The Experts below are selected from a list of 129 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform
Gary L. Bennett - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Power for Science and Exploration: Upgrading the General-Purpose Heat Source Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (GPHS-RTG)
46th AIAA ASME SAE ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference & Exhibit, 2010Co-Authors: Cronin B. Vining, Gary L. BennettAbstract:The General-Purpose Heat Source Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (GPHS-RTG) has been the workhorse Nuclear Power Source of the space science community for over 20 years having Powered such challenging missions as Galileo, Ulysses, Cassini and New Horizons. At ≥300 We beginning of life (BOL) Power, the GPHS-RTG is the highestPowered radioisotope Power Source (RPS) ever flown with the highest specific Power (5.3 We/kg). However, recent changes in the design of the GPHS fuel modules would reduce the number of modules that could be emplaced in the GPHS-RTG thereby reducing the Power. This paper explores several options including modifications to the converter housing and the insulation that could reclaim the advantages of the GPHS-RTG even with the new thicker, heavier GPHS modules. Coupled with the existence of over 3,100 GPHS-RTG thermoelectric elements (“unicouples”) it would be possible to Power future outer planet missions with the performance advantages of the original GPHS-RTG.
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Dynamic Power for Defense and Exploration A Look at the Department of Energy's 1987 Nuclear Power Sources Assessment Team Report
7th International Energy Conversion Engineering Conference, 2009Co-Authors: Gary L. BennettAbstract:In 1987, in response to a request from U.S. Air Force Space Division (AF/SD), the Department of Energy (DOE) convened a team of experts to assess the technology readiness of various Nuclear Power Source (NPS) options being considered for the proposed Boost Surveillance and Tracking System (BSTS). NPS option s included the Dynamic Isotope Power System (DIPS), the Space Thermionic Advanced Reactor -Compact (STAR -C) and a low -Power derivative of the SP -100 space Nuclear reactor Power system. Given the mission requirements and constraints along with performance, schedule and cost considerations, the assessment team unanimously concluded that DIPS was the only Nuclear system that could deliver the required Power within mission mass and schedule targets with the lowest development risk. This paper summarizes that 1 987 report within the context of the overall DIPS program.
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The 1981 United Nations Report: An historical consensus on the safe use of Nuclear Power Sources in space
AIP Conference Proceedings, 2008Co-Authors: Gary L. BennettAbstract:In 1981, after over three years of study and discussion, the technical specialists in the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space agreed to a report which provided general safety criteria; a suggested format for notification for reentering space vehicles containing Nuclear Power Sources; suggested improvements in orbit prediction; and recommendations relating to the search and recovery of a Nuclear Power Source. The results of that first consensus on the use of Nuclear Power Sources are summarized to provide an historical framework for developing international norms on the use of Nuclear Power Sources in outer space.
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Preserving the Nuclear option: The AIAA position paper on space Nuclear Power
AIP Conference Proceedings, 1996Co-Authors: Douglas M. Allen, Gary L. Bennett, Mohamed S. El‐genk, Alan R. Newhouse, M. Frank Rose, Richard D. RovangAbstract:In response to published reports about the decline in funding for space Nuclear Power, the Board of Directors of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) approved a position paper in March 1995 that recommends (1) development and support of an integrated space Nuclear Power program by DOE, NASA and DoD; (2) Congressional support for the program; (3) advocacy of the program by government and industry leaders; and (4) continuation of cooperation between the U.S. and other countries to advance Nuclear Power Source technology and to promote safety. This position paper has been distributed to various people having oversight of the U.S. space Nuclear Power program.
S Harbison - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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the international safety framework for Nuclear Power Source applications in outer space useful and substantial guidance
Acta Astronautica, 2015Co-Authors: Leopold Summerer, R E Wilcox, R Bechtel, S HarbisonAbstract:Abstract In 2009, the International Safety Framework for Nuclear Power Source Applications in Outer Space was adopted, following a multi-year process that involved all major space faring nations under the auspices of a partnership between the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and the International Atomic Energy Agency. The Safety Framework reflects an international consensus on best practices to achieve safety. Following the 1992 UN Principles Relevant to the Use of Nuclear Power Sources in Outer Space, it is the second attempt by the international community to draft guidance promoting the safety of applications of Nuclear Power Sources in space missions. NPS applications in space have unique safety considerations compared with terrestrial applications. Mission launch and outer space operational requirements impose size, mass and other space environment limitations not present for many terrestrial Nuclear facilities. Potential accident conditions could expose Nuclear Power Sources to extreme physical conditions. The Safety Framework is structured to provide guidance for both the programmatic and technical aspects of safety. In addition to sections containing specific guidance for governments and for management, it contains technical guidance pertinent to the design, development and all mission phases of space NPS applications. All sections of the Safety Framework contain elements directly relevant to engineers and space mission designers for missions involving space Nuclear Power Sources. The challenge for organisations and engineers involved in the design and development processes of space Nuclear Power Sources and applications is to implement the guidance provided in the Safety Framework by integrating it into the existing standard space mission infrastructure of design, development and operational requirements, practices and processes. This adds complexity to the standard space mission and launch approval processes. The Safety Framework is deliberately generic to remain relevantly independent of technological progress, of national organisational setups and of space mission types. Implementing its guidance therefore leaves room for interpretation and adaptation. Relying on reported practices, we analyse the guidance particularly relevant to engineers and space mission designers.
