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Advanced Power Sources for Space Missions (1989) / Chapter Skim
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Appendix D: Possible Impacts of Effluents from SDI Systems
Pages 121-128

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From page 121...
... The FES system dumps water vapor in pulses of duration 200 ~ 30 ms at a maximum pulse rate of 4 Hz, yielding a release rate of 22.7 kg/in (= 6.3 x 10-3 kg/s)
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From page 122...
... The wide Variation in these numbers is due to different assumptions about power levels and system designs among the contractors. It appears that, with the exception of the primary RCS thrusters, none of the efflux rates associated with the Shuttle approach those estimated for SDI systems.
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From page 123...
... Thrusters Effluent Species Molecular Weight Mole Fraction Composition, Neutrals H 2 O 18 0.328 N 2 28 0.306 CO2 44 0.036 O 2 32 0.0004 CO 28 0.134 H2 2 0.17 H 1 0.015 MMH-NO3 108 0.002 Total 0.9914 Composition, Dominant Ions NO 30 1.7 x 10 8 CO2 44 2.7x 10 10 OH 17 4.3 x 10 10 Electrons -- 24 x 10 9 Number of Number of Ions Thruster Neutrals (electrons) Firing Ejected Ejected VRCS Typical b Longest— PROS Typical d Longest— 1.3 x 1025 1.7 x 1026 9.2 x 1024 5.5 x 1025 3.1 x 1018 3.8 x 10 2.1 x 10187 1.2 x 10 NOTE: For the primary thruster, m = 1~419.8 g/s/engine, where m is tile mass efflux rate; for the vernier thruster, m = 40.8 g/s/engine.
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From page 124...
... The corresponding integrated mass density of effluent required to ionize 50 percent of the neutral-particle beam is S.9 x 10-6 g/cm2. Approx~nately 7 percent of the beam is stripped
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From page 125...
... Flow EML Temp. Flow Nuclear Brayton turboalternator 1.0 586 52 416 44 855 44 Nuclear Rankine turboalternator -- -- -- -- -- - - - Liquid metal reactor -- -- -- -- -- -- - Combustion Brayton 1.0 570 89 407 70 818 70 Combustion Brayton, water collected 1.0 639 48 447 41 996 41 Combustion-driven MHD 1.5 3000 178 3000 122 3000 122 Fuel cell 1.0 450 81.7 450 61.8 450 61 8 Fuel cell, radiator cooled -- -- -- -_ _- __ __ Fuel cell, water collected 1.0 450 48.3 450 41.8 450 41.8 NOTE: EML = electromagnetic launcher; FEL = free-electron laser; MHD = magnetohydrodynamics; NPB = neutral-particle beam.
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From page 126...
... 126 CO ~ ._ ~ ~ X o cn s" >, _ .
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From page 127...
... pods and fire upward, while the F2U engine IS on the upper surface of the ShuttIe's nose and also fires upward (Murphy et al., 1983~. During the L2U burn, the engines were fired to obtain net zero torque on the Shuttle, with R1U c~celling the rod induced by L2U and F2U cancelling pitch from both rear thrusters.
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From page 128...
... . Even though the residual atmospheric densities are high at typical sounding rocket altitudes of a few hundred kilometers, the low relative velocity of the rocket should make the dissipation of rocketgenerated effluent comparable to that expected of vehicles orbiting at higher altitude (greater than 1,000 km)
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Key Terms

  • space shuttle
  • mass density
  • water collected
  • combustion brayton
  • sounding rocket

  • reaction control
  • pressure gauge
  • nuclear rankine
  • vernier thrusters
  • space power

  • liquid metal
  • vernier reaction
  • mass efflux
  • release rate
  • efflux rate

  • integrated mass
  • beam stripping
  • efflux rates
  • residual atmosphere
  • nuclear brayton

  • mass flow
  • metal reactor
  • power architecture
  • flow rate
  • rear thrusters

  • rcs consists
  • quotes efflux
  • zero torque
  • spas studies
  • background atoms


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