An Analysis of a Nuclear Powered Supercritical-Water Cycle for Aircraft Propulsion Page: 2 of 76
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NACA RM E53D29
NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR AERONAUTICS
RESEARCH MEMORANDUM
AN ANALYSIS OF A NUCLEAR POWERED SUPERCRITICAL-WATER
CYCLE FOR AIRCRAFT PROPULSION
By Irving M. Karp
SUMMARY
An analysis to indicate the feasibility of the supercritical water
compressor jet cycle for nuclear powered aircraft is presented. Per-
formance values of the cycle are given for a range of design-point
engine operating conditions at supersonic flight conditions of 1.5
flight Mach number and 50,000, 40,000, and 30,000 feet altitudes, and
at subsonic flight conditions of 0.9 flight Mach number and 40,000 feet
altitude.
Calculations were made at these combinations of flight conditions
for various steam temperatures at the reactor outlet and steam pressures
at the turbine outlet (the steam pressure at the reactor outlet was
fixed at 5000 lb/sq in.) to evaluate the combination of compressor
pressure ratio and Mach number of the air entering the heat exchanger
which result in maximum thrust per unit engine weight (or minimum air-
plane gross weight). Airplane gross weight, reactor heat release, air
flow rate, the engine frontal area, and heat exchanger frontal area
required at these conditions for maximum thrust per unit engine weight
are evaluated for a range of values of lift-drag ratio of the airplane
assuming a fixed value of the ratio of airplane structural to gross
weight of 0.35 and a fixed value of the sum of the reactor, shield,
payload, and auxiliary weights of 150,000 pounds.
The combination of compressor pressure ratio'and Mach number of air
entering exchanger for minimum airplane gross weight is not the same as
that for minimum reactor heat release, minimum engine frontal area, or
minimum exchanger frontal area. In general, when operation is at the
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Karp, Irving M. An Analysis of a Nuclear Powered Supercritical-Water Cycle for Aircraft Propulsion, report, January 19, 1953; (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc52887/m1/2/: accessed March 29, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.