hagerp@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu (11/08/89)
From: hagerp@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu While this may be departing somewhat from the theme of this newsgroup, there were some very interesting aspects to the powerplant for the original nuclear plane. The reactor (actually built) was a molten salt reactor that carried fissile material in a molten salt to a reactor vessel that housed a graphite moderator. When the program fizzled, proponents of the reactor design were able to get funding to explore the possibility of using it for commercial energy production. It should be remembered that the PWR (Pressurized Water Reactor) is essentially a scaled-up version of the naval power reactor. A small proto-type (8MW if memory serves) molten salt reactor was operated in the late 60's. On line fuel reprocessing was explored (in the lab, at any rate) which would have allowed both CONTINUOUS rad-waste removal and breeder operation (i.e., Th232+n -> Th233-e -> Pa233-e -> U233). A really sweet design -- I could go on and on but this is not the place. I still have citations for all of the pertinent info (some years ago I wrote a few articles about MSRs) and will be happy to post. Additional note: there was also a nuclear powered ramjet engine program for a cruise missile (the Tory Program?) from the early 60's declassified in the 70's. This system used high-enriched metal rods that basically just heated-up. The only info I have is from one paper I culled from the National Technical Information Service database back in '78, so I don't know the ultimate findings, etc. of the program. --paul hager hagerp@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu