Nuclear aircraft system "karavan", aircraft thrust nuclear power plant, its hybrid thermal power cycle, its maintenance system and emergency response system

Nuclear Aircraft Transportation System “Karavan” (NATS KARAVAN) represents an INFRASTRUCTURE COMPOSED OF OBJECTS, together providing fast and long-distance multi-tonnage air transportation with highly flexible logistics and maintaining these OBJECTS in a proper technical and organizational condition, and is formed by the AERO-TRAIN in which the following aircrafts are used:

• the unmanned drone nuclear tow aircraft representing a flying Aircraft Thrust Nuclear Power Plant (ATNPP), which generates in the course of flights the grid electric power for the whole AERO-train, in which towed aircraft are flying due to ATNPP electric power and can take off and land independently using their electric engines and on-board accumulators;
• the aircraft can independently dock in the air to the tow aircraft and to other electric airplanes of the AERO-TRAIN;
• LOGISTICS of AERO-TRAIN application is LIMITLESS, due to the possibility of sorting towed aircraft during its flight, namely due to the ability to undock one or another towed aircraft from any place in the AERO-TRAIN, as well as due to the opportunity to insert “new” aircraft, at any place in the aero-train in the air;
• in the NATS KARAVAN, the airfield facilities for maintenance of electric aircraft OF AERO-TRAINS are used as infrastructure units, including the charging of their batteries;
• the ATNPP has the ability to stay in the air for longer periods of time in comparison to the capabilities of aircraft using conventional JP fuels;
• the ATNPP has nuclear reactors on board, which are equipped with radiation protection, mostly shadow protection, and its glider is constructed according to a modular principle and individual modules of the ATNPP glider can be passively targeted and parachuted in case of severe incidents;
• in the ATNPP the totally safe nuclear reactors on molten salts of an UNDERCRITICAL type are applied;
• in ATNPP the external in-flight active devices are used, such as electrical cables, feeders and bars ensuring in-flight transmission of electrical power to towed electric aircraft over sufficient distances in relation to their radiation safety;
• in case of a severe incident at ATNPP, the targeted parachute and powered paraglider airdrop of nuclear reactors is applied to optimally safe landing sites for nuclear reactors in a soft manner with deployment of special systems for non-operating reactor shutdown cooling;
• the NATS KARAVAN also contains Hybrid Thermal Power Cycle (HTPC ATNPP), applied as an invention embedded in the ATNPP invention, by which ATNPP on-board mechanical and electrical power and grid electricity for the AERO-TRAIN are generated;
• the HTPC ATNPP is designed as a binary cycle with steam-turbine cycle—STC and with a low-boiling fluid cycle, organic turbine cycle—OTC;
• a peculiarity of the HTPC ATNPP is the application of vortex mass-temperature stratification units to improve the intermediate superheating of vapors in the STC and the OTC, as well as to increase the efficiency of cycles in the processes of vapor condensation during the discharge of thermal energy into the external environment that is ensured by using the incoming airflow in the ATNPP flight with its additional overcooling through air-cooled vortex units—Mass-Temperature Stratification Condensers (MTSC);
• in the HTPC ATNPP more than one undercritical nuclear reactor on molten salt is applied, and the binary cycle of the HTPC ATNPP is performed with several and parallel working second circuits of the OTC;
• in order to improve the mass-dimensional parameters of the HTPC ATNPP equipment, the ATNPP on-board electric machines are used based on high-temperature superconductors;
• the Nuclear Aircraft Transportation System Karavan uses the Emergency Response System of the Nuclear Aircraft System Karavan, (NASK ERS);
• in case of a severe incident in the ATNPP flight, the ERS automatically controls the undocking of the AERO-TRAIN aircraft and the ERS “STURMAN” subsystem generates and delivers navigation data to the undocked aircraft to the optimal landing sites on the airfields;
• the nuclear reactors together with the primary circuits of the heat exchangers are designed as a separate units equipped with parachute systems and capable of decoupling from the aircraft at a critical moment;
• at the same time the ERS controls the targeted parachute and powered paraglider airdrop of nuclear reactors to optimally safe landing sites for nuclear reactors in a soft manner and with deployment of special systems for reactor shutdown cooling;
• the electric power of the ATNPP during the flight provides charging of the onboard accumulators of the ERS BREAKERS built into the engineering dressing of the nuclear reactor structures and, in addition, the electric power of the parachute solenoid electric generators recharges the onboard accumulators of the ERS BREAKERS;
• in cases of severe incidents at ATNPP, when the HTPC equipment cannot ensure the flight of an emergency ATNPP to the nearest MS ATNPP due to the large flight distance, then the ATNPP glider is constructed according to a modular principle and individual modules of the ATNPP glider are mutually undocked and passively parachuted to optimally safe locations;
• special distributed Mobile Packages are created as part of the ERS ATNPP for handling emergency dropped nuclear reactors, including their shutdown cooling and transportation;
• the arrival of such Mobile Packages to the landed nuclear reactor is performed by paratroop, helicopter, ground-based of a high cross-country type and water-based, or rocket-based means.

