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Title: Radioisotope Stirling Generator Options for Pluto Fast Flyby Mission

Abstract

The preceding paper described conceptual designs and analytical results for five Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (RTG) options for the Pluto Fast Flyby (PFF) mission, and the present paper describes three Radioisotope Stirling Generator (RSG) options for the same mission. The RSG options are based on essentially the same radioisotope heat source modules used in previously flown RTGs and on designs and analyses of a 75-watt free-piston Stirling engine produced by Mechanical Technology Incorporated (MTI) for NASA's Lewis Research Center. The integrated system design options presented were generated in a Fairchild Space study sponsored by the Department of Energy's Office of Special Applications, in support of ongoing PFF mission and spacecraft studies that the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is conducting for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). That study's NASA-directed goal is to reduce the spacecraft mass from its baseline value of 166 kg to ~110 kg, which implies a mass goal of less than 10 kg for a power source able to deliver 69 watts(e) at the end of the 9.2-year mission. In general, the Stirling options were found to be lighter than the thermoelectric options described in the preceding paper. But they are less mature, requiring more development, andmore » entailing greater programmatic risk. The Stirling power system mass ranged from 7.3 kg (well below the 10-kg goal) for a non-redundant system to 11.3 kg for a redundant system able to maintain full power if one of its engines fails. In fact, the latter system could deliver as much as 115 watts(e) if desired by the mission planners. There are 5 copies in the file.« less

Authors:
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Fairchild Space and Defense Corporation
Sponsoring Org.:
NE Office of Space and Defense Power Systems
OSTI Identifier:
1033412
Report Number(s):
IAF-93- R.1.425b
Orbital ID: 10226; Call Number: 35-02
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems; RTG; Pluto; Fast; Flyby; PFF; RSG; Radioisotope; Stirling; Generator; Spacecraft

Citation Formats

Schock, Alfred. Radioisotope Stirling Generator Options for Pluto Fast Flyby Mission. United States: N. p., 1993. Web. doi:10.2172/1033412.
Schock, Alfred. Radioisotope Stirling Generator Options for Pluto Fast Flyby Mission. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/1033412
Schock, Alfred. 1993. "Radioisotope Stirling Generator Options for Pluto Fast Flyby Mission". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/1033412. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1033412.
@article{osti_1033412,
title = {Radioisotope Stirling Generator Options for Pluto Fast Flyby Mission},
author = {Schock, Alfred},
abstractNote = {The preceding paper described conceptual designs and analytical results for five Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (RTG) options for the Pluto Fast Flyby (PFF) mission, and the present paper describes three Radioisotope Stirling Generator (RSG) options for the same mission. The RSG options are based on essentially the same radioisotope heat source modules used in previously flown RTGs and on designs and analyses of a 75-watt free-piston Stirling engine produced by Mechanical Technology Incorporated (MTI) for NASA's Lewis Research Center. The integrated system design options presented were generated in a Fairchild Space study sponsored by the Department of Energy's Office of Special Applications, in support of ongoing PFF mission and spacecraft studies that the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is conducting for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). That study's NASA-directed goal is to reduce the spacecraft mass from its baseline value of 166 kg to ~110 kg, which implies a mass goal of less than 10 kg for a power source able to deliver 69 watts(e) at the end of the 9.2-year mission. In general, the Stirling options were found to be lighter than the thermoelectric options described in the preceding paper. But they are less mature, requiring more development, and entailing greater programmatic risk. The Stirling power system mass ranged from 7.3 kg (well below the 10-kg goal) for a non-redundant system to 11.3 kg for a redundant system able to maintain full power if one of its engines fails. In fact, the latter system could deliver as much as 115 watts(e) if desired by the mission planners. There are 5 copies in the file.},
doi = {10.2172/1033412},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1033412}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1993},
month = {Fri Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1993}
}