Download or read book Radioisotope Fueled Pulsed Power Generation System for Propulsion and Electrical Power for Deep Space Missions written by Troy Howe and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Space exploration missions to the moon, Mars, and other celestial bodies have allowed for great scientific leaps to enhance our knowledge of the universe; yet the astronomical cost of these missions limits their utility to only a few select agencies. Reducing the cost of exploratory space travel will give rise to a new era of exploration, where private investors, universities, and world governments can send satellites to far off planets and gather important data. By using radioisotope power sources and thermal storage devices a duty cycle can be introduced to extract large amounts of energy in short amounts of time, allowing for efficient space travel. This duty cycle would be comprised of a period of power generation and a period of recharging. The same device can also provide electrical power for subsystems such as communications, drills, lasers, or other components that can provide valuable scientific information. This project examines the use of multiple radioisotope sources combined with a thermal capacitor using Phase Change Materials (PCMs), which can collect energy over a period of time. The radioisotope fuel provides heat that is stored in the PCM core, and that stored heat serves as the heat source for a Brayton power cycle when operating. The result of this design culminates in a variety of possible spacecraft with their own varying costs, transit times, and objectives. Among the most promising are missions to Mars, which cost less than $18M, missions that can provide power to satellite constellations for decades, or missions that can deliver large, sized payloads similar to the "Opportunity" rover (185kg) to Mars for less than $55M. All of these options can be made available to a much wider range of customer with commercially available satellite launches from earth. The true cost of such progress lies in the sometimes substantial increase in transit times for these missions. The results of this project showed that pulsed power systems enable a more customizable spacecraft that can effectively exchange cost for time, and make space exploration missions available to those who before could not afford to send equipment beyond the confines of Earth.
Download or read book Radioisotope Power Systems written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2009-07-14 with total page 69 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Spacecraft require electrical energy. This energy must be available in the outer reaches of the solar system where sunlight is very faint. It must be available through lunar nights that last for 14 days, through long periods of dark and cold at the higher latitudes on Mars, and in high-radiation fields such as those around Jupiter. Radioisotope power systems (RPSs) are the only available power source that can operate unconstrained in these environments for the long periods of time needed to accomplish many missions, and plutonium-238 (238Pu) is the only practical isotope for fueling them. Plutonium-238 does not occur in nature. The committee does not believe that there is any additional 238Pu (or any operational 238Pu production facilities) available anywhere in the world.The total amount of 238Pu available for NASA is fixed, and essentially all of it is already dedicated to support several pending missions-the Mars Science Laboratory, Discovery 12, the Outer Planets Flagship 1 (OPF 1), and (perhaps) a small number of additional missions with a very small demand for 238Pu. If the status quo persists, the United States will not be able to provide RPSs for any subsequent missions.
Download or read book Space Nuclear Radioisotope Systems written by David Buden and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 161 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For operating in severe environments, long life and reliability, radioisotope power systems have proven to be the most successful of all space power sources. Two Voyager missions launched in 1977 to study Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and their satellites, rings and magnetic fields and continuing to the heliosphere region are still functioning over thirty years later. Radioisotope power systems have been used on the Moon, exploring the planets, and exiting our solar system. There success is a tribute to the outstanding engineering, quality control and attention to details that went into the design and production of radioisotope power generation units. Space nuclear radioisotope systems take the form of using the thermal energy from the decay of radioisotopes and converting this energy to electric power. Reliability and safety are of prime importance. Mission success depends on the ability of being able to safely launch the systems and on having sufficient electrical power over the life of the mission. Graceful power degradation over the life of a mission is acceptable as long as it is within predictable limits. Electrical power conversion systems with inherent redundancy, such as thermoelectric conversion systems, have been favored to date. Also, radioactive decay heat has been used to maintain temperatures in spacecraft at acceptable conditions for other components. This book describes how radioisotope systems work, the requirements and safety design considerations, the various systems that have been developed, and their operational history.
Download or read book Electrical Power Generation Systems for Space Applications written by United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration and published by . This book was released on 1965 with total page 54 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Technology of Discovery written by David Friedrich Woerner and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2023-02-06 with total page 340 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Technology of Discovery Incisive discussions of a critical mission-enabling technology for deep space missions In The Technology of Discovery: Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators and Thermoelectric Technologies for Space Exploration, distinguished JPL engineer and manager David Woerner delivers an insightful discussion of how radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) are used in the exploration of space. It also explores their history, function, their market potential, and the governmental forces that drive their production and design. Finally, it presents key technologies incorporated in RTGs and their potential for future missions and design innovation. The author provides a clear and understandable treatment of the subject, ranging from straightforward overviews of the technology to complex discussions of the field of thermoelectrics. Included is also background on NASA’s decision to resurrect the GPHS-RTG and discussion of the future of commercialization of nuclear space missions. Readers will also find: A thorough introduction to RTGs, as well as their invention, history, and evolution Comprehensive explorations of the contributions made by RTGs to US space exploration Practical discussions of the evolution, selection, and production of RPS fuels In-depth examinations of technologies and generators currently in development, including skutterudite thermoelectrics for an enhanced MMRTG Perfect for space explorers, aerospace engineers, managers, and scientists, The Technology of Discovery will also earn a place in the libraries of NASA archivists and other historians.
Download or read book Essential Guide to Space Nuclear Power and Propulsion written by National Ae Space Administration (Nasa) and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2019-04-28 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This unique book reproduces important government documents, reports, and studies dealing with spaceflight nuclear power and propulsion technologies, including Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs), Plutonium-238 production, NASA Kilopower Fission Reactor (KRUSTY) and nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) rockets for human Moon and Mars exploration.Contents include: Overview of Space Radioisotope Power Systems and RTGs * Advanced Radioisotope Power System Concepts and Designs * Energy Department and Plutonium Production * Space Exploration - DOE Could Improve Planning and Communication Related to Plutonium-238 and Radioisotope Power Systems Production Challenges * Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) * NASA's Kilopower Fission Reactor Program and KRUSTYRadioisotope Thermoelectric Generators, or RTGs, provide electrical power for spacecraft by converting the heat generated by the decay of plutonium-238 (Pu-238) fuel into electricity using devices called thermocouples. Since they have no moving parts that can fail or wear out, RTGs have historically been viewed as a highly reliable power option. Thermocouples have been used in RTGs for a total combined time of over 300 years, and a not a single thermocouple has ever ceased producing power. Thermocouples are common in everyday items that must monitor or regulate their temperature, such as air conditioners, refrigerators and medical thermometers. The principle of a thermocouple involves two plates, each made of a different metal that conducts electricity. Joining these two plates to form a closed electrical circuit while keeping the two junctions at different temperatures produces an electric current. Each of these pairs of junctions forms an individual thermocouple. In an RTG, the radioisotope fuel heats one of these junctions while the other junction remains unheated and is cooled by the space environment or a planetary atmosphere.Benefits of NTP propulsion include: For human Mars missions, first generation NTP can reduce crew time away from earth from greater than 900 days to less than 500 days while still allowing ample time for surface exploration; reduce crew exposure to space radiation, microgravity, other hazards; can enable abort modes not available with other architectures including the potential to return to earth anytime within 3 months of earth departure burn, also to return immediately upon arrival at Mars; and stage/habitat optimized for use with NTP could further reduce crew exposure to cosmic rays and provide shielding against any conceivable solar flare.