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The International Safety Framework for Nuclear Power Source applications in outer space—Useful and substantial guidance
Acta Astronautica, 2015Co-Authors: Leopold Summerer, R E Wilcox, R Bechtel, S HarbisonAbstract:Abstract In 2009, the International Safety Framework for Nuclear Power Source Applications in Outer Space was adopted, following a multi-year process that involved all major space faring nations under the auspices of a partnership between the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and the International Atomic Energy Agency. The Safety Framework reflects an international consensus on best practices to achieve safety. Following the 1992 UN Principles Relevant to the Use of Nuclear Power Sources in Outer Space, it is the second attempt by the international community to draft guidance promoting the safety of applications of Nuclear Power Sources in space missions. NPS applications in space have unique safety considerations compared with terrestrial applications. Mission launch and outer space operational requirements impose size, mass and other space environment limitations not present for many terrestrial Nuclear facilities. Potential accident conditions could expose Nuclear Power Sources to extreme physical conditions. The Safety Framework is structured to provide guidance for both the programmatic and technical aspects of safety. In addition to sections containing specific guidance for governments and for management, it contains technical guidance pertinent to the design, development and all mission phases of space NPS applications. All sections of the Safety Framework contain elements directly relevant to engineers and space mission designers for missions involving space Nuclear Power Sources. The challenge for organisations and engineers involved in the design and development processes of space Nuclear Power Sources and applications is to implement the guidance provided in the Safety Framework by integrating it into the existing standard space mission infrastructure of design, development and operational requirements, practices and processes. This adds complexity to the standard space mission and launch approval processes. The Safety Framework is deliberately generic to remain relevantly independent of technological progress, of national organisational setups and of space mission types. Implementing its guidance therefore leaves room for interpretation and adaptation. Relying on reported practices, we analyse the guidance particularly relevant to engineers and space mission designers.
Leopold Summerer - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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the international safety framework for Nuclear Power Source applications in outer space useful and substantial guidance
Acta Astronautica, 2015Co-Authors: Leopold Summerer, R E Wilcox, R Bechtel, S HarbisonAbstract:Abstract In 2009, the International Safety Framework for Nuclear Power Source Applications in Outer Space was adopted, following a multi-year process that involved all major space faring nations under the auspices of a partnership between the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and the International Atomic Energy Agency. The Safety Framework reflects an international consensus on best practices to achieve safety. Following the 1992 UN Principles Relevant to the Use of Nuclear Power Sources in Outer Space, it is the second attempt by the international community to draft guidance promoting the safety of applications of Nuclear Power Sources in space missions. NPS applications in space have unique safety considerations compared with terrestrial applications. Mission launch and outer space operational requirements impose size, mass and other space environment limitations not present for many terrestrial Nuclear facilities. Potential accident conditions could expose Nuclear Power Sources to extreme physical conditions. The Safety Framework is structured to provide guidance for both the programmatic and technical aspects of safety. In addition to sections containing specific guidance for governments and for management, it contains technical guidance pertinent to the design, development and all mission phases of space NPS applications. All sections of the Safety Framework contain elements directly relevant to engineers and space mission designers for missions involving space Nuclear Power Sources. The challenge for organisations and engineers involved in the design and development processes of space Nuclear Power Sources and applications is to implement the guidance provided in the Safety Framework by integrating it into the existing standard space mission infrastructure of design, development and operational requirements, practices and processes. This adds complexity to the standard space mission and launch approval processes. The Safety Framework is deliberately generic to remain relevantly independent of technological progress, of national organisational setups and of space mission types. Implementing its guidance therefore leaves room for interpretation and adaptation. Relying on reported practices, we analyse the guidance particularly relevant to engineers and space mission designers.
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The International Safety Framework for Nuclear Power Source applications in outer space—Useful and substantial guidance
Acta Astronautica, 2015Co-Authors: Leopold Summerer, R E Wilcox, R Bechtel, S HarbisonAbstract:Abstract In 2009, the International Safety Framework for Nuclear Power Source Applications in Outer Space was adopted, following a multi-year process that involved all major space faring nations under the auspices of a partnership between the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and the International Atomic Energy Agency. The Safety Framework reflects an international consensus on best practices to achieve safety. Following the 1992 UN Principles Relevant to the Use of Nuclear Power Sources in Outer Space, it is the second attempt by the international community to draft guidance promoting the safety of applications of Nuclear Power Sources in space missions. NPS applications in space have unique safety considerations compared with terrestrial applications. Mission launch and outer space operational requirements impose size, mass and other space environment limitations not present for many terrestrial Nuclear facilities. Potential accident conditions could expose Nuclear Power Sources to extreme physical conditions. The Safety Framework is structured to provide guidance for both the programmatic and technical aspects of safety. In addition to sections containing specific guidance for governments and for management, it contains technical guidance pertinent to the design, development and all mission phases of space NPS applications. All sections of the Safety Framework contain elements directly relevant to engineers and space mission designers for missions involving space Nuclear Power Sources. The challenge for organisations and engineers involved in the design and development processes of space Nuclear Power Sources and applications is to implement the guidance provided in the Safety Framework by integrating it into the existing standard space mission infrastructure of design, development and operational requirements, practices and processes. This adds complexity to the standard space mission and launch approval processes. The Safety Framework is deliberately generic to remain relevantly independent of technological progress, of national organisational setups and of space mission types. Implementing its guidance therefore leaves room for interpretation and adaptation. Relying on reported practices, we analyse the guidance particularly relevant to engineers and space mission designers.
A. M. Smith - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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The atmospheric cycling of radiomethane and the ''fossil fraction'' of the methane Source
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions, 2006Co-Authors: K. R. Lassey, D. C. Lowe, A. M. SmithAbstract:Abstract. The cycling of 14CH4 (''radiomethane'') through the atmosphere has been strongly perturbed in the industrial era by the release of 14C-free methane from geologic reservoirs (''fossil methane'' emissions), and in the Nuclear era, especially since ca 1970, by the direct release of nucleogenic radiomethane from Nuclear Power facilities. Contemporary measurements of atmospheric radiomethane have been used to estimate the proportion of fossil methane in the global methane Source (the ''fossil fraction''), but such estimates carry high uncertainty due to the ill-determined Nuclear-Power Source. We exploit an analysis in a companion paper of the global radiomethane budget through the Nuclear era, using contemporary measurements of atmospheric radiomethane since 1986 to quantify both the fossil fraction and the strength of the Nuclear Power Source. We deduce that 28.6±1.9% (1 s.d.) of the global methane Source has fossil origin, a fraction which may include some 14C-depleted refractory carbon fraction such as in aged peat deposits. The co-estimated strength of the global Nuclear-Power Source of radiomethane is consistent with values inferred independently from local Nuclear facilities.
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The atmospheric cycling of radiomethane and the "fossil fraction" of the methane Source
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 2006Co-Authors: K. R. Lassey, D. C. Lowe, A. M. SmithAbstract:The cycling of 14 CH4 ("radiomethane") through the atmosphere has been strongly perturbed in the industrial era by the release of 14 C-free methane from geologic reser- voirs ("fossil methane" emissions), and in the Nuclear era, especially since ca 1970, by the direct release of nucleogenic radiomethane from Nuclear Power facilities. Contemporary measurements of atmospheric radiomethane have been used to estimate the proportion of fossil methane in the global methane Source (the "fossil fraction"), but such estimates carry high uncertainty due to the ill-determined Nuclear- Power Source. Guided by a mass-balance formulation in a companion paper, we apply a contemporary time series of at- mospheric radiomethane to quantify both the fossil fraction and the strength of the Nuclear Power Source. We deduce that 30.0±2.3% (1 s.d.) of the global methane Source for 1986- 2000 has fossil origin, a fraction which may include some 14 C-depleted refractory carbon such as from aged peat de- posits. Since this estimate depends upon the validity of as- sumptions underlying a linear regression model, it should be seen as providing a plausible re-estimate rather than a defini- tive revision. Such a fossil fraction would be much larger (by 50%) than is commonly accepted, with implications for in- ventory compilation. The co-estimated strength of the global Nuclear-Power Source of radiomethane is consistent with val- ues inferred independently from local Nuclear facilities. surement has provided another tool for understanding the global methane cycle because of the discriminative 14 C con- tent among methane Sources. In particular, methane originat- ing from geologic reservoirs whose carbon has been isolated from the atmosphere for at least tens of millennia is either de- void of 14 C or has immeasurably small levels. Such "fossil methane" Sources have both natural and anthropogenic ori- gin. Natural fossil-methane Sources include terrestrial and ma- rine gas seeps, geothermal and hydrothermal systems, mud volcanoes, and clathrate destabilization. Their average ag- gregate emission is generally considered to be small, usually
Andrea L. Roth - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Benefits of Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators
Engineering Construction and Operations in Space II, 1990Co-Authors: Andrea L. RothAbstract:Since the 1960's the United States has had the capability to reach beyond the planet Earth with the aid of satellites and interplanetary space probes. As probes such as the Pioneer and Voyager series are venturing farther away from the sun, beyond the planet Mars, solar energy is no longer a feasible Power Source. The U.S. space program now utilizes Nuclear Power to fuel these missions. The Nuclear Power Source is a radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG). A controversy has arisen concerning the environmental safety of the RTGs. This paper discusses the advantages of using Nuclear Power to fuel space vehicles and the possible environmental hazards involved.
