KRUSTY Reactor Design

TLDR

The Kilopower program aims to provide 1–10 kW(e) power for space and planetary missions, and the KRUSTY project was a prototype designed to demonstrate nuclear operation of such a system. The paper examines the design, philosophy, goals, and engineering work that led to KRUSTY's success. KRUSTY was a 1‑kW(e) prototype powered by highly enriched uranium fuel. KRUSTY successfully operated in March 2018, becoming the first new nuclear reactor concept in the U.S.

Abstract

The Kilowatt Reactor Using Stirling TechnologY (KRUSTY) was a reactor design, development, and test program to demonstrate the nuclear operation of a Kilopower reactor. Kilopower systems are intended to provide between 1 and 10 kW(electric) in space, or on the surface of planets or moons, with a clear evolution to substantially higher power systems. KRUSTY was a prototype of a 1-kW(electric) highly enriched uranium–fueled Kilopower system. In March of 2018, KRUSTY successfully operated as a fission power system and was the first nuclear-powered operation of any truly new reactor concept in the United States in over 40 years. This paper discusses the design of the KRUSTY reactor along with the philosophy, goals, and engineering work that ultimately led to KRUSTY's success.