Other
Scientific paper
Jan 1993
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1993aipc..271..171s&link_type=abstract
Proceedings of the tenth symposium on space nuclear power and propulsion. AIP Conference Proceedings, Volume 271, pp. 171-184 (
Other
Thermoelectric, Electrogasdynamic And Other Direct Energy Conversion
Scientific paper
The paper describes the results of studies on an RTG option for powering the global network of unmanned landers for NASA's Mars Environmental Survey (MESUR) mission. RTGs are essentially unaffected by diurnal and seasonal variations, Martian sandstorms, and landing site latitudes, and their waste heat can stabilize the temperatures of the landers and their payload. The RTG designs described in this paper are based on PbTe/TAGS thermoelectric elements, in contast to the SiGe-based RTGs the author described in previous publications. The presently described RTGs differ not only in the choice of thermoelectric materials but also in the use of much lower operating temperatures, conductive rather than radiative heat transfer, an inert cover gas instead of vacuum in the RTG's converter, and fibrous instead of multifoil thermal insulation. As in a previous Teledyne design, the Fairchild designs described in this paper employ flight-proven General Purpose Source modules and Close-Pack Arrays of thermoelectric converter modules. Illustrative point designs of RTGs producing 41 and 51 watts(e) at 28 volts are presented. The presented performance parameters were derived by detailed thermal, thermoelectric, and electrical analyses (including radiator geometry optimization) described in the paper. The Fairchild study showed that, with appropriate modifications, the Teledyne design can be scaled up to higher power levels, and it identified solutions to ensure adequate fuel clad ductility at launch temperatures and adequate thermal conductance from the thermoelectric cold ends to the RTG housing.
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