- #1
RobertGC
- 93
- 2
I am interested in nuclear reactors for space propulsion. I have a few questions about it. Nuclear fuel cells in ground based nuclear power plants can work for years before burning out. Why is it for nuclear space reactors they only last for hours?
Also how can we improve the proportion of the nuclear fuel that actually gets consumed before we have to dispose of the fuel cell? I understand the fission reaction gets blocked by the fission products which inhibits the reaction from continuing. Couldn't we just have the reaction proceed in layers for a fuel from the outside in? When the outside fuel got consumed we would remove that and allow the inner layers to react. If we make the layers thin enough we should get little blockage from the fission-products.
If we could get most of the fuel to react then we would need much less radioactive material to be sent to space so nuclear space propulsion would be much less controversial. Also if the ground based reactors could use most of the fuel, much less uranium would be needed to operate a reactor and you have lower operation costs and radioactive waste being produced.
Bob Clark
Also how can we improve the proportion of the nuclear fuel that actually gets consumed before we have to dispose of the fuel cell? I understand the fission reaction gets blocked by the fission products which inhibits the reaction from continuing. Couldn't we just have the reaction proceed in layers for a fuel from the outside in? When the outside fuel got consumed we would remove that and allow the inner layers to react. If we make the layers thin enough we should get little blockage from the fission-products.
If we could get most of the fuel to react then we would need much less radioactive material to be sent to space so nuclear space propulsion would be much less controversial. Also if the ground based reactors could use most of the fuel, much less uranium would be needed to operate a reactor and you have lower operation costs and radioactive waste being produced.
Bob Clark