Description: Peregrine proposes the development of �Liquid Interface Diffusion� (LID) bonding to be the joining method to provide a homogeneous connection between the heat pipes and cores of Fission Power Systems (FPS). This innovation will create a high strength, high temperature and high integrity (homogeneous) joint between the Hanes 230 alloy comprising the NaK heat pipe wall and U-8Mo core. This homogeneous joint will allow for high efficiency heat transfer from the core to NaK heat pipes with no voids or separations that can act as thermal shunts that will become hot spots/cold spots at the heat exchanging surface that could lead to dead spots, or potential sites for thermal runaway. The creation of a high efficiency joint allows both the core and the heat pipe to both operate at their optimum performance supplying a maximum and balanced thermal load to the hot side of the sterling engines making up the operating component generating electricity within the Fission Power System.

Benefits: The development and characterization of LID bonding for Fission Power Systems will �enable� thermal transfer throughout all FPS versions to optimize performance and reliability for both manned and unmanned exploration of Mars, Venus, and the moon.

This technology will be applicable to terrestrial based applications such as commercial reactors, geothermal cores, and other high temperature heat pipe applications relating to regenerative heat transfer. Regenerative heat transfer is a particularly interesting area for the use of this technology and it is a way to capture waste heat for reuse providing energy efficiency.