Advanced conversion technology review panel report

Conference · Wed Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1998

OSTI ID:20000386

Frazier, T A

The Department of Energy (DOE), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) established a DOE lead management team and an Advanced Conversion Technology Review Panel. The panel was tasked with providing the management team with an assessment and ranking of the three advanced conversion technologies. The three advanced conversion technologies were alkali metal thermal to electric converter (AMTEC), Stirling engine converter (SEC), and thermophotovoltaic (TPV). To rate and rank these three technologies, five criteria were developed: (1) Performance, (2) Development and Cost/Production and Cost/Schedule Risk, (3) Spacecraft Interface and Operations, (4) Ability to Scale Conversion, and (5) Safety. Discussed are the relative importance of each of these criteria and the rankings of the three advanced conversion technologies. It was the conclusion of the panel that the technology decision should be based on the risk that DOE and NASA are willing to accept. SEC is the most mature technology and would provide the lowest risk option. However, if more risk is acceptable, AMTEC not only provides benefits in the spacecraft interface but is also predicted to outperform the SEC. It was proposed that if AMTEC were selected, funding should be provided at a reasonable level to support back-up technology to be developed in a parallel fashion until AMTEC has proven its capability. The panel report and conclusion were provided to DOE in February 1997.

• Research Organization: Dept. of Energy, Miamisburg, OH (US)
• OSTI ID: 20000386
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES
30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
42 ENGINEERING
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
COST
ECONOMICS
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
PERFORMANCE
RADIOISOTOPE HEAT SOURCES
SAFETY
SPACECRAFT POWER SUPPLIES
STIRLING ENGINES
THERMOELECTRIC GENERATORS
THERMOPHOTOVOLTAIC CONVERTERS