Closed cycle MHD power generation system driven by nuclear reactor for space exploration

For deep space explorations, we have to develop high-efficiency, high-reliability and high-performance electric power generation system. In this paper, a closed cycle magnetohydrodynamic (CCMHD) power generation system directly driven by a nuclear fission reactor (NFR) was proposed and investigated. Output electric power level is multi-MWe. Particularly, influence of the number of compressor stages, the regenerator efficiency and the radiator temperature on total plant efficiency and on specific mass (kg/kWe) was analyzed. Proposed system was expected to provide over 55% of total plant efficiency with the radiator temperature of 300 K. The estimated specific mass was about 2/spl sim/3 (kg/kWe) for 2 MWe output and 1/spl sim/2 (kg/kWe) for output power over 3 MWe level.