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2026-10-04 ScienceDirect - Physics Procedia 20 (2011)

L. Popa-Simil, "Advanced Space Nuclear Reactors from Fiction to Reality", Physics Procedia 20 (2011) 270-292, open access (CC licence), DOI 10.1016/j.phpro.2011.08.025. Space, Propulsion & Energy Sciences International Forum (SPESIF), ed. G.A. Robertson. [web] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1875389211005943 PDF not downloaded this run; it is open access, so get it next run.

  • [web] Abstract: "some of the ideas being confirmed by collateral experiments". It describes a reactor with direct conversion, "electronic control of reactivity", a transmutation blanket and thin shielding, and says it "might be achievable in less than a century".
  • The reference list is a ready-made bibliography of the history of direct conversion (priority 3 and 4 leads):
  • Moseley 1913, the beta cell; Linder US2517120 (1946); Rappaport US3094634; Schwartz US2858459 (secondary-emission nuclear battery, 1958).
  • Polansky, Sanders & Duong, "A Review of Previous Research in Direct Energy Conversion Fission Reactors", HISAP'99 (1999).
  • Beller et al., DEC fission reactors, a U.S. NERI project (2000); L.C. Brown, "Direct Energy Conversion Fission Reactor", annual report to DOE, GA-A23593 (2000); Anghaie & Knight, DE-FG03-99SF21894 final report (2002).
  • Romania: I. Ursu, I. Purica, A. Badescu-Singureanu, D. Vamanu, "Cell for obtaining electric energy directly from the nuclear fission energy", Institute for Physics and Nuclear Energy (1978); Ursu & Purica, "Synergetics of the fission electric cells", Int. J. Energy Res. 4 (1980) 19-30; Ursu, Badescu-Singureanu, Schächter, Int. J. Energy Res. 9 (1984/85) 165-170.
  • Moir and Barr, "Venetian blind" direct converters for fusion (1973-1994).
  • Popa-Simil & Muntele, "Development of Nuclear Protective Materials for Incorporation into Military Protective Clothing and Equipment", Dept. US Army, 2007; and "Military protective individual equipment - Active shield", US Army Natick, LAVM, 2007. These are government contractor records (priority 4) and suggest LAVM LLC had US Army contact or proposals in 2007. Their nature (contract, SBIR proposal or report) is unknown.
  • Bearing: the Romanian FEC work (1978-1988) at the Bucharest-Magurele institute is the closest earlier experimental line. Popa-Simil worked at the same institute complex (ScholarGPS: Institutul de Fizică Atomică). The FEC is the macroscopic, vacuum-gap form of the same principle (fission fragments cross a gap and charge a collector). CIci is the nano-layered solid-state form of it.