Design and Stress Analysis of Extraterrestrial ... - The Black Vault

I
I
I
I
Figure 1.3 shows one of the possible ERE systems with a power
planjt operating on the RanIine cycle [34].
S As working media in
the turbine oP an extraterrestriai power
plant, we proposed the
II,
use of the yapors' f such mhetals iudmta as mercury, I
potassium, sodium, sodium and potassium alloys, etc. Liquid-metal
heat-transfer agents h6vehigh'boiling points with qomparatively lo,
pressures, which makes it possible to maintain lqw pressure in the
pow'r plants. This is partic'ularly important for an extratlerrestrial ,
plant, where the heai removal of the cyclT (heat; release into the
ambient medium),is only effective at high temperatures.
The charapteristic
processes, of boiling and condensation for such heat-transfer
agents and the high heat-transfer coefficients make it possible to
transfer considerable amounts of heat in
heat-exchange devices.
small and'light weight
K
On the other han~d, thel use of these heat-transfer agents
poses the problem of the selection:of structural materials which
will preserve sutfficiently high strength and corrosion properties
* :at high temperaturds in a medium of liiquid metals and their ,vapors.
I Bechuse of thd low viscosity of liquid-metal heat-transfer I
agents, comparatively low powers are required to pump the•n in
extraterrestrial power plants. 'This' permits the location of the
heat-ekchange apparatus away from the energy converter (which is
advantageous from the instaflation p ntWof view); of course, it
should be kept 1n mind that the mass of the heat-transfer agent
in the p.pelines can appreciably affect the specifi'c mass' ,of the
,entire system. ,
Selection of basic para,|mmeters for the
circulating part of turbines
A turbine must have high efficiency, be reliable in operation,
cempact, and light-weight. These reclulrements govern the selection
of working medium parametbrs and the basic dimensions of a turbine'.
222
*!1