Download or read book Radioisotope and Nuclear Technologies for Space Exploration written by Robert Charles O'Brien and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Radioisotope heat sources and power systems, traditionally fuelled by 238Pu, have been developed and used for spacecraft thermal management and to provide electrical power during many deep space and planetary science missions. The use of fission reactors in space, however, has been limited to high power applications in Earth orbit. Previous ground based research programs conducted by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission demonstrated the principal of nuclear thermal rocket propulsion but to date, flight heritage of nuclear propulsion has been limited to nuclear-electric propulsion. The development of space nuclear systems and tributary components that are capable of meeting the rigors of space flight is of paramount importance. Performance, lifetime and operational safety under all foreseeable conditions are essential considerations that must be made. The selection of appropriate materials and environmental compatibility is vital to the success of any given design. The ability for radioisotope heat sources to survive the extreme temperatures and mechanical loads associated with launch related accidents, is both legally mandated and necessary for the protection of life and the Earth?s environment. Nuclear fuels for fission systems must provide equal protection during accidents while the integral design ensures that a reactor remains in a safe configuration. A historical overview of nuclear systems for space is presented. Traditional and modern system designs and fabrication techniques are discussed. Applicable solid state and mechanical power conversion methods are described and their performances are evaluated. Consideration is made for the effect of radioisotope selection and heat source encapsulation architecture upon radiation safety. The identification of 241Am as an alternative isotope fuel is made. Other candidate isotopes such as 210Po, 242Cm and 244Cm are assessed. The development of encapsulation methods that are resistant to the extraction and dispersion of the radioactive materials enclosed is increasingly attractive for security reasons. Spark Plasma Sintering(SPS) processes are presented as novel, simple and rapid techniques for the encapsulation of radioisotopic materials within tungsten ceramic-metallic or cermet matrices. Computational modelling via Monte-Carlo simulation has shown that the encapsulation of radioisotopes within heterogeneous tungsten cermet matrices may reduce the neutron, X-ray and Gamma-ray radiation dose delivered to the localised environment. The prevention of fabrication related volatilisation of radioisotopic compounds is fundamental to the success of the encapsulation process. SPS is empirically demonstrated via the use of CeO2 as an inert simulant for radioisotopic compounds such as PuO2, AmO2 and UO2. The chemical compatibility of americium oxides within a tungsten matrix is also demonstrated through pressureless sintering within a Differential Scanning Calorimetric furnace. The techniques developed for radioisotope encapsulation are also demonstrated in context of cermet fuel fabrication for high temperature space power and propulsion reactor systems. The use of tungsten cermet fuels may eliminate material incompatibilities and failures experienced by historical nuclear thermal propulsion programs. Finally, three novel concept applications of nuclear energy as an enabling technology for planetary exploration are presented. Melt penetration of icy surfaces and long range mobility on planetary surfaces is proposed via the use of pulsed high power heat capacitive radioisotope sources. In-situ resource utilization is considered for propellant production. The use of CO2 is proposed as a propellant for a radioisotope thermal rocket in the context of a?Mars Hopper?. A CO2 propellant is also considered in the context of a high temperature (3000?C) nuclear thermal propulsion system for a single stage surface ascent vehicle under a Mars sample return mission.
Download or read book Space Nuclear Fission Electric Power Systems written by David Buden and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 277 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The advantages of space nuclear fission power systems can be summarized as: compact size; low to moderate mass; long operating lifetimes; the ability to operate in extremely hostile environments; operation independent of the distance from the Sun or of the orientation to the Sun; and high system reliability and autonomy. In fact, as power requirements approach the tens of kilowatts and megawatts, fission nuclear energy appears to be the only realistic power option. The building blocks for space nuclear fission electric power systems include the reactor as the heat source, power generation equipment to convert the thermal energy to electrical power, waste heat rejection radiators and shielding to protect the spacecraft payload. The power generation equipment can take the form of either static electrical conversion elements that have no moving parts (e.g., thermoelectric or thermionic) or dynamic conversion components (e.g., the Rankine, Brayton or Stirling cycle). The U.S. has only demonstrated in space, or even in full systems in a simulated ground environment, uranium-zirconium-hydride reactor power plants. These power plants were designed for a limited lifetime of one year and the mass of scaled up power plants would probably be unacceptable to meet future mission needs. Extensive development was performed on the liquid-metal cooled SP-100 power systems and components were well on their way to being tested in a relevant environment. A generic flight system design was completed for a seven year operating lifetime power plant, but not built or tested. The former USSR made extensive use of space reactors as a power source for radar ocean reconnaissance satellites. They launched some 31 missions using reactors with thermoelectric power conversion systems and two with thermionic converters. Current activities are centered on Fission Surface Power for lunar applications. Activities are concentrating on demonstrating component readiness. This book will discuss the components that make up a nuclear fission power system, the principal requirements and safety issues, various development programs, status of developments, and development issues.