The AERO-TRAIN NATS is composed of the TOWING “Tiagach-aircraft” and the towed gliders of up to 10 units, the takeoff and flight of which is provided by the mechanical thrust of the “Tiagach-aircraft”, and the landings of the gliders are independent in sequence from the last glider in flight to the first one, with their detaching from the tow cables according to this sequence and, at the same time the landings of gliders are performed without forced thrust, due to aerodynamic properties of these gliders, is distinguished by the fact that as a part of AERO-TRAIN aircraft the towing airplane is used, which is an unmanned aircraft representing a Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), with nuclear reactors on the molten salts, and towed aircraft are flying due to electric power generated in the onboard NPP, from thermal energy of nuclear reactors on molten salts, and they can take off and land independently using their electric engines and onboard accumulator batteries;

• thus the aircraft can dock to the tow airplane in the air;
• the number of towed aircraft in the aero-train is up to several dozens;
• the towed aircraft have high carrying capacity and unlimited delivery range to their landing sites by using the energy of nuclear reactors on molten salts, and at the same time the high flight speeds of aero-trains are ensured, like those of modern airplanes;
• the logistics of aero-train application is limitless, due to the possibility of sorting towed aircraft during its flight, namely due to the ability to undock one or another towed aircraft from any place in the aero-train, as well as due to the opportunity to insert “new” aircraft, at any place in the aero-train in the air.

Aircraft Thrust Nuclear Power Plant (ATNPP)—several engines are used in the ATNPP glider construction, where the nuclear reactor is installed that is the source of thermal energy used to generate thrust in flight cruising modes, while the nuclear reactor on molten salt is applied and a closed type propulsion system is used (when no atmospheric air is blown through the nuclear reactor), and traction engines with air screws are driven by steam turbines;

