Radioisotope thermophotovoltaic system design and its application to an illustrative space mission

Journal Article · Thu Jan 05 04:00:00 EST 1995 · AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.47037· OSTI ID:60911

Schock, A; Kumar, V ^[1]

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1. Fairchild Space and Defense Corporation, Germantown, Maryland 20874 (United States)

The paper describes the results of a DOE-sponsored design study of a radioisotope thermophotovoltaic generator (RTPV), to complement similar studies of Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) and Stirling Generators (RSGs) previously published by the author. Instead of conducting a generic study, it was decided to focus the design effort by directing it at a specific illustrative space mission, Pluto Fast Flyby (PFF). That mission, under study by JPL, envisages a direct eight-year flight to Pluto (the only unexplored planet in the solar system), followed by comprehensive mapping, surface composition, and atmospheric structure measurements during a brief flyby of the planet and its moon Charon, and transmission of the recorded science data to Earth during a post-encounter cruise lasting up to one year. Because of Pluto`s long distance from the sun (30--50 A.U.) and the mission`s large energy demand, JPL has baselined the use of a radioisotope power system for the PFF spacecraft. TRGs have been tentatively selected, because they have been successfully flown on many space missions, and have demonstrated exceptional reliability and durability. The only reason for exploring the applicability of the far less mature RTPV systems is their potential for much higher conversion efficiencies, which would greatly reduce the mass and cost of the required radioisotope heat source. Those attributes are particularly important for the PFF mission, which---like all NASA missions under current consideration---is severely mass- and cost-limited. The paper describes the design of the radioisotope heat source, the thermophotovoltaic converter, and the heat rejection system; and depicts its integration with the PFF spacecraft.

• DOE Contract Number: AC01-94NE32172
• OSTI ID: 60911
• Report Number(s): CONF-940101--
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings, Journal Name: AIP Conference Proceedings Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 321; ISSN APCPCS; ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES
14 SOLAR ENERGY
30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
EFFICIENCY
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
PLUTO PLANET
POWER GENERATION
RADIOISOTOPE GENERATORS
RADIOISOTOPE HEAT SOURCES
THERMOPHOTOVOLTAIC CONVERTERS