computer simulation shows that astronauts carry a case of a suitcase type nuclear power station
according to foreign media reports, human beings It will return to the moon in the near future and Mars. Flying to the moon or Mars may not be a big problem in aerospace technology. Scientists believe that human beings have to set up bases or settle on other planets or the moon, and the key problem is electricity. At present, scientists at the Idaho National Laboratory, under the US Department of energy, have designed a suitcase size nuclear power plant that can produce power for the normal use of eight standard homes. Because of its "portability" superiority and durability, the small nuclear power plant can be used not only on earth, but also on the moon or Mars missions. In a word, the portable nuclear power plant can be used as long as NASA needs.
James Werner, the chief researcher at the small portable nuclear power plant, said the new type of suitcase nuclear power plant, which is similar to most nuclear power plants, also generates energy through a fission reaction, and most of today's nuclear power plants are hundreds or thousands of Gigabit power. This portable nuclear power station has only 40 kilowatts of power. Although its power is small, this size will play a great role in space.
for example, in the future planetary landing program, you can carry this portable nuclear power plant for power supply, although the power is not very large, but it is just right and can be used flexibly. Furthermore, if human beings plan to board an asteroid, the small nuclear power plant can be placed in small craters or caves to guarantee the normal work of the scientific instruments left behind, and to protect the nuclear power plant by the natural extraterrestrial environment such as caves. Although it is much smaller than the standard nuclear power plant, such a suitcase nuclear power plant is indispensable in space missions. NASA has now envisaged several potential applications for the portable nuclear power plant. It can be used as a power source for oxygen or hydrogen generators, or as a charging device to charge future manned / unmanned lunar rovers or Martian cars.
is responsible for the research and development of portable nuclear power plants, and plans to produce a prototype prototype next year and conduct various tests. At present, astronauts' mission in space is to use solar panels to generate energy, convert light energy into electrical energy, and power all kinds of equipment. However, the solar energy is not necessarily a stable and reliable energy supply in space. If the detector in the orbit, running to the sun on the back of the planet, it is impossible to continue to absorb the solar energy. This time is the use of stored electricity. However, if we land on the planet and encounter dust storms and so on, dust will cover the solar panels, and the efficiency will drop. Therefore, portable nuclear power plants have broad application prospects and can guarantee reliable and continuous power supply.
a nuclear power plant that uses nuclear fission to generate energy, some hostages doubt whether it will produce a nuclear leakage and other catastrophic accidents, such as the leakage of nuclear radiation from a number of nuclear power plants on earth, such as the notorious Bailey nuclear power plant leakage, making the safety of the device a The issue of the dispute. Accordingly, chief researcher Warner said: using this portable reactor will not pose a threat to astronauts. Because it runs at a low power level, it is not very safe to crash. If external forces cause damage, the reactor will automatically stop.
although NASA and the space shuttle program ended, researchers at Warner did not worry about the impact of the project, and the hand-held nuclear power plant could also be used for other launch vehicles. Warner himself is also optimistic about the project, and he believes that once the suitcase type nuclear power plant is made, NASA will allow it to be launched into space (International Space Station) to test the situation in space, and that the device will be used in the actual space mission one day in the future. For every astronaut, it should be a good news and a memorable day.