• the aircraft has the ability to stay in the air for longer periods of time in comparison to the capabilities of aircraft using conventional JP fuels;
• the energy generated by a nuclear reactor is applied only for cruising flights, (when take-offs and landings of nuclear aircraft are performed by other on-board energy sources);
• alternatively, unmanned operation of a limited format is used, where the atomic aircraft could be controlled remotely by an electrical cable from a special manned aircraft/glider that could be mechanically towed behind the atomic aircraft;
• the on-board Auxiliary Power Units (APUs) are applied in the aircraft, equipped with heavy radiation protection, mostly shadow protection, is distinguished by the fact that the ATNPP glider is constructed according to a modular principle and individual modules of the ATNPP glider can be passively targeted and parachuted in case of severe incidents;
• the ATNPP glider structure has relatively high aerodynamic maneuverability and maneuverability of traction engines in terms of their acceleration response relative to ATNPP hybrid drives based on the mechanical power of steam turbines combined with the booster use of electric vehicles;
• the use of more than one on-board nuclear reactor increases the reliability of the power supply of ATNPP as a whole and raises energy maneuverability in cruising modes;
• totally safe nuclear reactors are applied on molten salts of an undercritical type, driven by a proton accelerator for pulsed control of several on-board nuclear reactors, through proton beam deflection devices to one or the other reactor;
• in flight, the ATNPP, by means of one or more electric turbine-generator units, produces grid electrical power;
• in ATNPP the external in-flight active devices are used, such as electrical cables, feeders and bars ensuring in-flight transmission of electrical power to towed electric aircraft over sufficient distances in relation to radiation safety;
• in some cruising flight modes, the possible “excess” of mechanical energy on the shafts of the organic steam generating units that drive the ATNPP air traction screws is transferred to the electric machines, which are switched from motoring modes to generating ones, and the electrical power generated in this way is directed to the ATNPP generating electric grid;
• in ATNPP, rejected heat from heat and power cycles of electric power generation is used in engineering solutions to combat icing in flight of its glider;
• in ATNPP the unmanned control of its take-offs, flights and landings is applied as well as of maneuvering during dockings and undockings with towed electric aircraft, piloted not only by crews of towed aircraft, but also by their own autopilot and remote control from the ground;
• in case of a severe incident at ATNPP, the targeted parachute and powered paraglider airdrop of nuclear reactors is applied to a relatively long horizontal distance and to optimally safe landing sites for nuclear reactors in a soft manner and, if necessary, with deployment of special systems for reactor shutdown cooling.

Hybrid Thermal Power Cycle of the Aviation Thrust Nuclear Power Plant (HTPC ATNPP), in which three different fluids are used and the system is constructed as a binary cycle with a steam-water first circuit (steam-turbine cycle—STC) and with a low-boiling fluid in the second circuit (organic turbine cycle—OTC);

• Here the thermal power discharged from the STC is utilized mainly in the second circuit and can also be partially discharged into the external environment;
• thermal energy of the heat source is transferred both to the first circuit of the binary cycle—to the STC, and to the second circuit of the binary cycle—to the OTC;
• meanwhile, the STC is carried out according to the Rankine cycle with intermediate superheating of vapor, and regenerative heating of feed water by means of an independent coolant is carried out using heat from the LPC;
• to achieve the highest efficiency of the STC, the supercritical parameters of the fluid are created from the heat source transmitted to the superheater of the STC and thus additional superheating of the fluid is carried out;
• in order to improve the efficiency of the OTC, the vapors exhausted in the medium pressure cylinder (MPC) and the low pressure cylinder (LPC) are compressed, as well as the cold part of the vapors obtained from the separation of vapors in the cascade of ADIABATIC VORTEX UNITS of the OTC from the vapors exhausted in the HPC and compressed after their discharge from the HPC;
• in addition, these combined vapors are supplemented (before their compression) with preheated vapors from the inter-cycle condenser of the STC, which are formed and flow out as overcooled from the adiabatic vortex cascade of the OTC mass-temperature stratification;
• this compression ensures that the condensation temperature of the OTC fluid vapors is increased;
• the thermal energy is discharged by the vapors directed to the OTC from the STC, after their utilization in the OTC these fluid vapors of the first circuit of the binary cycle are condensed through the cold part of the vapors exhausted in the OTC turbine and obtained by the separation of the vapors exhausted in the OTC—in the cascade of the OTC ADIABATIC VORTEX UNITS;
• condensation of the OTC fluid vapors is provided by an independent compression cooler refrigerant in the circuit, in which the refrigerant vapors are pre-cooled from the process heat recovery heater before the condenser of the cooler, and then another cooling of cooler condenser from the unit or a cascade of OTC vortex mass-temperature STRATIFICATION as well as from external environment, that is DISTINGUISHED BY THE FACT THAT the equipment supporting the operation of the HTPC ATNPP, including nuclear reactors, is placed on board of the flying ATNPP glider, and more than one undercritical hybrid nuclear reactor on molten salts, or accelerator-driven undercritical nuclear reactors on molten salts, is used as the primary source of thermal energy in the HTPC ATNPP;
• the HTPC ATNPP is designed as a binary one with several and parallel working second circuits with low-boiling fluids, and the transmission of thermal energy to the HTPC ATNPP from the nuclear reactors is carried out both continuously and in an alternate mode, meanwhile in order to ensure the maneuverability of power generation in the HTPC ATNPP, the pulse ratio and duration of reactor operation are controlled with periods that ensure the maintenance of reasonable temperatures of the coolant transferring energy to the STC and to the OTC, and a thermal flywheel energy storage unit is used to smooth out pulses of supplying thermal energy to the STC and the OTC;
• in the reset conditions of the HTPC ATNPP, the heat source coolant is heated from external energy sources;
• in the OTC, regenerative heating of the OTC fluid from the OTC cooler circuit is carried out;
• in order to improve the efficiency of the STC and ensure the maneuverability of the rejected heat transfer from the STC to the external environment and to the OTC, compression of the exhaust vapor from the LPC and the cold part of the vapor from the adiabatic VORTEX UNITS—superheater, is applied, thus improving also the operation of the condenser of the rejected heat to the external environment;
• the efficiency of condensation of some vapors when discharging thermal energy from the STC to the external environment is ensured by using the incoming airflow in the ATNPP flight with its additional overcooling through a VORTEX UNIT—Mass-Temperature Stratification Condenser (MTSC), or through a cascade of such units;
• in order to improve the mass-dimensional parameters of the HTPC ATNPP equipment, the ATNPP on-board electric machines are used based on high-temperature superconductors;
• the by-product heat generated by the applied vortex units such as air-cooled MTSC in the HTPC is used for technological fighting against possible in-flight icing of the ATNPP glider.

