Date of Award
2013
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Engineering (MSE)
Department
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Committee Chair
Kader Frendi
Committee Member
Omar R. Mireles
Committee Member
Jason T. Cassibry
Subject(s)
Uranium oxides, Nuclear fuels, Space vehicles--Propulsion systems, Nuclear rockets
Abstract
The plasma spheroidization system (PSS) is the first process in the development of a tungsten-uranium dioxide (W-UO2) ceramic-metallic (cermet) fuel for nuclear thermal rocket (NTR) propulsion. For the purposes of fissile fuel retention, UO2 spheroids ranging in size from 50 - 100 micrometers (ìm) in diameter will be encapsulated in a tungsten shell. The PSS produces spherical particles by melting angular stock particles in an argon-hydrogen plasma jet where they become spherical due to surface tension. Surrogate CeO2 powder was used in place of UO2 for system and process parameter development. Stock and spheroidized powders were micrographed using optical and scanning electron microscopy and evaluated by statistical methods to characterize and compare the spherocity of pre and post process powders. Particle spherocity was determined by irregularity parameter. Processed powders showed a statistically significant improvement in spherocity, with greater that 60% of the examined particles having an irregularity parameter of equal to or lower than 1.2, compared to stock powder.
Recommended Citation
Cavender, Daniel, "Design of a uranium-dioxide powder spheroidization system by plasma processing" (2013). Theses. 49.
https://louis.uah.edu/uah-theses/49
