Romashka reactor
{{Infobox nuclear reactor
| name =Romashka reactor
| image =Romashka reactor.png
| image_size =
| caption =Cutaway view of an early ground-based Romashka reactor showing 11 fuel disks.
| location =
| coordinates =
| concept = RTG
| generation = Experimental
| reactor_line=
| type_label =
| type =
| status = decommissioned
| fuel_type = U235
| fuel_state = solid disks, {{Chem|link=Uranium carbide|UC|2}}
| spectrum_description = Fast
| control = rod
| reflector = Beryllium
| coolant = none (conduction)
| moderator =
| electric = {{val|0.3|-|10|u=kW}}
| thermal = {{val|40|u=kW}}
| use = research
| website =
}}
The Romashka reactor ({{langx|ru|Ромашка|translation=chamomile}}) was a Soviet experimental nuclear reactor. It began operation in 1964, and was developed by the Kurchatov Institute of Atomic Energy. The reactor used direct thermoelectric conversion to create electricity, rather than heating water to drive a turbine.{{cite journal|last=Ponomarev-Stepnoi|first=N. N.|author2=Kukharkin, N. E. |author3=Usov, V. A. |date=March 2000|title="Romashka" reactor-converter |journal=Atomic Energy|publisher=Springer|location=New York|volume=88|issue=3|pages=178–183|issn=1063-4258|doi=10.1007/BF02673156|s2cid=94174828 }} It is thus similar to a radioisotope thermoelectric generator, but higher power.
The Romashka reactor was developed with the intention of using nuclear power in space satellites, but was superseded by the more powerful BES-5 reactor. The project was canceled after the death of Sergei Korolev, who was heavily involved in the project.{{citation_needed|date=July 2019}}
Reactor design
The fuel was {{val|49|u=kg}} of highly enriched uranium (90% {{SimpleNuclide|link=yes|uranium|235}}) in the form of UC2 (uranium carbide).{{cite web|url=http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf82.html|title=Nuclear Reactors for Space|date=September 2008|publisher=World Nuclear Association|accessdate=2009-01-06|archive-date=2013-02-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130227105015/http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf82.html|url-status=dead}}{{cite book|last=Angelo|first=Joseph A.|title=Nuclear Technology|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|year=2004|pages=[https://archive.org/details/nucleartechnolog0000ange/page/417 417]|chapter=Reentry of Soviet Nuclear-Powered Reactor Spacecraft|isbn=1-57356-336-6|url=https://archive.org/details/nucleartechnolog0000ange|url-access=registration|accessdate=2009-01-06|quote=A small, relatively low-powered, space nuclear reactor (called the Romashka reactor), using HEU as its fuel, provided electric power to this type of Soviet radar-surveillance satellite}}{{cite web|url=http://www.kiae.ru/radleg/ch6e.htm|title=Nuclear research reactors and nuclear research centers|work=Project # 245 "Radleg"|publisher=Kurchatov Institute, All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Chemical Technology|pages=Table 6.1 and section 6.2.1.11|accessdate=2009-01-06|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090123173547/http://www.kiae.ru/radleg/ch6e.htm|archivedate=2009-01-23}} A beryllium reflector was used on the ends of the reactor, and electricity was generated using silicon-germanium semiconductors.
The Romashka reactor didn't use liquid coolant; it was designed to be simple, compact, and light. Temperature was self-regulated through the use of a negative temperature reactivity coefficient. The successful demonstration of the Romashka reactor provided a baseline for further developments in Soviet nuclear power for space satellites.{{citation_needed|date=July 2019}}
The experimental reactor was started (reached criticality) in 1964 and decommissioned in 1966, and was used to research the concept of direct energy conversion. It produced {{val|40|u=kW}} of heat, and reached temperatures of {{convert|2173|K}}.The reactor operated for {{val|15000|u=hrs}}.{{cite journal |last1=Bennett |first1=Gary L. |title=A LOOK AT THE SOVIET SPACE NUCLEAR POWER PROGRAM |journal=International Forum on Energy Engineering |date=August 6, 1989 |volume=IECEC-89 |url=https://fas.org/nuke/space/sovspace.pdf |accessdate=25 June 2018 |publisher=NASA Propulsion, Power and Energy Division}}
See also
References
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Category:Nuclear power in space