Abstract
A global approach to analyzing the various configurations possible for a space nuclear power plant has been developed. This approach centers around the Space Nuclear Auxiliary Power System (SNAPS), a software package designed to simulate the operation of space nuclear power plants with different energy conversion techniques, to find optimal characteristics constrained by feasibility limitations, and to design the plant for maximum flexibility and reliability. The modular nature of SNAPS allows for the analysis of numerous configurations of space nuclear power plants. This paper analyzes one class of design configurations in detail, those based on the Brayton cycle. A technique has been developed to optimize the structural configuration and design of the plant. Since the solution space is characterized by a large number of design and structural parameter combinations, the method of simulated annealing is used to optimize the objective function. The successful applicability of simulated annealing as an optimization tool for space nuclear power plant design problems is demonstrated.
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