Download or read book A Deep Space Power System Option Based on Synergistic Power Conversion Technologies written by and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page 14 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Spacecraft Power Systems written by Mukund R. Patel and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2023-12-12 with total page 363 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This second edition of Spacecraft Power Systems is a comprehensive coverage of the fundamentals, design trades, components, controls, and operations of spacecraft power systems based on the real-world design and operations of spacecraft that have successfully flown for decades. It also includes emerging high-voltage, high-power systems for in-space propulsion for interplanetary travel. With new and updated chapters, sections, and discussions, the second edition covers up-to-date high-voltage, MW-scale electric propulsion, updated PV and battery systems, spacecraft power components, power electronics, and their architectures and operations. This book also presents the latest in spacecraft design processes and trades, controls, operations, and protection. This book is intended for senior undergraduate and graduate students in mechanical, aerospace, and electrical engineering taking courses in Space Systems, Space Engineering, and Spacecraft Power Systems, as well as for practicing aerospace and power engineers and managers who are designing, developing, and operating spacecraft power systems.
Download or read book Parametric Study of Radiator Concepts for a Stirling Radioisotope Power System Applicable to Deep Space Mission written by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2018-06-03 with total page 40 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Department of Energy (DOE) and the NASA Glenn Research Center are developing a Stirling converter for an advanced radioisotope power system to provide spacecraft onboard electric power for NASA deep space missions. This high-efficiency converter is being evaluated as an alternative to replace the much lower efficiency radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG). The current power requirement (six years after beginning of mission (BOM) for a mission to Jupiter) is 210 W(sub e) (watts electric) to be generated by two separate power systems, one on each side of the spacecraft. Both two-converter and four-converter system designs are being considered, depending on the amount of required redundancy.Juhasz, Albert J. and Tew, Roy C. and Thieme, Lanny G.Glenn Research CenterSPACECRAFT POWER SUPPLIES; POWER CONVERTERS; SYSTEMS ENGINEERING; RADIOISOTOPE BATTERIES; RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT; STIRLING CYCLE; SPACE MISSIONS; THERMOELECTRIC GENERATORS
Download or read book Nasa s Advanced Radioisotope Power Conversion Technology Development Status written by National Aeronautics and Space Adm Nasa and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2019-01-13 with total page 28 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NASA's Advanced Radioisotope Power Systems (ARPS) project is developing the next generation of radioisotope power conversion technologies that will enable future missions that have requirements that cannot be met by either photovoltaic systems or by current radioisotope power systems (RPSs). Requirements of advanced RPSs include high efficiency and high specific power (watts/kilogram) in order to meet future mission requirements with less radioisotope fuel and lower mass so that these systems can meet requirements for a variety of future space applications, including continual operation surface missions, outer-planetary missions, and solar probe. These advances would enable a factor of 2 to 4 decrease in the amount of fuel required to generate electrical power. Advanced RPS development goals also include long-life, reliability, and scalability. This paper provides an update on the contractual efforts under the Radioisotope Power Conversion Technology (RPCT) NASA Research Announcement (NRA) for research and development of Stirling, thermoelectric, and thermophotovoltaic power conversion technologies. The paper summarizes the current RPCT NRA efforts with a brief description of the effort, a status and/or summary of the contractor's key accomplishments, a discussion of upcoming plans, and a discussion of relevant system-level benefits and implications. The paper also provides a general discussion of the benefits from the development of these advanced power conversion technologies and the eventual payoffs to future missions (discussing system benefits due to overall improvements in efficiency, specific power, etc.). Anderson, David J. and Sankovic, John and Wilt, David and Abelson, Robert D. and Fleurial, Jean-Pierre Glenn Research Center; Jet Propulsion Laboratory WBS 138494.01.04.01
Download or read book Scientific and Technical Aerospace Reports written by and published by . This book was released on 1995 with total page 704 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book New Opportunities for Outer Solar System Science Using Radioisotope Electric Propulsion written by and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 8 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Today, our questions and hypotheses about the Solar System's origin have surpassed our ability to deliver scientific instruments to deep space. The moons of the outer planets, the Trojan and Centaur minor planets, the trans-Neptunian objects (TNO), and distant Kuiper Belt objects (KBO) hold a wealth of information about the primordial conditions that led to the formation of our Solar System. Robotic missions to these objects are needed to make the discoveries, but the lack of deep-space propulsion is impeding this science. Radioisotope electric propulsion (REP) will revolutionize the way we do deep-space planetary science with robotic vehicles, giving them unprecedented mobility. Radioisotope electric generators and lightweight ion thrusters are being developed today which will make possible REP systems with specific power in the range of 5 to 10 W/kg. Studies have shown that this specific power range is sufficient to perform fast rendezvous missions from Earth to the outer Solar System and fast sample return missions. This whitepaper discusses how mobility provided by REP opens up entirely new science opportunities for robotic missions to distant primitive bodies. We also give an overview of REP technology developments and the required next steps to realize REP.