The Emergency Response System of the Nuclear Aircraft System Karavan (NASK ERS), which is based on the towing aircraft—Aircraft Thrust Nuclear Power Plant (ATNPP) having on board a heavy radiation protection—a nuclear reactor capsule shell and additional shadow protection, while the nuclear reactor together with the primary heat exchanger circuit is designed as a separate unit equipped with a parachute system and capable of decoupling from the aircraft at a critical moment and performing a soft landing, is distinguished by the fact that to counteract emergencies in the ATNPP the totally safe nuclear reactors on molten salts of an UNDERCRITICAL type are applied;

• in case of a severe incident in the ATNPP flight, the ERS automatically and directively controls the undocking of the NASK aircraft and the “STURMAN” subsystem generates and delivers navigation data to the undocked aircraft to the optimal landing sites on the airfields;
• in case of a severe incident in the ATNPP flight, the ERS controls the targeted parachute and powered paraglider airdrop of nuclear reactors to a relatively long horizontal distance and to optimally safe landing sites for nuclear reactors in a soft manner and with deployment of special systems for reactor shutdown cooling;
• the electric power of the ATNPP during the flight provides charging of the onboard accumulators of the ERS BREAKERS built into the engineering dressing of the nuclear reactor structures and, through these breakers the targeted parachute and powered paraglider airdrop of nuclear reactors can be performed, the deployment and operation of reactor shutdown cooling systems can be carried out, as well as the operation of radio navigation beacons can be realized;
• charging of accumulator batteries of the onboard ERS BREAKERS is performed from electrical energy of the parachute solenoid electric generators operating from mechanical power of external environment during parachute powered paraglider flight and when the reactors are on the ground surface, or in the water;
• in cases of severe incidents at ATNPP, when the Hybrid Thermal Power Cycle (HTPC) equipment cannot ensure the flight of an emergency ATNPP to the nearest MS ATNPP due to the large flight distance, then the ATNPP glider is constructed according to a modular principle and individual modules of the ATNPP glider are mutually undocked and passively parachuted to optimally safe locations;
• emergency shutdown cooling of a nuclear reactor is provided and carried out for a period of time until a special Mobile Emergency Cooling Package (MECP) arrives at the landed reactor, and such packages can be equipped with various means of their delivery to the landed nuclear reactor:
• by paratroop, helicopter, ground-based of a high cross-country type and water-based, or rocket-based means.