Statistics – Applications
Scientific paper
Feb 2004
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2004aipc..699..230e&link_type=abstract
SPACE TECHNOLOGY AND APPLICATIONS INTERNAT.FORUM-STAIF 2004: Conf.on Thermophys.in Microgravity; Commercial/Civil Next Gen.Space
Statistics
Applications
Spaceborne And Space Research Instruments, Apparatus, And Components
Scientific paper
Conceptual designs of Advanced Radioisotope Power System (ARPS) with Cascaded Thermoelectric Converters (CTCs) are developed and optimized for maximum efficiency operation for End-Of Mission (EOM) electrical power of at least 100 We. These power systems each employs four General Purpose Heat Source (GPHS) bricks generating 1000 Wth at Beginning-of-Life (BOL) and 32 Cascaded Thermoelectric Modules (CTMs). Each CTM consists of a top and a bottom array of thermoelectric unicouples, which are thermally, but not electrically, coupled. The top and bottom arrays of the CTMs are connected electrically in series in two parallel strings with the same nominal voltage of > 28 VDC. The SiGe unicouples in the top array of the CTMs are optimized for nominal hot shoe temperature of 1273 K and constant cold shoe temperature of either 780 K or 980 K, depending on the thermoelectric materials of the unicouples in the bottom array. For a SiGe cold junction temperature of 780 K, the unicouples in the bottom array have p-legs of TAGS-85 and n-legs of 2N-PbTe and operate at constant hot junction temperature of 765 K and nominal cold junction temperature of 476.4 K. When the SiGe cold junction temperature is 980 K, the unicouples in the bottom arrays of CTMs have p-legs of CeFe3.5Co0.5Sb12 or CeFe3.5Co0.5Sb12 and Zn4Sb3, segments and n-legs of CoSb3 and operate at constant hot junction temperature of 965 K and nominal cold junction temperatures of 446.5 K or 493.5 K, respectively. The CTC-ARPSs have a nominal efficiency of 10.82% - 10.85% and generate BOL power of 108 We. This system efficiency is ~ 80% higher than that of State-of-the-Art (SOA) Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs), requiring 7 GHPS bricks and generating 105 We at BOL. The CTC-ARPSs have specific powers of 8.2 We/kg to 8.8 We/kg, which are 71% to 83% higher, respectively, than that of the SOA-RTGs, and use ~ 43% less 238PuO2 fuel.
El-Genk Mohamed S.
Saber Hamed H.
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