesincludedconstructionofabreadboardTWDECtestarticle,preliminary

testcalibrationofthesimulations,andconstructionoffirstorderpowersystemmodelstofeedintomission

architectureanalyseswithCOPERNICUStools.DuetofundingcutsresultingfromtheFY13sequestration,onlythe

computersimulationsandassemblyofthebreadboardtestarticlewerecompleted.Thesimulations,however,areof

unprecedentedflexibilityandprecisionandwerepresentedatthe2013AIAAJointPropulsionConference.Also,

theassembledtestarticlewillprovideanioncurrentdensitytwoordersofmagnitudeabovethatavailablein

previousJapaneseexperiments,thusenablingthefirstdirectmeasurementsofpowergenerationfroma

TWDECforFY14.TheproposedFY14effortwillusethetestarticleforexperimentalvalidationofthecomputer

simulationsandthuscompletetoagreaterfidelitythemissionanalysisproductsoriginallyconceivedforFY13.

ThepreviousFY13effortfocusedoncomputersimulationsofTWDECphysicstobuildengineeringtoolswithwhich

todesignvehiclesystemsaroundTWDECpower.TheFY13projectalsosupportedinitialbuild-upofabench-top

systemforexperimentalvalidationoftheTWDECsimulationsdeveloped.

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ANTICIPATEDBENEFITS

ToNASAunfunded&plannedmissions:(CONT'D)beyond.

FY'14Project-DevelopmentandimplementationofthistechnologywillbeindirectsupporttoOCT’sGrand

ChallengeforAccesstoSpace.Futureinfusionofthistechnologyintohumanandroboticexplorationmission

architectureswillbeidentifiedbytheHumanArchitectureTeamandtheMarsProgramPlanningGroup(MPPG).

ThistechnologywillenableanewclassofmissionsforhumanexplorationoftheSolarSystem.

Toothergovernmentagencies:Green,highdensity,energyfromthistechnologywouldsupportthemissionsoftheDepartmentofEnergyandofthe

DepartmentofDefense.

Tothecommercialspaceindustry:DevelopmentoftheTWDECwillsupporteffortsbytheDepartmentofEnergyandDepartmentofDefensetodevelop

aneutronicfusionreactors.

Tothenation:Successfuldevelopmentofthecompletepowersystemcouldenableterrestrial,highcapacityfactor,electricpower

generationthatproducesneithercarbonemissionsnornuclearwaste.Thereisofspecialinteresttotheutility

industryintheprivatesector.

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CONTRIBUTINGPARTNERS(CONT'D)

UniversityofMaryland

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