Completely modular Thermionic Reactor Ion Propulsion System (TRIPS)

ABSTRACTThe nuclear reactor powered ion propulsion system described is anadvanced completely modularized system which lends itself to develop-nlent of prototype and/or flight type components without the need forcomplete system tests until late in the development program. Thismodularity is achieved in all of the subsystems and components of theelectric propulsion system including (1) the thermnionic fuel elements,(2) the heat rejection subsystem (head pipes), (3) the power conditioningmodules, and (4) the ion thrusters. Both flashlight and external fuel typein-core thermionic reactors are considered as the power source.The thermionic fuel elements would be useful over a range of reac-tor power levels. Electrical heated acceptance testing in their flightconfiguration is possible for the external fuel case. Nuclear heated test-ing by sampling methods could be used for acceptance testing of flashlightfuel elements. The use of heat pipes for cooling the collectors and as ameans of heat transport to the radiator allows early prototype or flightconfiguration testing of a small module of the heat rejection subsystemas opposed to full scale liquid metal pumps and radiators in a largevacuum chamber. The power conditioner (p/c) is arranged in moduleswitli passive cooling which allows complete prototype testing. The ionengines are typically matched with one or more p/c modules and are thesame size for any power level propulsion system of interest.vi JPL Technical Memorandum 33-550