RE-ENTRY BURN-UP MODEL FOR A HYDRIDED ZIRCONIUMURANIUM FUEL ELEMENT

Abstract

The problem of describing the re-entry behavior of a hydrided zirconium-uranium fuel element of the SNAP 2 and 10A variety in an analytical form suitable for computer application is studied with special emphasis placed on the chemical interactions of the fuel with the re-entry environment. General re-entry equations are presented. The trajectory and angular-motion equations are written in a form that includes effects from transpiration cooling, heats of fusion, evaporation, dissociation, recombination, chemical reactions, and mass accretion (or loss). All pertinent parameters are evaluated insofar as available data will permit. The rate of H transpiration, the heat energy added to the fuel element due to recombination of the transpired H, and the vapor pressure of molten fuel material could not be determined with reasonable accuracy from the available data. It is recommended that these three parameters be determined through laboratory experiments and used in the model described to determine whether or not the fuel elements will burn up during re-entry.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 01, 1964
Accession Number
AD0444254

Entities

People

  • H. M. Childers
  • H. S. Jacobs
  • L. C. Mccandless

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Alloys
  • Angular Motion
  • Body Weight
  • Boundary Layer
  • Chemical Kinetics
  • Chemical Reactions
  • Crystal Structure
  • Equations Of Motion
  • Heat Energy
  • Heat Transfer
  • Heat Transfer Coefficients
  • Phase Transformations
  • Pressure Distribution
  • Specific Heat
  • Thermodynamics
  • Vapor Pressure
  • Vaporization

Readers

  • Electrical Engineering
  • Space Exploration and Orbital Mechanics.
  • Thermal Physics or Thermal Science.