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Title: Electrical insulator assembly with oxygen permeation barrier

Abstract

A high-voltage electrical insulator (21) for electrically insulating a thermoelectric module (17) in a spacecraft from a niobium-1% zirconium alloy wall (11) of a heat exchanger (13) filled with liquid lithium (16) while providing good thermal conductivity between the heat exchanger and the thermoelectric module. The insulator (21) has a single crystal alumina layer (SxAl.sub.2 O.sub.3, sapphire) with a niobium foil layer (32) bonded thereto on the surface of the alumina crystal (26) facing the heat exchanger wall (11), and a molybdenum layer (31) bonded to the niobium layer (32) to act as an oxygen permeation barrier to preclude the oxygen depleting effects of the lithium from causing undesirable niobium-aluminum intermetallic layers near the alumina-niobium interface.

Inventors:
 [1];  [2]
  1. Lansdale, PA
  2. Exton, PA
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
Martin Marietta Corp
OSTI Identifier:
869208
Patent Number(s):
5298084
Assignee:
United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
DOE Contract Number:  
AC03-86SF16006
Resource Type:
Patent
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
electrical; insulator; assembly; oxygen; permeation; barrier; high-voltage; 21; electrically; insulating; thermoelectric; module; 17; spacecraft; niobium-1; zirconium; alloy; wall; 11; heat; exchanger; 13; filled; liquid; lithium; 16; providing; thermal; conductivity; single; crystal; alumina; layer; sxal; sapphire; niobium; foil; 32; bonded; thereto; surface; 26; facing; molybdenum; 31; preclude; depleting; effects; causing; undesirable; niobium-aluminum; intermetallic; layers; near; alumina-niobium; interface; thermoelectric module; electrical insulator; voltage electrical; liquid lithium; zirconium alloy; electrically insulating; thermal conductivity; heat exchange; heat exchanger; single crystal; bonded thereto; alumina layer; metallic layers; permeation barrier; metallic layer; high-voltage electrical; foil layer; insulator assembly; voltage electric; /136/

Citation Formats

Van Der Beck, Roland R, and Bond, James A. Electrical insulator assembly with oxygen permeation barrier. United States: N. p., 1994. Web.
Van Der Beck, Roland R, & Bond, James A. Electrical insulator assembly with oxygen permeation barrier. United States.
Van Der Beck, Roland R, and Bond, James A. Sat . "Electrical insulator assembly with oxygen permeation barrier". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/869208.
@article{osti_869208,
title = {Electrical insulator assembly with oxygen permeation barrier},
author = {Van Der Beck, Roland R and Bond, James A},
abstractNote = {A high-voltage electrical insulator (21) for electrically insulating a thermoelectric module (17) in a spacecraft from a niobium-1% zirconium alloy wall (11) of a heat exchanger (13) filled with liquid lithium (16) while providing good thermal conductivity between the heat exchanger and the thermoelectric module. The insulator (21) has a single crystal alumina layer (SxAl.sub.2 O.sub.3, sapphire) with a niobium foil layer (32) bonded thereto on the surface of the alumina crystal (26) facing the heat exchanger wall (11), and a molybdenum layer (31) bonded to the niobium layer (32) to act as an oxygen permeation barrier to preclude the oxygen depleting effects of the lithium from causing undesirable niobium-aluminum intermetallic layers near the alumina-niobium interface.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {1994},
month = {1}
}

Works referenced in this record: