Design of the heat receiver for the U.S./Russia solar dynamic power joint flight demonstration

Conference · Sun Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1995

OSTI ID:163388

Strumpf, H J; Krystkowiak, C; Klucher, B A ^[1]

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1. AlliedSignal Aerospace Equipment Systems, Torrance, CA (United States)

A joint US/Russia program is being conducted to develop, fabricate, launch, and operate a solar dynamic demonstration system on Space Station Mir. The goal of the program is to demonstrate and confirm that solar dynamic power systems are viable for future space applications such as the International Space Station Alpha. The major components of the system include a heat receiver, a closed Brayton cycle power conversion unit, a power conditioning and control unit, a concentrator, a radiator, a thermal control system, and a Space Shuttle carrier. This paper discusses the design of the heat receiver component. The receiver comprises a cylindrical cavity, the walls of which are lined with a series of tubes running the length of the cavity. The engine working fluid, a mixture of xenon and helium, is heated by the concentrated sunlight incident on these tubes. The receiver incorporates integral thermal storage, using a eutectic mixture of lithium fluoride and calcium difluoride as the thermal storage solid-to-liquid phase change material. This thermal storage is required to enable power production during eclipse. The phase change material is contained in a series of individual containment canisters.

• OSTI ID: 163388
• Report Number(s): CONF-950729--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
BRAYTON CYCLE POWER SYSTEMS
CAVITY RECEIVERS
DESIGN
MIR ORBITAL STATION
OPERATION
POWER CONDITIONING CIRCUITS
RADIATORS
SHADING
SOLAR CONCENTRATORS
SPACECRAFT POWER SUPPLIES
TEMPERATURE CONTROL
THERMAL ENERGY STORAGE EQUIPMENT