NASA - Megawatt-Scale Nuclear Electric Propulsion Systems
NASA - Deep Space Propulsion Systems
Megawatt-class nuclear electric propulsion (NEP) systems for human missions require the development and maturation of a range of technologies. Many of the critical subsystems are relatively immature and present significant technological challenges when considering the requirements that must be met to realize a feasible spacecraft design. A large challenge for any nuclear system, but especially for one at the megawatt scale, is the capability to perform ground testing at relevant scales and power levels to mature each subsystem. These tests must also support modeling and simulation activities to demonstrate understanding of the important and controlling physical phenomena in the system and to aid in the prediction of lifetime capability for a full-duration mission. NASA’s Space Nuclear Propulsion project is pursuing a strategy that uses a building- block approach, maturing technologies for a 1 MWe block un- der the assumption that a future high-power NEP mission will have requirements that can be met either through straightforward scaling of this building block to the levels required or using multiple blocks to meet the overall power needs. This seminar will discuss the challenges of developing an in-space MWe- scale nuclear power source and an accompanying very large plasma propulsion system and present some potential advancement paths to pursue in this endeavor.
Date and Time
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- Date: 30 Nov 2022
- Time: 03:30 PM to 05:00 PM
- All times are (UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada)
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Speakers
Dr. Kurt Polzin of NASA
Megawatt-Scale Nuclear Electric Propulsion Systems
Biography:
Dr. Kurt Polzin is Chief Engineer for Space Nuclear Propulsion at NASA’s George C. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, AL. He received his B.S. in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engr. from The Ohio State University in 1999 and his Ph.D. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engr. from Princeton University in 2006. Dr. Polzin joined the Propulsion Research and Development Lab. at NASA-MSFC in 2004 as a propul- sion research engineer. Prior, he was the Space Systems Team lead for the Advanced Concepts Office per- forming conceptual spacecraft system and mission design and analysis. He is also an adjunct faculty member at the University of Alabama in Huntsville where he has taught in Physics and Mechanical & Aerospace Engr. He has co-authored over 100 technical publications on the testing and modeling of electric and space nuclear propulsion systems and components and is lead author of the monograph Circuit Modeling of Inductively- Coupled Pulsed Accelerators. Dr. Polzin is a Senior Member of the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engi- neers (IEEE) and an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), in which he also serves on the Electric Propulsion Technical Committee and as the Southeastern US Regional Director.
Address:George C. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) , , Huntsville, Alabama, United States
Agenda
3:30 Introduction
3:35 Presentation
4:45 Q&A
5:00 Conclusion
IEEE Southeastern Michigan Section (Chapter 15)