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Featured researches published by Patrick Ray Mcclure.


Nuclear Technology | 2014

Experimental Demonstration of a Heat Pipe–Stirling Engine Nuclear Reactor

David I. Poston; Patrick Ray Mcclure; David D. Dixon; Marc A. Gibson; Lee S. Mason

Abstract Los Alamos National Laboratory and Glenn Research Center with the help of National Security Technologies demonstrated the use of a nuclear fission system as a power source that transferred heat via a water-based heat pipe to a small Stirling engine–based power converter to produce electricity. This experimental setup demonstrated that a small reactor based on heat pipes and Stirling engines is possible and produces a system with well-characterized nuclear feedback between the reactor and the power conversion system. This paper describes the experimental setup, modeling of the system, and results that confirm the basic physics of the experiment.


2018 International Energy Conversion Engineering Conference | 2018

The Kilopower Reactor Using Stirling TechnologY (KRUSTY) Nuclear Ground Test Results and Lessons Learned [STUB]

Marc A. Gibson; David I. Poston; Patrick Ray Mcclure; Thomas Godfroy; James L. Sanzi; Maxwell H. Briggs

The Kilopower nuclear ground testing nicknamed KRUSTY (Kilopower Reactor Using Stirling TechnologY) was completed at the Nevada Nuclear Security Site (NNSS) on March 21, 2018. This full scale nuclear demonstration verified the Kilopower reactor neutronics during startup, steady state, and transient operations in a space simulated environment. This was the first space reactor test completed for fission power systems in over 50 years and marked a turning point in NASA’s nuclear program. The completed reactor power system design incorporated flight prototypic materials and full-scale components in an effort to study the reactor dynamics at full power and significantly reduce follow on risk of a future flight demonstration. This design provided a unique opportunity for the power system to simulate several nominal and off-nominal mission scenarios that allowed the designers to verify that the reactor dynamics could tolerate many worst case conditions regarding reactor stability and control. The dynamic changes imposed on the reactor validated the ability of the reactor to load follow the power conversion system and passively control the fuel temperature and overall system stability. With successful completion of the KRUSTY experiment, the NASA/DOE team will evaluate the lessons learned throughout the project and apply them towards a flight demonstration of a Kilopower reactor.


Archive | 2015

Reactor power for large displacement autonomous underwater vehicles

Patrick Ray Mcclure; Robert S. Reid; David I. Poston; Venkateswara Rao Dasari

This is a PentaChart on reactor power for large displacement autonomous underwater vehicles. Currently AUVs use batteries or combinations of batteries and fuel cells for power. Battery/fuel cell technology is limited by duration. Batteries and cell fuels are a good match for some missions, but other missions could benefit greatly by a longer duration. The goal is the following: to design nuclear systems to power an AUV and meet design constraints including non-proliferation issues, power level, size constraints, and power conversion limitations. The action plan is to continue development of a range of systems for terrestrial systems and focus on a system for Titan Moon as alternative to Pu-238 for NASA.


Archive | 2015

Design of megawatt power level heat pipe reactors

Patrick Ray Mcclure; David I. Poston; Venkateswara Rao Dasari; Robert S. Reid

An important niche for nuclear energy is the need for power at remote locations removed from a reliable electrical grid. Nuclear energy has potential applications at strategic defense locations, theaters of battle, remote communities, and emergency locations. With proper safeguards, a 1 to 10-MWe (megawatt electric) mobile reactor system could provide robust, self-contained, and long-term power in any environment. Heat pipe-cooled fast-spectrum nuclear reactors have been identified as a candidate for these applications. Heat pipe reactors, using alkali metal heat pipes, are perfectly suited for mobile applications because their nature is inherently simpler, smaller, and more reliable than “traditional” reactors. The goal of this project was to develop a scalable conceptual design for a compact reactor and to identify scaling issues for compact heat pipe cooled reactors in general. Toward this goal two detailed concepts were developed, the first concept with more conventional materials and a power of about 2 MWe and a the second concept with less conventional materials and a power level of about 5 MWe. A series of more qualitative advanced designs were developed (with less detail) that show power levels can be pushed to approximately 30 MWe.


Archive | 2014

MOBILE HEAT PIPE COOLED FAST REACTOR SYSTEM

Patrick Ray Mcclure; David D. Dixon; David I. Poston; Richard J. Kapernick; Robert S. Reid; Venkateswara Rao Dasari


12th International Energy Conversion Engineering Conference | 2014

Kilopower, NASA's Small Fission Power System for Science and Human Exploration

Marc A. Gibson; Lee S. Mason; Cheryl Bowman; David I. Poston; Patrick Ray Mcclure; John Creasy; Chris Robinson


Archive | 2015

Development of NASA's Small Fission Power System for Science and Human Exploration

Marc A. Gibson; Lee S. Mason; Cheryl Bowman; David I. Poston; Patrick Ray Mcclure; John Creasy; Chris Robinson


Archive | 2015

KiloPower Project - KRUSTY Experiment Nuclear Design

David I. Poston; Thomas Godfroy; Patrick Ray Mcclure; Rene Sanchez


Archive | 2018

Powering a Habitat on Mars with Kilopower

Patrick Ray Mcclure; David I. Poston


Archive | 2018

Kilopower Space Reactor Launch Safety - Maximum Credible Fissions for a Criticality Accident

Patrick Ray Mcclure

Collaboration


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David I. Poston

Los Alamos National Laboratory

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David D. Dixon

North Carolina State University

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Robert S. Reid

Los Alamos National Laboratory

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Venkateswara Rao Dasari

Los Alamos National Laboratory

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Andrew T. Godfrey

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

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Cetin Unal

Los Alamos National Laboratory

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D.V. Rao

Los Alamos National Laboratory

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