月基核电源堆芯设计及物理热工特性分析

Core Design and Analysis of Physical and Thermal Characteristics of Lunar-based Nuclear Power Source

核能具有长续航、长寿期的特点,能够为月球探索提供可靠能源保障。本文提出月基300 kW(热功率)热离子反应堆方案,通过蒙特卡罗方法进行堆芯物理特性分析,并通过堆芯单通道流动换热计算对反应堆热工安全进行数值模拟研究。计算结果表明,方案能够实现10 a寿期,具备足够停堆深度,但部分温度区间内出现正温度反馈,需要依赖精细控制满足反应堆安全性要求;处于月面微重力环境下,冷却剂流速不小于0.9 m/s时,堆芯最热通道不超过热工安全限值。

Nuclear energy has the characteristics of long endurance and long life,which can provide reliable energy guarantee for lunar exploration.In this paper,the lunar-based 300kWt thermionic reactor scheme is proposed.The core physical characteristics are analyzed by Monte Carlo method,and the reactor thermal safety is studied by numerical simulation through the single channel flow and heat exchange calculation of the core.The calculation results show that the scheme can achieve 10 years’lifetime and has sufficient shutdown depth,but there is positive temperature feedback in some temperature intervals,and it needs to rely on the fine control to meet the reactor safety requirements.In the lunar microgravity environment,when the coolant flow rate is not less than 0.9m/s,the hottest channel of the core does not exceed the thermal safety limit.