Download or read book Radioisotope Electric Propulsion for Fast Outer Planetary Orbiters written by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2018-06-19 with total page 30 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Recent interest in outer planetary targets by the Office of Space Science has spurred the search for technology options to enable relatively quick missions to outer planetary targets. Several options are being explored including solar electric propelled stages combined with aerocapture at the target and nuclear electric propulsion. Another option uses radioisotope powered electric thrusters to reach the outer planets. Past work looked at using this technology to provide faster flybys. A better use for this technology is for outer planet orbiters. Combined with medium class launch vehicles and a new direct trajectory these small, sub-kilowatt ion thrusters and Stirling radioisotope generators were found to allow missions as fast as 5 to 12 years for objects from Saturn to Pluto, respectively. Key to the development is light spacecraft and science payload technologies. Oleson, Steven and Benson, Scott and Gefert, Leon and Patterson, Michael and Schreiber, Jeffrey Glenn Research Center NASA/TM-2002-211893, NAS 1.15:211893, E-13575, AIAA Paper 2002-3967
Download or read book Advanced Power Sources for Space Missions written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 1989-02-01 with total page 162 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Star Wars"â€"as the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) is dubbedâ€"will require reliable sources of immense amounts of energy to power such advanced weapons as lasers and particle beams. Are such power sources available? This study says no, not yetâ€"and points the way toward the kind of energy research and development that is needed to power SDI. Advanced Power Sources for Space Missions presents a comprehensive and objective view of SDI's unprecedented power requirements and the opportunities we have to meet them in a cost-effective manner.
Download or read book Development of a Multi Bus Multi Source Reconfigurable Stirling Radioisotope Power System Test Bed written by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2018-06-21 with total page 30 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has typically used Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTG) as their source of electric power for deep space missions. A more efficient and potentially more cost effective alternative to the RTG, the high efficiency 110 watt Stirling Radioisotope Generator 110 (SRG110) is being developed by the Department of Energy (DOE), Lockheed Martin (LM), Stirling Technology Company (STC) and NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC). The SRG110 consists of two Stirling convertors (Stirling Engine and Linear Alternator) in a dual-opposed configuration, and two General Purpose Heat Source (GPHS) modules. Although Stirling convertors have been successfully operated as a power source for the utility grid and as a stand-alone portable generator, demonstration of the technology required to interconnect two Stirling convertors for a spacecraft power system has not been attempted. NASA GRC is developing a Power System Test Bed (PSTB) to evaluate the performance of a Stirling convertor in an integrated electrical power system application. This paper will describe the status of the PSTB and on-going activities pertaining to the PSTB in the NASA Thermal-Energy Conversion Branch of the Power and On-Board Propulsion Technology Division. Coleman, Anthony S. Glenn Research Center NASA/CR-2004-213319, AIAA Paper 2004-5713, E-14779
