Nuclear engines

[Pete A]

Hello to all.
I hope that fellow readers of this website may be able to provide some information concerning the development of nuclear engines during the 50s and 60s era.

The only development I know of that came anywhere close to fruition was the X-211 manufactured by GE at its Evendale plant. I understand that a single in-line engine representing half the intended end product had been tested and achieved a thrust of 27,371 lb.

The engine was split into inboard and outboard sections with the inboard half passing through a reactor core. Was the fuel to be stored in a section of the engine or in a proposed aircraft? Any other information on this or any other powerplant would be much appreciated.

Regards

Pete A.

 

[Michel Van]

your never try this forum search engine, Peter ?

Nuclear Powered aircraft

http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,855.0.html

Nuclear powered fighters / interceptors

http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,5558.0.html

nuclear airliners

http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,5554.0.html

Project SLAM / PLUTO

http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,1319.0.html

UK. nuclear powered bomber designs

http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,546.0.html

Lockheed 1979 nuclear-powered aircraft studies

http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,388.0.html

that link is in French but show most Nuclear engine for Aircraft

Prototypes.com/La propulsion nucléaire aéronautique/I. Origine

 

[OM]

your never try this forum search engine, Peter ?

...One of the things I've learned over the years is that there's two reasons most n00bs don't use a forum's search engines:

1) Most of the search engines suck, and produce more erroneous hits than accurate ones. Especially if the forum is VERY active and has thousands of posts.

2) Oh, get real - every single one of us loves to rehash an old topic if the one asking about it does it as a prostate supplicant in search of knowledge from the masters

 

[Pete A]

Thank you for the links provided however, I had already investigated these, and more. The X-211 information, or that of similar type of engine that I am seeking, is on how the fuel was to be stored, safeguards (if any) that were in-built into the design to prevent contamination of localities if accidents occured, new materials produced, why the engine was split into two sections lengthways, etc. In addition I really would like to find out what advances developing this type of engine initiated (eg. how were onboard fires planned to be extinguished), what support facilities were intended to be established to maintain engines, etc. I am assuming that along with the operational use of this type of engine and its host aircraft, a lot of thought to the ancilliary services required to maintain service life had already been thought out. Yes, there's a lot of questions and I have found very little in the way of answers. Surely such matters would have been resolved at the time termination of the X-211 came into effect or am I in error? Thank you for your time.

Regards

Pete A

 

[Orionblamblam]

The X-211 information, or that of similar type of engine that I am seeking, is on how the fuel was to be stored...

Which fuel? The chemical jet fuel used for takeoff and dash? Or the nuclear fuel? And do you mean stored on the plane, or stored on the ground?

safeguards (if any) that were in-built into the design to prevent contamination of localities if accidents occured

"Don't crash."

(eg. how were onboard fires planned to be extinguished)

Same as any other airplane, I'd assume. If the nuclear fuel caught fire, then the plane was boned; it'd turn into a sparkler.

 

[Michel Van]

X-211 or its official designation XMA-1

is a one-reactor with two-engine package with a direct cycle
after a study for the Weapon System 125-A, it had 2x XMA-1 units

however:

The X-211 engine development was to be an experimental turbojet development
capable of supporting requirements of the reactor development program,
and no plans were made to carry the engine to production qualifications.

source
http://www.fas.org/nuke/space/anp-gao1963.pdf
13 MB big

 

[Vahe Demirjian]

The X211 was designated J87, while the indirect-cycle nuclear engine derived from the Pratt & Whitney J91 that lost out to the J93 in the contest for the B-70 powerplant.

 

[RAP]

...

 

[Kiltonge]

GE nuclear engine turbine starter / sustainer, Aviation Week 15 Feb 1964

 

[Archibald]

I've never realized before how the large Mach 3 turbojets were all loosely related, one way or another. Check that...